Longer bath pop-up cable

[leenowell]

Hi All

Rather than have a tap above the bath I have fitted a combined bath filler/ tap thing. Trouble is that I couldn't find one which also has the ability to do the pop-up waste. My plan is to move the pop-up waste mechanism to th e top of the bath but the cable is too short. Simple I thought will get a l onger cable ....

After much searching I couldn't find one so, I protyped using a bike brake cable. It is a little too thin but does seem to work (although not perfect) .

Now the challenges. At either end of the existing wire is a brass section w hich slots the cable into place. So... I cut the ends off the existing one and fed the new cable and sheath into it. Trouble is this needs to be stuck in place to stop the sheath moving when I turn the knob.

Assuming I need to glue the sheath in, any ideas what to use? Maybe I have missed something about how to achieve this and gone down the wrong path?

Anyone know where I could source a thicker cable?

Thanks in advance

Lee.

[Harry Bloomfield]

[e-mail] formulated the question :

Motorbikes use thicker cables than bicycles. The proper name you are looking for is a Bowden cable.

[FMurtz]

But you should make sure it is stainless.

[leenowell]

Thanks Harry that did the trick I have found a load of different types / suppliers now.

Anyone any ideas of what to use to glue the sheath into the brass fittings ?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

On my bath the bowden cable uses a solid inner to push and pull. Bike etc ones are stranded for flexibility. Which may not push well enough. On a vehicle, you'd normally either have a spring return, or use two flexible cables to push and pull.

[leenowell]

Thanks Dave. Mine is stranded although I agree a solid core one would be better. Now I know what they are called will see if I can source them.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If you can find the correct sized outer, perhaps some piano wire as an inner?

If it moves freely, a flexible type might be OK, though.

[Bill]

In message , [e-mail] writes

For our boat, I collected various bits and pieces for the engine/ gearbox end and for the forward/reverse/throttle control for the cockpit. Nothing matched (bought from auctions or jumbles).

I was advised to go an old, wizened man who made cables for motorbikes who put together the 4 cables and fittings which have worked flawlessly for over 20 years.

DIY is good, but finding little known backstreet craftsmen can be very rewarding, too.

I still recount to people the awe I had at the sheer artistry of the man who came along, measured and then converted the pile of steel tubing from a scrapyard into a perfect 3-dimensional pushpit. If I could have welded stainless, I'd have been there with masses of paper full of calculations of angles and lengths. He just looked, measured and did it on his path.

[FMurtz]

piano wire will rust.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Habent followed this BUT if you after a rist free bowden cable assembly look no further than te model makers where nylon in polythene 'snakes' are the order of the day to connect servos to control surfaces...

e.g.