Cable repairs

 Yesterday I saw that the front mech cable was frayed: the attention of the Frayed Cable Investigation Committee was brought to bear: today the repair was effected.  Citizens of New Zealand are currently locked down so a visit to the bike shop was outwith the options available. 

Decades ago I acquired brass tubing suitable for the manufacture of model steam engines: an inch-and-a-half of 3/32 x 0.014 tube was cut, the frayed cable snipped, a rusty spare from long ago located, and the ends of each piece of cable were dipped in zinc chloride flux. Small flame, application of electrician's solder, splashes of solder on the floor. None on the cable ends. More dipping in flux. More heating, more solder splashing on floor. After half-a-dozen goes the solder began to take in the cable, and drips solidified at the ends preventing insertion into the brass tube. Minor application of brain: cables up-ended so the solder would run back along the length. 

Now flux was generously applied to the inside of the tube using the end of a cable as a spatula, and both ends were inserted to meet at the middle. Heat tube: solder flowed. Applied more solder, the tube being hot, till it dribbled out of t'other end. Being in tension, fingers crossed that the annealed brass won't give way.

This whole operation had to take place with the cable still in the bike since the brass tube now prevents it going through the cable housing. 

 

And since we're on the subject, cable housing has been in short supply since Covid hit all imports, so maybe here's where we advertise the Middleton Patented Method for extending cable housing too. - The police firearms officer assures me that every farmhouse has a .22 rifle, and empty .22 brass cartridges are easily found. Take two such cartridges, solder them back-to-back, drill a 2.5mm hole through the joined bases, and ends of housing will go into each. La! swords into ploughshares.