Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Thanks

Mr F.

Having used so many so called steel wire cutters that aren't, and
having used other cutting tools from Knipex and found them to be
excellent - I'd suggest giving them a try:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/39495/...e-Cutter-190mm

Generally Screwfix are happy to take stuff back - and I do whenever a
tool doesn't deliver results as promised.

I also used to have a pair of Lindstrom side cutters at work -
excellent - but I wasn't paying for them.

"Mr Fizzion" wrote in message
...
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

My Park Tools one works.

cheers,
clive

"Mr Fizzion" wrote in message
...
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Angle grinder, yes I have.
How much do you want to cut?

In message , Mr Fizzion
writes
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Back in the days when I used to cut Bowden cables for bicycles and,
later, Lambrettas, I found the best way to get a good, clean cut was to
hold the cable in the cutting jaws of a good, solid pair of pliers, then
whack the jaws (not handles) with a fairly heavy hammer.
--
Graeme

On May 30, 7:52*pm, " wrote:
Having used so many so called steel wire cutters that aren't, and
having used other cutting tools from Knipex and found them to be
excellent - I'd suggest giving them a try:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/39495/...utters/Cable-W...

I can vouch for that product - it goes straight through threaded bar
like butter so I'm sure it will do a cracking job on steel wire. It's
probably overkill for 1mm or so bike cables though!

Steve

Mr Fizzion was thinking very hard :
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

I would use an angle grinder, just gently tickling the wire so it
causes minimum distortion and unravelling.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

"stevelup" wrote in message
...
On May 30, 7:52 pm, " wrote:
Having used so many so called steel wire cutters that aren't, and
having used other cutting tools from Knipex and found them to be
excellent - I'd suggest giving them a try:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/39495/...utters/Cable-W...

I can vouch for that product - it goes straight through threaded bar
like butter so I'm sure it will do a cracking job on steel wire. It's
probably overkill for 1mm or so bike cables though!

Steve

yes but threaded bar is just mild steel, the cable is a cold-drawn and
therefore heavily work hardened carbon steel. Altogether a different beast.
Even the best cutters and angle grinders will tend to unravel a bit. If you
are going to want to thread it through something then one technique is to
heat locally to red heat (those super cigarette lighter type mini gas
torches are fine), allow to cool then reheat and apply electrical solder
(with extra flux if you have it to hand). Now you have a short length of
softened wire which will be easy to cut, and the strands are anchored
together. You can clean up and chamfer the cut with a file.

On 30 May, 19:33, Mr Fizzion wrote:
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Thanks

Mr F.

Having read the replies so far, I don't really understand what the
problem is. You are only going to cut the cable once it is fed through
the outer and associated guides, and fitted into the gear/brake cable
clamp - and once there it is never going to be taken out until it is
replaced, so any distortion or unravelling is irrelevant and is taken
up in the aluminium end cover that you clamp on with a pair of pointed
nose pliers.

I can't remember exactly what I used from my workshop but it was just
a bog standard cutter of wire of some sort - probably a different one
each time I do the task, and with 5 bikes to maintain cable
replacement is not infrequent.

This I suspect is a case of expecting there to be a specific tool when
a little bit of thought will show you that the quality of the cut is
uncritical.

Rob
Rob

"newshound" wrote in message
...

yes but threaded bar is just mild steel, the cable is a cold-drawn and
therefore heavily work hardened carbon steel. Altogether a different
beast. Even the best cutters and angle grinders will tend to unravel a
bit. If you are going to want to thread it through something then one
technique is to heat locally to red heat (those super cigarette lighter
type mini gas torches are fine), allow to cool then reheat and apply
electrical solder (with extra flux if you have it to hand). Now you have a
short length of softened wire which will be easy to cut, and the strands
are anchored together. You can clean up and chamfer the cut with a file.

TBH that's overkill. Decent cutters don't unravel the wire - but they don't
have straight jaws, they've got a sort of square shape. But yes, I wouldn't
cut before threading.

(And any decent bike cable is stainless these days)

cheers,
clive

Having read the replies so far, I don't really understand what the
problem is. You are only going to cut the cable once it is fed through
the outer and associated guides, and fitted into the gear/brake cable
clamp - and once there it is never going to be taken out until it is
replaced, so any distortion or unravelling is irrelevant and is taken
up in the aluminium end cover that you clamp on with a pair of pointed
nose pliers.

Well one scenario I have actually had was either a failed outer or a failed
changerwith spares available except for the inner cable. So I needed to be
able to clip the crimp and re-thread it. You need a clean cut but may not
have the best tools to hand. The softening trick will work on stainless
cable too although you probably need a more aggressive flux before
soldering, Not sure if soft solders work.

On Fri, 30 May 2008 19:33:30 +0100, Mr Fizzion
wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Almost any cutter, so long as it's a bypass shear, not a pair of
diagonal or end-cutting nippers.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readi...ions.asp?id=23

My favourite is an Axminster own-brand one with blue handles, but they
stopped selling them a few years ago. In particular it's much better
than the more expensive Park one I also had, which was thin enough
steel to be distinctly bendy - this caused it to sometimes leave
whiskers. Not the first or last Park tool I was disappointed by.

There's no need to use an abrasive disk or angle grinder. However this
is the best way to cut outer cables, for either brake or gear. You get a
much smoother end.

Gore-tex gear cable sleeves (like Ride-on) are expensive, but worth it.
And of course, read all of Sheldon's website.

--
Cats have nine lives, which is why they rarely post to Usenet.

On Fri, 30 May 2008 19:33:30 +0100, Mr Fizzion
wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

I use these..

http://www.toolshopdirect.co.uk/item.php/sn/MAU2990140

...for cutting spring steel rods. They work equally well on brake
cable.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

In article ,
Mr Fizzion wrote:
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Decent side cutters capable of cutting piano wire.

--
*Never test the depth of the water with both feet.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Andy Dingley wrote:
On Fri, 30 May 2008 19:33:30 +0100, Mr Fizzion
wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Almost any cutter, so long as it's a bypass shear, not a pair of
diagonal or end-cutting nippers.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readi...ions.asp?id=23

My favourite is an Axminster own-brand one with blue handles, but they
stopped selling them a few years ago. In particular it's much better
than the more expensive Park one I also had, which was thin enough
steel to be distinctly bendy - this caused it to sometimes leave
whiskers. Not the first or last Park tool I was disappointed by.

Not these by any chance? I have a pair & find them very good.

Axminster are weird, they stop stocking stuff, then start stocking it again.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In message
,
" writes
Having used so many so called steel wire cutters that aren't, and
having used other cutting tools from Knipex and found them to be
excellent - I'd suggest giving them a try:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/39495/...ers/Cable-Wire
-Cutters/Knipex-Wire-Rope-Cutter-190mm

Generally Screwfix are happy to take stuff back - and I do whenever a
tool doesn't deliver results as promised.

I also used to have a pair of Lindstrom side cutters at work -
excellent - but I wasn't paying for them.
I've used some wire strippers in the past that incorporate shears and
they're much cheaper than Lindstroms (you definitely wouldn't have used
them if you were paying for them lol.) I'll take a look for them later
and post a link but ISTR they came from Farnell and cost about 6 quid.
--
Clint Sharp

On May 30, 7:33*pm, Mr Fizzion wrote:
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Thanks

Mr F.

Angle grinder with slitting disc, or a dremel with cut off wheel.

A bit of glue lined/glued on heatshrink should keep the strands
together during and after cutting.

cheers,
Pete.

On Sat, 31 May 2008 08:19:15 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:



Andy Dingley wrote:
On Fri, 30 May 2008 19:33:30 +0100, Mr Fizzion
wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Almost any cutter, so long as it's a bypass shear, not a pair of
diagonal or end-cutting nippers.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readi...ions.asp?id=23

My favourite is an Axminster own-brand one with blue handles, but they
stopped selling them a few years ago. In particular it's much better
than the more expensive Park one I also had, which was thin enough
steel to be distinctly bendy - this caused it to sometimes leave
whiskers. Not the first or last Park tool I was disappointed by.

Not these by any chance? I have a pair & find them very good.

Link?

"Mr Fizzion" wrote in message
...
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Thanks

Angle Grinder or Gas Axe

Mr Fizzion wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

I use a pair of side cutters or an ancient pair of pliers I found that
are marked "piano wire". Both work well.

In article ,
Mr Fizzion wrote:
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

Don't remember the make but the pair I have are about 40 years old
and have cut hundreds if not thousands of cables - I had a bike shop
until I retired. I bought them in a yacht chandlers - they use them
for cutting stainless rigging wire - and they are still as good as
new.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village

In article ,
Steve Firth wrote:
Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

I use a pair of side cutters or an ancient pair of pliers I found that
are marked "piano wire". Both work well.

Yes. Just don't bother with cutters not designed for hard wire. Which is
surprisingly quite a few even expensive makes.

--
*Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it's the scenic route *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Steve Firth wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)


I use a pair of side cutters or an ancient pair of pliers I found that
are marked "piano wire". Both work well.


Yes. Just don't bother with cutters not designed for hard wire. Which is
surprisingly quite a few even expensive makes.

I just use a steel block and a cold chisel hit with a hammer sharply.

Dave

Mr Fizzion wrote:

Can someone recommend a good one please. I.e. preferably one that
you've used rather than just googled for. :-)

I've used these CK cutters on the farm for fencing wire and I'm fairly
sure that I used them to cut the stainless stranded cable that my wife
bought in Ikea for hanging curtains from. The cable was about 3.5mm and
much tougher than the stuff that I use for fencing - I think it was the
same material used for rigging boats.

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=23492

Never tried them on bike cable though and I don't have any to hand that
I could cut to test them at the moment.