Building ultralights and experimentals I’ve used the $18 variety for over 25 ears and hundreds of cable connections. Several of the cables were tested to destruction and never once did a nicopress fail. There are no structurally significant differences from the swage produced by the NTS tool and that made by the $18 version if done properly. Don’t forget to gauge you swage.

 

Rick (RV lurker)

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net]On Behalf Of Craig Berland
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 12:59 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Cable Swage Tool

 

Bryan,

The only acceptable cable swage tool (nicopress) I have found is made by National Telephone Supply Co.  We manufacture parts for Boeing and used an “off brand” to swage sleeves on non-critical parts until we found the crimps were not holding.  Now we use nothing but National Telephone.  The price is high, but a rudder cable coming loose is much worse.  The “off brand stuff” was over $150 as I remember.  At $18…. I  would simply never go there.

Craig Berland

 

Does anybody have a good rudder cable swage tool I can borrow to do my rudder cables? 

I was going to buy the hand version from spruce for $18 but I would rather use something better if anybody has one to loan out. 

Thanks Bryan