Cutting wire cable for exercise machine

[oldcpecdr]

Hi all

The Build a gymn thread got me inspired and I am repairing one of my machines, a back press that I picked up years ago at a GREAT deal.

Anyhow I am now moving my equipment around the basement and had to take the weights off to move this baby. Heavy for an old guy and it was up on a platform (big mistake). I did call ProMaxima and a replacement cable is about a hundred bucks, I have enough slack to try and save this one.

So here is the frayed cable that needs to go into a pull bar to lift the weights and is secured by a three set screws. I need to trim it off neatly and my little
bicycle cable cutters, various side cutters, cable strippers etc are not going to cut it. The cable is approx 5/16 plus the plastic sheathing.

What do you think about a diamond wheel on the Dremel tool?

I'll tape the cable, clamp it to a cutting board and whiz it off with the Dremel ? Any thoughts that DON'T involve a hundred dollar cable cutter for one use ?

Pictures below...

Thanks
Mike B

 

[matt_i]

I would electrical tape the cut so the tape is on the center of the cut.

Then use typical woven abrasive cutoff wheels for Dremel/Foredom.

Carefully untape at the end.

There are coated steel cables (aka wire rope, aircraft cable) at McMaster Carr that dont cost a $100 while you are saving money. That looks like a more flexible (more strands) version.

 

[Bluedodge]

I have a weight machine also. A pair of cables were fraying here they went up and over a pulley.

I grabbed replacement vinyl coated cable at Menards (mid-Western version of Lowes/Home Depot).

It cost me $13 or $14.

Cut it with my HF grinder and a disc.

Easy peasey.

 

[driftpin]

I suggest using a piece of heat-shrink tubing for the area to be cut, then you can skin it back to bare wire for the set-screws to be tightened.

Yes, I think a sturdy composite wheel with some thickness to it should do the job. I suggest using some sort of a rest for your hand holding the Dremel to be able to avoid side pressure on the cutting wheel, wear a face covering/shield to protect you from any shards if the wheel shatters.

Pinstripers use a 'maul stick' on-which to rest their hands to steady themselves.

I've also used the heat-shrink tubing to collect the strands on a wire tool for my Dremel, and to keep them from spreading-out, useful when working on a confined area, like motorcycle carburetors.

 

[Showkey]

Wire rope pliers style cutters can be found for $10-$100 quality will vary.
Knipex are $45 that will do 1/4”

 

[CraigStu]

If you use tape, prior to wrapping it look at which direction the cable spiral goes. Wrap it in a direction so when you remove it, there is less chance of it unwinding the spiral.

 

[Bert_]

Tape it and use a cut off wheel in a grinder

 

[Skyking1992]

A good sharp chisel, a big hammer, and an anvil has always worked for me. One swing will do it.

 

[oldcpecdr]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Going to rain all day tomorrow so will head to the basement and give it a shot. Going to go with the cutoff wheel with tape and see what happens.

I liked the heat-shrink tubing suggestion also.

I think the chisel method would work fine but the end then needs to go into a very close tolerance hole with set screws to hold it. I don't think a chisel cut would stay round.

I'll send some pics if successful, if not pics of the new cable


Mike B

 

[nadogail]

Thin cutoff wheels and Crosbey clamps are your friend.

 

[lis2323]

A good sharp chisel, a big hammer, and an anvil has always worked for me. One swing will do it.

This!!^^^. Other methods will result in frayed ends and not allow you to thread through cable stops and eyelettes. if you intend to use a crimping tool to do properly.


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[p00p]

hydraulic pinch press. It'll shear it like butter.

 

[jbfsr]

Remember to strip off the plastic at the clamp.

 

[MushCreek]

My cheap cable gym uses plastic-coated cable, but it doesn't last long. The most flexible stuff I could find (7X19) should have twice the pulley diameter that my gym has, so the plastic jacket fails quickly. The replacement cable is $129 (more than I paid for the gym), but the replacement stuff was like $12.

 

[ant.foste]

Wire rope pliers style cutters can be found for $10-$100 quality will vary.
Knipex are $45 that will do 1/4”

The large one pictured is for cable, meaning copper or aluminum. Steel will gouge the jaws.

 

[Showkey]

The large one pictured is for cable, meaning copper or aluminum. Steel will gouge the jaws.

Yes....that’s a generic google search......so you get all the varieties. The instructions on quality tool will give the rating or capability of the tool. Some Knipex pliers models can cut 1/4” steel cable with ease.

 

[OldNeons]

I have the $83 Knipex that I use for 1/8” SS aircraft cable. It works perfectly. If it will truly be one cut for the rest of your life then use a chisel, or a cut off wheel or whatever. I smile every time I use my knipex, so if you may use them again - just buy once, cry once - and smile each time you use them.

 

[Charlie51]

A good sharp chisel, a big hammer, and an anvil has always worked for me. One swing will do it.

Yes! I recently cut some 3/16" cable using a hammer, chisel and a sheet of galvanized steel over the workbench.

 

[drivesitfar]

i'm curious to see how you do since I also own a ProMaxima piece of gym equipment. i don't need to cut my cable at the minute, but who knows maybe some day I will.

i'm not a fan of the ab machine, but if you like it and use it then that's what counts. just make sure you are working out muscle and not hurting your back cause i think the angle on them isn't a one size fits all.

the ab machines were sold as part of a package of maybe 5 to 10 or so machines to gyms and probably the most unused hence your great deal if a gym found they needed some space.

best of luck on the cable!! (I also agree to put on a face shield or at least safety glasses if you are cutting with a power tool)

 

[oldcpecdr]

Morning

So yesterday I cut the cable. Pics attached.

The actual cable turned out to be 3/8 including the sheathing, and the actual
strands were 5/16. A lot of cable to cut with an 1/8 cutter.

Here is how it went. Pictures attached since everyone likes pics.

I searched around the basement for a clamping device and used a cable clip to hold the patient in place.

Loaded up my 25 year old Dremel with a fiber cutting disc and it zipped it of cleanly with no muss no fuss.

The sheathing was a lot tougher than standard electrical wire so I tried something different. I took the pipe cutter and scored it all around at the two inch length I needed for the bare wire cable to slip into the lock sleeve.
Worked like a charm and made it really easy to strip the rest of the way with a utility knife.

Re-thread the cable, insert, and tighten the setscrews.... done !!!! and working.

Next up..... wire the 220 circuit for the treadmill, easy.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, If you don't have a LARGE cable cutter I would recommend this method for cutting cable cleanly.

Mike B

 

[oldcpecdr]

i'm curious to see how you do since I also own a ProMaxima piece of gym equipment. i don't need to cut my cable at the minute, but who knows maybe some day I will.

i'm not a fan of the ab machine, but if you like it and use it then that's what counts. just make sure you are working out muscle and not hurting your back cause i think the angle on them isn't a one size fits all.

the ab machines were sold as part of a package of maybe 5 to 10 or so machines to gyms and probably the most unused hence your great deal if a gym found they needed some space.

best of luck on the cable!! (I also agree to put on a face shield or at least safety glasses if you are cutting with a power tool)

I actually bought 7 pieces of equipment from a private club that was upgrading their members gymn.

It is all ProMaxima grade or better. It was an amazing deal.

After 10 years I am finally getting the less popular pieces up and running. Better late than never.

Mike B

 

[drivesitfar]

I've owned my ProMaxima p-143 multy hip and it's saved me at least from getting one knee surgery after an injury. I found a ProMaxima hip sled with 300 pounds of weight plates that I swapped the original 225 so even though i'm more of a 100 pounds or less and 50-100 reps I have the weight on this one that will probably follow me to my grave.

what other machines do you own?

I bet you couldn't believe the quality of these ProMaxima machines if you hadn't seen them before? I bought 3 from a retired chiropractor that was selling his business and they were like new. I didn't have room for the bicep machine which I might have used and at the time I already owned a Nautilus hip sled so I traded those machines for some Iron Grip urethane weight plates and still use the multy hip machine. I think i've owned mine for almost 20 years and it's still in great shape.

 

[lis2323]

This is what I use for cable machines. The same stuff I use for ebrake and throttle cables on my forklifts








No Crosby cable clamps on gym cable machines here. They are reserved for FARM equipment. [emoji23]





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[oldcpecdr]

Nice setup!!!!

The only problem for my use would be that most of the pulleys are made of a composite material and I suspect the plastic coating on the cable is important to their life span.

Probably also runs a little smoother with the plastic coating also.

Mike B

 

[drivesitfar]

Ol P: I bet you are right that our ProMaxima coated cables are probably better for our wheels, but if you use non coated ones and make sure to swap out if they get rough and worn maybe that would be ok.

with only us or our family using our machines I doubt we'd rough up non coated cables if money or finding coated ones was an issue.

 

[oldcpecdr]

I've owned my ProMaxima p-143 multy hip and it's saved me at least from getting one knee surgery after an injury. I found a ProMaxima hip sled with 300 pounds of weight plates that I swapped the original 225 so even though i'm more of a 100 pounds or less and 50-100 reps I have the weight on this one that will probably follow me to my grave.

what other machines do you own?

I bet you couldn't believe the quality of these ProMaxima machines if you hadn't seen them before? I bought 3 from a retired chiropractor that was selling his business and they were like new. I didn't have room for the bicep machine which I might have used and at the time I already owned a Nautilus hip sled so I traded those machines for some Iron Grip urethane weight plates and still use the multy hip machine. I think i've owned mine for almost 20 years and it's still in great shape.

So I snapped some pictures and found that my other machines that looked like ProMaxima were actually KING. Must be the same company re-branded: all the fittings, pulleys, hardware are identical. Even the tubing and welding on the frames look identical.

My other stuff is branded Bcube. I couldn't find much about it on the internet as a brand, only as a training style. I have Leg Press and several benches
branded Bcube.

I also got two Trotter treadmills in the lot and sold one way too cheap as I found out when I looked up the pricing. Ten years ago just the treadmills were selling in the 7,000 range. Since I only paid 800.00 for ALL this stuff
and sold the other treadmill for 400 it turned out to be far better deal than I originally thought.

So I started by fixing the cable on the back machine and over the weekend wiring a 220 line for the treadmill, project creep is setting in, new LED lights for the basement arrived today. I am getting more exercise just setting all this up. Hopefully soon I can fit back in the race car !!!! And be the fittest 75 year old at the track.

Mike B

 

[oldcpecdr]

BCube benches

 

[drivesitfar]

moving around all that equipment is certainly good exercise especially the ones with the big weight stacks. are you moving them with the weight stacks on them or taking plates off to move and then putting back on once the machine is moved. in any case WELL DONE!!

did I see a weight stack on an ASSISTED DIP CHIN UP MACHINE? i used to have one made by Stairmaster and wish I had room to keep it.

you didn't do a bad thing selling a used Treadmill for less than 10% of new cause they really don't OR at least didn't hold their value in the used market that I noticed.

best of luck with the health and feel free to join us over on the GET HEALTHY THREAD and show us how you eat and workout if you want to join that group too. here's a link: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298568

we need a few more old guys showing these youngins how to stay feeling young even though there are certainly some days when I (and maybe we) feel old.

cheers

 

[lis2323]

You guys are correct about using coated cable on composite and machined aluminum pulleys. !!


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[drivesitfar]

OL P: if I recall correctly KING was a brand made in Canada, but i'm old and my memory isn't perfect. I also can't recall BCube so maybe a canadian version of ProMaxima if they are identical since your other equipment was probably made in Canada.

LIS:

 

[oldcpecdr]

Turns out KingFitnessMfg is located in Allentown PA. and USA built !!!!!


https://kingstrengthmfg.com/

 

[lis2323]

OL P

Your machines are all of the original design of Apex started in the early 1980’s here in Victoria BC. They were huge at the time but ended up in financial trouble. I knew the guys who helped with the original designs. All bodybuilders. I will try to get history from their sales guy I met recently. He just sold his house, bought a yacht and is on a year long cruise atm.


Original (old) APEX.....




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[BD1]

Looks good.
Maybe try stripping it and crank up stick welder and arc cut it. I think ends will weld together.


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[drivesitfar]

LIS: so APEX was original company to make these awesome pieces of gym equipment? i've always loved PROMAXIMA pieces and i usually found them in Doctor's and CHIROPRACTOR'S and PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICS.

speaking of that I need to go in and use my multy hip now.

OL P: interesting and since my GOOGLE FU is off or not working (or i'm lazy) and I just use my memory I wonder if they ever were or left to CANADA?

 

[oldcpecdr]

Thanks for the history lesson LIS:

My last cruise was around the block with the damn mask on....

Anyhow looks like Apex must have re-branded as ProMaxima and now King out of Allentown PA. Machines all look identical in structure and hardware.

Interesting that both ProMaxima and King are still around but as separate entities.

Luckily since they are like brand new and I bought them so right... the only thing that matters is if I use them.

Installed new LED lighting in the gym area of the basement today, from dungeon to solar flare in about an hour.

Soon I will have no more excuses. Cable box should be here tomorrow .... all those shows will look great from the treadmill.

Mike B