from an article i wrote about cable making
this solder is great buy the small coil at $ 21.00 from a welder supply
The one item I have not mentioned yet is probably the most important, the solder. We have all used in a pinch not knowing any better the old standby solder readily found in our garages. Electrical 60/40 Tin-Antimony-Lead solder, plumbers solder made of 50/50 silver leadless or 60/40 tin-lead solder. Silver, Zinc, Indium and Cadmium are also used in combinations in the making of various solders; each has their pluses and minuses. Most of these are flux core solders but that does not mean you can not add your usual paste-flux to this process. These types of solders have a relatively low tensile strength of 4500-6000 psi. The MG product has 3x the tensile strength as these electrical types. Now just because the above plumbers silver
leadless solder says silver, does not mean that it contains a good amount of silver content, maybe 6-9 % at most. Silver solder is by far the best way to join the fittings in this case, inner cables to brass fittings. There are many silver solders on the market, used for a multitude of purposes, most with heat ranges around 900-1400 F. degrees working temperatures. This depends on content and percentages of alloy material. This is too high for our use when cable making. Infact it is best NOT to use an open flame- torch on inner cables, but a very good soldering iron is needed. Some of you may have your soldering pots and used them for decades, and they work.
But silver solder does come in a lower temperature heat range for gas type torches without oxygen and iron use. This product‘s working temperature is 430 degrees, perfect for soldering iron use. I prefer this product MG120, also known as MG120A. These MG products use a flux core and cleaning agent for the preparation of bonding. The MG120A has a syringe applicator for the cleaning agent whereas the MG120 is a bottle. It is available at welding supply stores. This stuff IS the Bee’s knees. 
The key to a strong union is wetting and capillary attraction. Wetting is the ability of the molten solder to coat the strands surface. Capillary attraction is its ability to flow or wick. I prefer to ‘’tin’’ the inner cable end after I have slid my end fitting on to the inner cable first. This allows you to ‘’work over’’ /mushroom or flair the multiple ends more easily to prevent the dreaded pull-out. Pull the inner cable back to the fitting and solder. Trim or file the fittings when done. Remember to lubricate all your non Teflon lined cables once a year by buying one of those simple spray type lubricators available at any good local m/c shop. I use a spray can of white lithium grease. These devices clamp over the outer cable end, have a small rubber hole built in and the grease squirts inside, down the cable housing through to the end. If you use a junction box with a single throttle cable to twin cables make sure you protect that junction from dirt and debris, clean and lube with light grease once a season along with all of your other cables.
Remember what Owsley Bear says ….… ‘‘They love to get out and play in the sunshine.’’
>> made by:
Messer Company - MG Welding Products
N94W 1455 Garwin Mace Drive
Menomonee Falls, WI. 53051 USA
(262) 255-5520 -- (262) 555-5542 fax#
Hardness 15 10 kg/ mm2 approx 15,000 psi
Melting point 430 degrees F 221 degrees C
Available in :: 1/16’’, 3/32’’, 1/8’’ >>>> use 1/16’’ for cables
