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Re: What to use as crimp tool?

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> >Newsgroups: alt.binaries.schematics.electronic >Subject: What to use as crimp tool? - HowToCrimp.pdf >Message-ID: > > ...Jim Thompson

It's kinda hard to tell the wire guage from your photo. I'll guess #12 stranded. What you're looking for is an uninsulated terminal crimper. I'll guess:

They also come with various size dies:

This looks right:

These tools are usually about $80/ea. There are cheap imported copies available. There are also crimpers that do NOT have any mechanical advantage or ratchet. Not recommended.

Of course, you could always just pound on the lug with a hammer and solder it together.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Jeff Liebermann
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The "flag" has to be bent over flat onto the copper foil. I think vise grips are still the tool of choice.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Vise grips won't do. Hammering either. If you want a good joint either get the right crimping tool for a proper cold weld or solder it together. Any other method may get you into trouble.

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Reply to
Nico Coesel

The only crimp joints that ever required me to spend 5 weeks in Chian fixing them were all done with crimpers with ratches. People believe that the ratch ensures a good crimp and that was half of the problem. People also think that you don't need to solder a crimp lug after crimping it and that was the other half of the problem.

Reply to
MooseFET
[snip]
[snip]

I can't say that I'm fond of flat crimps of this sort, so I think I'll try soldering it... toss the crimp and just spread the #12 strands out across the foil and solder.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

I've always been led to believe that soldering is a good idea if you don't have the proper crimpers, but if you're fortunate enough that you DO, you decrease the overall reliability by soldering since it makes the connection that much more brittle and prone to vibration-induced failure.

Perhaps you could expound on your knowledge?

Reply to
Joel Koltner

I've spent all afternoon googling and still haven't found a crimper that matches the crimp :-(

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

All I can say is that the Citroen 2CV (the little two-cylinder car) was known for electrical problems. Not mine. I soldered everything I could get a hold of in there. Never had any problems afterwards and mine ran twice the current of most others because it used 6V.

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Regards, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I vote for your idea of soldering them at this point, then!

I bet you're going to do something decadent like have steaks off that fancy BBQ of yours tonight...

Reply to
Joel Koltner

Man don't need no fancy barbeque. A standing rib roast is cooking in the

11 year old Weber right now, over hickory. That thing was the best investment I ever made. It cost $79 back then.

It'll be ready in about an hour from now. Can't wait. The smell is already wafting over into the office.

--
Regards, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

Nope! Had microwave mac 'n' cheese... the wife is camping with her Girl Scout troop ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Did you look at the URL's I posted? For some odd reason, I can't see my own posting on Giganews. However, I can see the followups. Weird.

Here's just the URL's again:

As for crimping versus soldering, I've cleaned up the electrical on two sailboats. I soldered everything and pumped RTV into the wire end so that capillary action doesn't suck in any water. However, your photo looks like indoor track lighting, which doesn't require any vibration or water proofing. Just about anything that won't fall apart will suffice.

As for ratchet tools, several of my larger customers and two local universities will not let me on site with a non-ratching crimper. Same with the RF contractors. With non-ratcheting crimpters, there have been far too many partial crimps, where the wire just pulls out of the lug. That far exceded the danger of crunching the strands.

Incidentally, I was told (i.e. may be wrong) that the reason for the projecting center thing on the crimper was to increase the surface contact area between the wire and the lug, without increasing the diameter much. The resultant "C" shape gives about 20% more contact area than a similar circular crimp. It's about the same as a flat crimp, but that increases the lug diameter.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Yuck! That never happens here even if my wife is traveling. What are your cholesterol levels?

...the wife is camping with her

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

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Reply to
Joerg

I think the best joint is still a crimp that has been soldered after crimping. Pasternack IIRC used to make a giant crimp tool that had many 6 sided jaws on the end. I have found that it works fairly well for lugs.

Reply to
MooseFET

I've used the crimp and solder method for years in equipment that has ended up in high vibration environments. Caterpiller does it in their earht moving equipment. The solder doesn't provide the most of the strength of the joint. It seals the joint against the environment.

Reply to
MooseFET

I see problems with crimps that are exposed to the elements. For those who say solder increases vibration stress, I say crimps can also do that, but the key factor is how the wires are bundled and properly tied down.

greg

Reply to
GregS

Look at the picture I posted. The "flag" has to be bent closed over the edge of the copper foil... not your usual crimp situation.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

[snip]

That is _not_ my usual fare.

Can't remember what my cholesterol levels are... must be normal... the doc didn't put me on statins.

My BP is now 114/72 ;-) Seems that pain may have had something to do with my high BP.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

That's why the insulation jacket usually needs to also be crimped in, into the plastic jacket part. Else a crimped connection is bound to fail.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

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Reply to
Joerg

Starting in college I developed a habit of rewarding myself with a good meal after a day of hard work. Even if alone. Not necessarily expensive but nice. Preparing could easily consume a whole manhour but a well presented meal is very uplifting.

Yes, they would normally flag that.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

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Use another domain or send PM.
Reply to
Joerg

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