[Shop-talk] Can steel cable be welded?

[Paul Parkanzky]

Can you just wrap the cable around something small and secure it so that
you've effectively shortened it an inch without removing any cable?  I'm
thinking you'd wrap it around a small bolt with a nut and two large washers
on it.  Tighten it down so that it stays on there and you won't have
impacted the strength of the cable much.

-Paul

On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:40 PM, David Scheidt <dmscheidt at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 4:55 PM, Jim Stone <jandkstone99 at msn.com> wrote:
> >
> > I have a couple of options for fixing the situation, but the easiest
> would
> be
> > to shorten the cable. B The stock cable is about 1/8" steel and has a
> ferrule
> > crimped on it at the end. B Moving the ferrule an inch would more than do
> the
> > trick. B I don't trust my ability to crimp something new on securely
> enough
> and
> > was thinking about fabricating and welding in a new ferrule. B Is that
> feasible
> > with a MIG welder? B I've never heard of anyone welding cable, but it
> seems
> > possible. B I certainly don't want this failing at the wrong time, so
> I'll
> > explore Plan B if this is a really bad idea.
> >
>
> No, you're not likely to weld wire rope.  They can be silver soldered
> though, depending on the fittings, and how it's put together.   It's
> also the end isn't terribly uncommon (or the other end isn't.).
> Motorcycle shops do a fair amount of cable fabrication, and crane
> riggers do tons of it.