Cable crimping

[daver clasper]

Hi. Any "tips and tricks" on crimping more heavy duty cable, eg battery to terminal fasteners, without the use of a pricey tool, please.

Thanks, Dave

[TedTaylor]

Quoted from daver clasper-

Hi. Any "tips and tricks" on crimping more heavy duty cable, eg battery to terminal fasteners, without the use of a pricey tool, please.

Thanks, Dave

Check on ebay - there  are tools sold for this purpose.

In the past I have used a pair of short studs clamping the ferrule/sleeve between the jaws of a vice and wound up tight to create a two sided dimple that really clamps the heavy cable inside the furrule up solid.  Any less than this will not create a crimp tight enough to carry the sort of current you are referring to.

For normal cable use a 'standard' crimping tool that has a 'rolling' action on the cable and the connector......... not one of the terrible things for coloured connectors which simply squashes the outer coloured sleeve and often pulls off if tugged. 

Pre-insulated connectors - the work of the devil!

 

MUT

[mpbarrett]

Quoted from TedTaylor-

Quoted from daver clasper-

Hi. Any "tips and tricks" on crimping more heavy duty cable, eg battery to terminal fasteners, without the use of a pricey tool, please.

Thanks, Dave

Check on ebay - there  are tools sold for this purpose.

In the past I have used a pair of short studs clamping the ferrule/sleeve between the jaws of a vice and wound up tight to create a two sided dimple that really clamps the heavy cable inside the furrule up solid.  Any less than this will not create a crimp tight enough to carry the sort of current you are referring to.

For normal cable use a 'standard' crimping tool that has a 'rolling' action on the cable and the connector......... not one of the terrible things for coloured connectors which simply squashes the outer coloured sleeve and often pulls off if tugged. 

Pre-insulated connectors - the work of the devil!

 

MUT

Unless you have a professional crimping tool then DONT try to use a crimp tool unless you want a very poor unreliable connection. Crimps can be excellent (I have used them on many installations and are standard on most professional systems) but only when using the correct tool.

For you application you could solder it and then repair the cable insulation with a heat shrinking cable.

cheers

mike

[TedTaylor]

Bearing in mind comments made above I would like to make a few additions to my previous post.

 

My history with working on car electrical systems goes back 60 years when early attempts often involve twisting wire together and using insulation tape ...... the old cloth stuff!  Needless to say I soon learned that such repair lasted for only a matter of weeks ....... sometimes days!

Once I had learned the error of my ways I would solder connection though that would also create the problem of wicking of solder up the wire producing a stiff section or heat hardened wire, that could/would cause fatigue fractures or simply make it difficult to use the stiff repaired wire.  I soon improved my technique so that the soldering iron was in contact with the joint for the minimum which reduced the problem of wicking.  

As a teacher of Physics and Technology I had access to the Radio Spares (now RS) Components catalogues and found proper 'rolling' crimp tools available which replicated the original factory crimping action ....... and the work of fixing connectors to cable was transformed!

Using a soldering iron requires good technique, minimum time of the iron bit in contact with a joint/connector to avoid the problem of heat hardening and also melting the surrounding plastic insulation.  It is  technique I had to acquire because I was doing a lot of electronic work as a physics/technology teacher BUT

Nowadays I always try to replicate the original joining method which uses a PROPER crimping tool.  I have worn out quite a few ....... the jaws over the years loose their precision for rolling the connection around the cable.

I will use solder on heavy duty (i.e. batter and starter motor) connections but even then you have to be careful hence my comment about two pieces of stud and a vice.

And Mike's comment on heat shrink is extremely valid.  Always use it for protecting joints (not insulation tape) - adhesive lined often being preferable as it waterproofs the connection - though if the correct insulating boots for a connector are available use those and only heat shrink if they are not. 

If you have to use insulation tape, for a more permanent protection use self adhesive tape though as it can be bulky it way not be practicable.

I could go on with other comments but I don't want to bore people - perhaps Club Torque some time in the future?

 

MUT

[TedTaylor]

And don't forget proper (non-sticky) loom tape for binding cables together into a sub or main loom.

MUT

[daver clasper]

Thanks everyone. Not boring to me Ted, if you want to add more

Cheers, Dave

[Clive]

Sadly this is a case where there are no decent shortcuts.

I have tried using a vice to crimp battery connectors, works but not pretty or I reckon durable, so don't bother!

There are battery connectors that use screws to fix the cable, but the cable needs to be a tight fit. Had a few of those over he years, not sure if they are still available.

Luckily a friend is a forklift truck mechanic. He has access to cables/crimps that work very well indeed. But have a think, if you find such a place it takes seconds, so would cost you the price of a coffee.

Alternatively, there are bound to be places who can make what you want? of the nearest off-the-shelf size? 

[TedTaylor]

Quoted from cliftyhanger-

Sadly this is a case where there are no decent shortcuts.

I have tried using a vice to crimp battery connectors, works but not pretty or I reckon durable, so don't bother!

There are battery connectors that use screws to fix the cable, but the cable needs to be a tight fit. Had a few of those over he years, not sure if they are still available.

Luckily a friend is a forklift truck mechanic. He has access to cables/crimps that work very well indeed. But have a think, if you find such a place it takes seconds, so would cost you the price of a coffee.

Alternatively, there are bound to be places who can make what you want? of the nearest off-the-shelf size? 

Using the technique I originally described using a short piece of stud/head chopped of bolt/bar about 8mm diameter works well in a vice to create a compression dimple.  Put sleeving over the section (heat shrink?) and it looks fine.

MUT

[Gt6s]

 

 

 

I have an evilbay  hydraulic crimp tool cost about £20. Works great.