Ferrule swager?

[Cato]

Can anyone recommend a proper swaging tool for bowden (or other) cable ferrules? Plenty of the crimp type that just mash/mangle them in one place, but I can't find an actual swaging tool that's suitable.

 

[daedalusminos]

Are you referring to the inner cable anti-fray ferrules?

 

[Cato]

Just to add, I can find swaging tools, but they're cheap looking things. I don't mind spending on the right tool as it'd be used for a multitude of stuff if it's like the old hydraulic pump type with dies from 3 or 4 mm up.

 

[Cato]

Are you referring to the inner cable anti-fray ferrules?

No sorry, the outer cable end cover ferrules.

Along with properly crimping eyes on to multi strand copper etc.

 

[Cobbler]

Are you referring to the inner cable anti-fray ferrules?

on the end of bicycle brake & gear cables, I knock the mandrill out of a pop rivet & nip the rivet onto the cable with side cutters. If you just nip it, you can squeeze it the other way & easily remove it.

 

[JEZGUZ]

Have you tried Venhills? Never used them myself but they do cable kits and stuff.

 

[Agroshield]

When you talk of swaging them on, you are equating the process with how you would swage lugs onto copper cable. I do not think control cables need anything so drastic. In normal operation the ferrule is always compressed against the outer cable. At very best, they only need to be a slight interference fit just to stop them coming loose. Look at the curved ferrule on the end of every set of bicycle cantilever brakes - it is not attached to the outer cable in any serious manner. Look at the hex adjusters with locknut at the end of many cables - none of them are swaged on, so why would the other end of the cable need something greater? If you want some light retention, you can do this by dimpling with a centre punch. The modern way would be to use epoxy resin, the rubberised Loctite superglue (Max Black) or even one of the adhesive-type silicones (e.g. CT1).

Have a look at the picture top left of this page: https://www.venhill.co.uk/resources/ They do not look to have received a great deal of squash. If you want something that will make it into a nice hexagonal shape, the six-way ferrule crimpers (e.g. Knipex 975314) might do.

Interesting site found on the way to this: https://www.bowdenzug24.com/en/

 

[Cato]

When you talk of swaging them on, you are equating the process with how you would swage lugs onto copper cable. I do not think control cables need anything so drastic. In normal operation the ferrule is always compressed against the outer cable. At very best, they only need to be a slight interference fit just to stop them coming loose. Look at the curved ferrule on the end of every set of bicycle cantilever brakes - it is not attached to the outer cable in any serious manner. Look at the hex adjusters with locknut at the end of many cables - none of them are swaged on, so why would the other end of the cable need something greater? If you want some light retention, you can do this by dimpling with a centre punch. The modern way would be to use epoxy resin, the rubberised Loctite superglue (Max Black) or even one of the adhesive-type silicones (e.g. CT1).

Have a look at the picture top left of this page: https://www.venhill.co.uk/resources/ They do not look to have received a great deal of squash. If you want something that will make it into a nice hexagonal shape, the six-way ferrule crimpers (e.g. Knipex 975314) might do.

Interesting site found on the way to this: https://www.bowdenzug24.com/en/

In normal operation there is nothing to keep the ferrule in place other than being held to the outer cable.

If there's nothing holding it the action of the inner cable can dislodge the ferrule. If the ferrule moves it can reduce the travel which could be disastrous on a motorbike.

Adjusters don't need to be swaged because by their nature they remove most free play and the amount which is left is far smaller than the length of the adjuster so can't come off.

All the quality bowden cables you can buy have swaged ferrules. Most are done by creating a single band/ring of compression at the open end. That's done by machine in the factory, which isn't an option when you're making them by hand.

 

[Agroshield]

In normal operation there is nothing to keep the ferrule in place other than being held to the outer cable...

... Most are done by creating a single band/ring of compression at the open end.

But the nature of the holding is absolutely nothing like the vulcan death grip you get from swaging. You could possibly mimic the factory ringpiece by buying a small pipe cutter (e.g. the type for air conditioning pipe) and blunting the cutting wheel. Or buy Silverline and it will come ready blunted...

Another option is a pair of wire strippers - the ones with semi-circular cut outs in the jaws, again with the sharp edge removed. With this, you'd need a close fitting sleeve on the inboard end of the cable (put the bevel on the stripper towards the open end of the cable) to stop the open end of the ferrule belling out.

Whatever you do, it would be highly advisable to put a solid mandrel inside the outer cable to stop it deforming while you are pressing on its outside.

 

[merryman]

I got this tool https://www.lasaero.com/products/article/G003RCIZV for putting nicopress sleeves onto Bowden cables. Aircraft certified, so if you do it right, cable sleeves shouldn't come off, and was then (10 years ago) cheap. Also found that putting it round the outside of ferrules and squeezing, would keep ferrules in place. With any of this stuff, you need the right nicopress sleeve for your cable and use the right size crimp tool for the ferrule. Failing that, the old motorcycle dodge for ferrules was to pip them on the side with a centre punch. This too, works.

 

[Onoff]

I use a TSC1:

Splicing Tools & Materials « R & G Marine and Industrial Services Ltd

 

[Cato]

I use a TSC1:

Splicing Tools & Materials « R & G Marine and Industrial Services Ltd

They look a decent bit of kit.