Why does nobody talk about zip ties for holding cables while you solder?

I was rebuilding an old 10-speed from the 80s for a customer last month and kept losing the shift cable ends while trying to solder new ones on. Frustrating, right? I finally grabbed a small zip tie, wrapped it around the cable right next to the solder joint, and it held everything perfectly steady. No more slipping or burning my fingers. Has anyone else landed on a weird trick like this that just works?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleyl556d ago

28 years of soldering and I never thought of that... genius.

mason_flores212d ago

Holding the iron in your off hand to keep the tip steady. That never crossed my mind in all these years. I have burned through more braid and tips than I care to count trying to get a clean joint on a tight board. Going to have to try that out on the next logic board I work on.