Cable splice
- Thread starter phil21502
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All depends on the type of "cable" on your winch. Likely it is some sort of aircraft cable and not a standard 6 strand wire rope. A Flemish eye can not be spliced into aircraft cable.
I wouldn't even mess with it - ATV? Just replace the cable, maybe next size bigger?
Oliver1655
Addicted to ArboristSite
A lot of the ATV winches are so cheap, by catching one on sale, it can be just about as cheap to replace the whole winch as to replace the cable. I have 3 of the Harbor Freight $49 specials. They haven't given me any problems. I use a 12,000 lb one on my tractor for skidding logs & also on my car hauling trailer.
If its standard 6 strand with a core... yes kinda... seizing the loose ends is important, although the flemish/farmer eye will hold fairly well without seizing the ends, it will hold much better with a couple of cable clamps thrown on there, plus they have the added benefit of keeping the ends from being pulled free by brush or the fair lead. And cable clamps are cheap so no whining.
The other thing I've done is Flemish eye and then tuck the ends like a standard splice, not easy but better then having them come loose, I've only used this when I didn't have anything handy to clamp the cable down and give it a proper splice, and didn't have any clamps on hand.
It's also important to rewrap the loose ends back around them selves before seizing, so it looks like 2 pieces of cable joined and then split apart, not like a bit of ratty end was just sorta looped around and kinda tied up...
One last thing, put the saddle on the live end and the loop on the dead end, or as it was told to me you wouldn't saddle a dead horse would ya?
The other thing I've done is Flemish eye and then tuck the ends like a standard splice, not easy but better then having them come loose, I've only used this when I didn't have anything handy to clamp the cable down and give it a proper splice, and didn't have any clamps on hand.
It's also important to rewrap the loose ends back around them selves before seizing, so it looks like 2 pieces of cable joined and then split apart, not like a bit of ratty end was just sorta looped around and kinda tied up...
One last thing, put the saddle on the live end and the loop on the dead end, or as it was told to me you wouldn't saddle a dead horse would ya?
tape, wire, vice grips, supposed to use seizing wire... whatever... Not sure if I prefer electrical tape or duct tape. Just make sure you seize it before cutting
old school it was handy wire or a shoe laces and an axe or two out in the field/woods for cutting cable.....
Oliver1655
Addicted to ArboristSite
Believe it or not, the $20 Harbor Freight cable cutters work great, I have a pair 16 years old I have cut lots of cable, barbed wire, cattle panels, ... with & they are still going strong. A 4" angle or die grinder with a cutoff wheel works as well.
"worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way" Or just say "screw it" and use duct tape and and a cutting torch.
Since I bought a DeWalt cordless grinder with a cutoff wheel I virtually never use my Stihl TS350 cutoff saw.
One of the WTF posts reminded me that there are several videos on youtube on wire rope and splicing. Look at Gerry Baranek's channel.
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as for the actual cutting... 4" horrible freight angle grinder that's been to Hel and back with me, ts400 when its available, broken axe head stuck in a stump, and then walopped with a sledge hammer, this method takes some careful aim and make damn sure to be wearing safety glasses, or better yet just hide in the crummy and make someone else do it
I have never used the axe method though I think I saw it used on "Axe Men" once. I still carry a (giant) marlin spike and a few railroad spikes in the bottom of the tool box.
Oliver1655
Addicted to ArboristSite
Never used an ax but have drilled a hole in a big block of wood to hold a cold chisel & 4# cross pein hammer. Works in a pinch, but not near as clean as a cut off wheel or cable cutters.
One of the first specialty tools I bought for myself (back around 1973 or 1974) was a cable cutter. I still have and use it. Along with a few sizes of forged wire rope clamps, again in the bottom of the metal can in my truck box that holds various chains, I can usually fix broken ropes. I have spliced ropes also>
Humptulips
ArboristSite Guru
The key to getting a smooth cut on wire rope with an axe is to not try and cut it staight across the line. Lay the line over the axe so the cutting edge goes with the strands. Soft hammer is a must to keep from chipping wire axe.
I actually prefer an axe on smaller line.
To the original question, absolutely but I would tuck the strands once and burn them off with a torch. Do a bad cutting job so you melt a blob on the ends of the strands. That way you won't get poked. I abhor cable clamps. Aircraft cable, you don't need to go out and buy a marlin spike. A screw driver will do.
I actually prefer an axe on smaller line.
To the original question, absolutely but I would tuck the strands once and burn them off with a torch. Do a bad cutting job so you melt a blob on the ends of the strands. That way you won't get poked. I abhor cable clamps. Aircraft cable, you don't need to go out and buy a marlin spike. A screw driver will do.
OlympicYJ
ArboristSite Guru
The summer I worded for the DOT I watched/helped a couple of the guys who had been loggers in their previous lives cut some cable with an old axe head. Little rough on the axe but it got the job done. Spliced eyes for a little drum set pulling dragline cleaning out a box culvert. We broke a bucket chain and being a small guy I was the gofer on that one. Had to dig my way in all the way under the far lane. Four lane road; good thing I'm not super claustrophobic lol
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