An ordinary, 25-watt iron really should be OK. This is what I use. Steel is a relatively poor thermal conductor, so you should be able to do a quick job on the cable end without melting anything inside the cable sheath. If you're really worried about this, just clamp something large and metal (e.g., a c clamp) to the cable between the point where you are soldering and the sheath. I do the soldering after attaching the cable to the caliper, so the caliper acts as a heat sink.
If your flux isn't right, though, you might keep the iron on too long while trying to get the solder to flow properly, and then you might melt something.
Be sure to wrap a rag around the frame below the point where you are soldering, so solder and flux drips don't land on the paint!
Steve Maas Long Beach, California
Ken Freeeman wrote:
> To the Cable Solderers in the group:
>
> I have two questions:
>
> 1. what power/type/temperature soldering iron has worked well, and 2.
> have there been any problems with heat conducting up the cable to distort
> the poly liners in the outer cable? Or is the soldering done with the inner
> cable sitting out in the open?