Soldering Cable Nipples

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thornebt
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Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by thornebt »

I've got a throttle cable nipple to solder. I understand the mechanics of the job and have bought a solder pot but am finding lots of conflicting advice on the web. It's a steel cable and brass nipple. Should I use Tinmans solder bar and Bakers No3 soldering fluid? Cheers. Bruce.
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Rob Harknett
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by Rob Harknett »

I have never used either. I use multi core for everything I solder. Electrical, bike cables, even built up inside my wedding ring for about 10 mm round it's inner dia., to stop it flying off. I think it most important you splay out the strands in the counter sink. Get the solder hot enough to run through. I used a wooden clothes peg on the wire just under the nipple. So the wood will not conduct heat away from the wire and nipple. One leg of the peg held in the vice. End of the nipple to be soldered upwards. After melting solder into the nipple, I do have to hold my little soldering iron there for quite some time, before the nipple and wire is heated, for the solder to run into the nipple and wire.
JimFitz
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by JimFitz »

thornebt wrote:I've got a throttle cable nipple to solder. I understand the mechanics of the job and have bought a solder pot but am finding lots of conflicting advice on the web. It's a steel cable and brass nipple. Should I use Tinmans solder bar and Bakers No3 soldering fluid? Cheers. Bruce.
The flux and solder you have will be fine. As Rob says, make sure that you splay the end of the cable. I usually cut it about 1/8" longer then lightly grip the cable in the vice, put the nipple on and tap the cable end with a small hammer to splay it.

When it is soldered then file off the excess.

Jim
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thornebt
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by thornebt »

Thank you Jim & Rob. That answers my question very nicely. Just one more thing (as Columbo used to say) I understand that I can apply the flux then heat it with a wallpaper stripper to burn it off before immersing just the end of the cable in the solder pot for ten seconds. Cheers. Bruce.
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by g5wqian »

i silver solder nipples on , it is much stronger and all you need is some silver solder flux and some 55% silver solder rods and a cheap butane blowtorch or pencil gas soldering iron setup as a blow torch .
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CORDLESS-REFI ... SwyWZZQoHt

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Butane-Gas-Bl ... SwbsBXnGFD

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SILVER-BRAZIN ... xyrP9Ravq-

you can also get fluxed rods but i prefer to heat and dip the end of rod into some flux and then heat the workpiece and dab the flux on , it is very quick and easy to do .

for throttle or choke cables you may get away with using 60/40 lead/tin solder but for anything heavier dont attempt to use it and go to silver soldering .

clutch and brake cables should really be silver soldered .

when using lead/tin solder you can use solder paste , ie fluxite or similar , this will give a better joint and youll get better flow and cleaning , all you do is to put some on the nipple or dip the solder into the paste and get a small amount on it , then when you solder it will "sizzle" like cooking fat does .
you can clean the tip of the solder iron in the flux paste if you dip it in and then wipe on a cotton rag .

youll want no less than 100w iron to solder small nipples successfully .

i have loads of different irons ranging from 15w up to the types used for soldering car radiators , and also the old type of copper irons you heat up with gas .

tinmans solder comes in large sticks and is really for using with the big copper irons and bakers fluid , you need a lot of heat for this and it isnt really what you use on cables , it is more for soldering pipe fittings and boxes and tanks etc , although the solder itself is perfectly ok for use to solder nipples on with , its just that the sticks are too big usually .

when you have soldered a nipple on wait until its gone solid before you move it about , it does take 20-30secs to cool enough not to be molten , after that though you can dip in water if you like .

some people quench it using a wet rag or even spit on the joint .

bakers fluid is acid and corrosive , it can spit when soldering takes place so dont get any splashed in your eyes as it will sting like mad in the very least , and also if you get it on your skin it will sting heavily too after a bit , so fully wash it off anything it has come into contact with .

try not to look straight over the top of the job when soldering as the smoke comes up that way , do it to the side of you .

if you have a MAPP gas torch like plumbers use , that is ideal for silver soldering , i use either my oxy acetylene welding kit or a cheap butane torch myself .

myself i dont splay the end of the bowden cable when i silver solder nipples on as it is strong enough a joint not to need it , but there is no harm in doing so if you want to .

you can also "tin " the ends of bare cables to stop the strands parting and silver solder is usefull for building up worn speedo cable square ends so you can file them down to size again .

you can silver solder steel , stainless steel , brass, copper etc on their own and also solder any of them to one and other in any combination , ie dissimilar metals , and you can also build up shafts with it if you have something a little worn and want to build it up slightly and then turn it down on the lathe

all the best
ian
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by Mick D »

Hi

My advice would be to keep it simple - silver solder will work but the techniques and tooling required to get a good joint are more critical and costly. You need to be able to get the joint up to heat quickly, (or the flux will become exhausted and a poor joint will result). To do this you need a good propane / butane torch capable of bringing the joint to red hot.
Silver solder is not necessary in my opinion, soft solder has been used successfully for years and is easier for most people to access.

The most important things to bear in mind are:

Cleanliness, (give the joint surfaces a scuff with a 'scotchbright' and then degrease with a solvent like acetone)

Correct preparation, splay the cable strands so as they fan out inside the nipple counter bore.

Get the joint up to temperature quickly, a solder pot achieves this

Use the correct flux, Baker's fluid is fine

Don't be tempted to interfere with the cooling of the joint, allow it to cool naturally in air and keep it still until it has set.

Regards Mick
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thornebt
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by thornebt »

Thank you Ian and Nick for a lot of helpful information. I've already ordered the Tinmans solder and the Bakers fluid so will use those. They are still in the post but I feel confident about how to do the cable once they arrive. Cheers. Bruce.
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GOLDSTAR
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by GOLDSTAR »

I have mentioned theis before but it is worth repeating, I think, some good many years ago in probably motorcycle mechanics, there was the suggestion a small pin/glazing sprag be inserted into the cable end before soldering in order to keep the strands in the belled hollow of the nipple, kind regards
opologies if there are spelling mistakes or errors, just got back, hour ago, from the Irish mational, Killarney is a damn long way .
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by poplargreg »

Rob Harknett wrote:I have never used either. I use multi core for everything I solder. Electrical, bike cables, even built up inside my wedding ring for about 10 mm round it's inner dia., to stop it flying off. I think it most important you splay out the strands in the counter sink. Get the solder hot enough to run through. I used a wooden clothes peg on the wire just under the nipple. So the wood will not conduct heat away from the wire and nipple. One leg of the peg held in the vice. End of the nipple to be soldered upwards. After melting solder into the nipple, I do have to hold my little soldering iron there for quite some time, before the nipple and wire is heated, for the solder to run into the nipple and wire.
That's it - Resin Multicore I've always done it that way too, much more straightforward. You can use a lghtweight electric iron but need to be patient
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Re: Soldering Cable Nipples

Post by spookefoote1956 »

I use low temp silver solder and a blow torch
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