Hey Robert,

Sounds like your local shop had started along the right track, but
didn't quite get there.

Instead of a cone shaped wedge, make the hole through the ball a
"cone" shape. Doesn't have to be perfect, but definitely the "small
end" of the hole must be the "cable size", just large enough for the
wire rope to pass through. In your case, 9/64" should do", and the
large end as large as you can make it on a 1/4" ball. Nominally,
these are 3 times the cable diameter, but you can't "do" that with
what you have. The cone "finish" should not be smooth, in fact it
should have a surface that is slightly roughened for the last step.

Insert the cable through this smaller hole, and then seize it with
tape or wire to allow you to splay the end for three times the
diameter.

Turn the end of each of the now separated lays back on itself, bent so
that the ends will meet "inside" the wire rope. Bit of a bitch to do,
but forms a "rosette".

Pull really hard on the cable, attempting to pull the whole bud back
through the ball. It can not pull out, due to you have effectively
"doubled" the diameter of the cable.

While it is under this tension, now you solder it in place. The
solder, babbitt, lead, or what ever, (I've even used epoxy), doesn't
need to "melt into" the cable as though you were tinning or brazing.
It just has to flow around it, so don't heat the cable anymore than
necessary. It doesn't take much heat to damage these now individual
little wires. This "socketing" doesn't stop the cable from pulling
through, but merely keeps it in place so that it can't go the "other"
way and push free when the tension is released.

Done properly, the cable exiting the small end will be "whole" and
still twisted in it's proper lay, and none of the "splay" will be
visible at the small hole end. On the large end, you may find that
the little "loops" are visible. On items where it matters, these MUST
show in fact, so that you know it wasn't just like what your local
shop did.

What is this a part of?? It is quite common for fittings such as you
describe to be Nico pressed, but you need the proper equipment and
expertise to do this. If it is possible to take the cable to a marine
outfitter, they may be able to do provide what you need.

And using a safety factor of 5, you should be using 3/16" cable for a
700 pound load.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
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On 12 Jul 2005 09:42:15 GMT, Robert Latest
wrote:

Hi folks,

I'm having to fix a steel cable (1/8" dia) to a small metal ball (1/4")
in order to hook the cable into a slot. This is a replacement part for a
device I've been using, but due to overload the original factory-made
connection went -- the cable progressively slipped out of the ball.

I had a local workshop make a replacement -- they stuck the cable
through a brass ball, jammed a conical piece of steel into the center of
the open end of the cable, and liberally bathed the whole thing in
solder. Upon my first trial, the joint snapped with a loud pang when it
wasn't even loaded with half of its intended strength (max force in
normal use will be about 700lbs).

My question is: How is this done professionally? Of course I could just
order the original replacement part, but with overseas shipping and all
I'd like to save some time by having this made locally.

The design of the unit, regrettably, doesn't allow any other way of
fixing the cable to the rest.

Thanks,
robert