For high-strength applications, these are usually swedged on under very high
pressure in a shaped die. Bourdon cables for bikes are usually just splayed
out after inserting through the terminal piece and soldered, or the terminal
piece is insert molded in zinc directly onto the cable (zinc shrinks as it
solidifies, clamping very tightly onto the cable as it does). Silver solder
might work better, but only the low-temperature types. Real silver solder
needs a high enough temperture that the heat treatment of the cable will
almost certainly be affected.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Jordan" wrote in message
u...
Sounds very much like a Bowden control cable.
That's the type as used on bicycles, motorcycles, cars etc, that have a
multi-strand inner cable with a nipple on the end.
The method you describe for putting on a new nipple (ball) is OK, but you
didn't mention if the nipple had a hollow cone, or double-diameter made
into it. If it's only got a straight hole, I wouldn't expect that to last
long. The larger diameter or cone is where the cable strands can be spread
out into, and optionally a steel "splinter" can be also placed centrally,
before it's all soldered. Using the proper solder, or maybe silver solder,
and cleanliness helps a lot.

Jordan

Robert Latest wrote:
Hi folks,

I'm having to fix a steel cable (1/8" dia) to a small metal ball (1/4")