Homemade "birdcage" tool for making cables

[stinkwheel]

I've seen the neatly splayed ends on professionally made brake/clutch cables where they are soldered into the nipples before and wondered how they do it.

The other day I set about finding out and it's a process called "birdcaging" where you clamp the end of the cable in a die and punch the end of it.

As far as I can see, only venhill make a tool for this and it costs £99.

It would take me a long time to get that kind of money back so I wondered if I could make one. The principal seems simple enough. The venhill tool is steel and fits multiple different size cables. I've just gone for the one size for now and I'm using alloy because it's easy to work. It'll degrade in time but it wont be seeing a lot of use (and frankly, I can just make a new one when it does).

So two offcuts of 10mm aluminium flat bar clamped firmly together in the drill vice. I drilled a 4mm hole bang in the centre of the join about 10mm deep. I then drilled a 2mm hole all the way through (the 4mm hole first because it's a less bendy drill and gave me a "point" to centre the smaller drill). I then drilled a 6mm hole about 8mm of the way in.

This, to my amazement, did actually go pretty much equally down both bits of alloy leaving me with a 2mm slot all the way down with a 4mm wide and 2mm deep "dish" at the top of the slot and a 6mm hole leading down to it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HZ14Q2ru25uQiGsWibTKFrIHMfmC4I2CSxrQrJTW8mtqnDc9aQE-GcaKl6aXDw-bW3pQSw8W6glDJWRAACCzdHu7s_3oeJm-9eH7G8_KRqZs3y1yC4lKBMHerkKYr2H1PEgHBeFUVw=w1155-h866-no

I then made a hollow ended punch by drilling very slightly into the end of a bit of 6mm steel bar with the 4mm drill until it made a concave end (so not quite onto the body of the drill, just the tip like a countersunk hole).

You set the cable into the slot so there is about double its width protruding above the groove, put the other bit of alloy on top and clamp it firmly in the vice. This grips the cable with the protrusion sticking up into the recess.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OvPPO0j8mzkZSLuVxfwnUoCi6mfEMMZIRhJd3iACE1WfBW6_mCCqzK8vdugPj6ODSbJDiOZD0VWcC8uTcY21FJphXFA6Dl9LMfAMrWbBuZbT4AJUbaZWt9XueankSXknZFja5P98gQ=w1017-h866-no

You then stick the punch in the end and give it a sharp smack with a hammer. This forms a birdcage on the end ready for soldering into a nipple.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DS7pLWraMBdydcaUWliT1ZFmtTIE-Qi_Lc12iZAoPBidfiBdMfg2boK3lDjtqpCGhutaWY59bQ0MtUM48ZdnkUE-3Zqvaes-RwXkBkEgQtDhfYIoFyaWMN7-fqD3tz_a2xPKrrgSwA=w1139-h866-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lvBoZ864wuahJt3buiVcHb_El8aq-wuJ1AOFWmRLH66Huy3u2FKfbF9wczEgcjvm_nK5v5fMjBymCW7mtX1a-gFtbgB89fE2kGCg3QJLMrsUBggSE4hzrWIMGrPzed8x2tmgXunogA=w868-h688-no

Very happy with the result. Much neater than justy fraying at the end with a screwdriver and gives me more confidence for making my own brake cables.

This is for number 3 cable which is 2.3mm diameter. for other sizes of cable, you'd need different size holes.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Lone-Wolf]

Wotcha.

Yep - made one a few years back.

Another useful thing when making cables is a solder pot.

Simply a metal pot containing molten solder . . . . an old piston from a disc brake caliper is the ideal size.
____________________
Cheers.
^..^
L.W. - www.moonshiners.org.uk

[oouche]

Interesting have also seen cable ends formed almost as if pressure welded with a clear imprint of a punch in the end ,maybe a similar tool in tool steel

[Nobby the Bastard]

Some pliers actually have a insert on the hinge to cut cables neatly but I've not had a pair like that for years.

What I do is use a normal pair of cutters but belt the jaw with a hammer to make the actual cut.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[WD Forte]

Cool ad hoc way to do it.
I'd only suggest some decent flux when soldering

As for cutting the cable, running it in the back way
and clamping could help stop the cores splaying when being cut
by say a junior hack saw, but I'd probably use a thin cutting disc
in the angel grinder which wouldn't 'grab'

see? no tasteless comments about pulling your wire or rear entry holes
this is BCF we don't do that no more
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[stinkwheel]

I just cut it with a good quality double-acting tinsnip. It'll go through #3 outer too.

Recently I have mostly been fluxing with bakers fluid. Then neutralising afterwards in bicarb solution, this is important.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.