crimped electrical terminals

[bastonjock]

If you use a ratchet crimper and it gets stuck,there is a small release lever inside the handle.

Ive crimped the odd cable in my life,ive done all sorts of special ends for hazardous enviroments,for my boat,i would use the ratchet crimpers and the tinned copper type that you buy at RS componnents or maplins,you can also get these at Halfords.

For making the ends off,i would crimp the end of the cable,then dab a bit of epoxy onto the crimped area and then heat shrink it off,this is a cheaper option. This done properly will inhibit the ingress of damp into the cable end

The crimps in the UK come in 3 colours for crimps up to 6mm cable,yellow for 4-6mil,blue for 2.5mil and red covers 1-1.5 mill

if you have to go above 6mm it can get expensive as the crimpers cost a lot more and so do the crimps

 

[Maine Sail]

Any comment on whether the heat shrinking is best done as part of the crimping as shown on the Ancor site or alternatively is it worthwhile using heat shrinking material afterwards on standard crimps?

Yes, it is significantly easier to get a hermetically sealed connection with the pre-made heat shrink crimps. They are pre-sealed/shrunk a ahead of the crimp band thus ensuring a water tight seal at the connection end of the fitting.

Adhesive heat shrink is generally 3:1, occasionally more, so getting on and in the right place, to make a water tight fitting, is not an easy task. Often you leave a gap or need to trim. For butt splices this is easy but for screw type terminals not so easy.

I am re-wiring an entire 36' boat right now and the 250 adhesive lined crimp connectors cost me about $88.00 US. If you find a good source they don't have to be expensive. Considering this is a re-wire that would run about 11-13k US the $88.00 is non-significant in the whole scheme of things. Even as just a % of total materials cost it is under 6%.

One other point, that can not be missed, is that you will need a different crimper for non-insulated terminals. A ratcheting crimper, with tolerance designed for insulated terminals, should not be used on non-insulated terminals or the wire may pull out.

It is also quite hard, at least here in the US, to source high quality, aviation or marine grade (meaning thick and rugged), tinned copper crimp terminals in a non-insulated version. Most of the non-insulated stuff is small and built lightly (very thin).

 

[David2452]

A product I’ve always found really useful and effective for keeping the moisture out, especially for covering the exposed areas of ring terminals on bus bars is liquid neoprene. It’s used a lot on outboards and you can get a tin from most outboard service agents.

 

[Wunja]

This link explains it very well. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/wire_termination

Another vote for this informative site which I have bookmarked, but the question remains "What is the best anchor for breaking a properly made crimp connection?"

 

[Wunja]

Another vote for this informative site which I have bookmarked, but the question remains "What is the best anchor for breaking a properly made crimp connection?"

For those who didn't look in the link.

 

[KellysEye]

>the question remains "What is the best anchor for breaking a properly made crimp connection?"

An undersized Bavaria anchor should be enough ;-)

 

[cimo]

Another vote for this informative site which I have bookmarked, but the question remains "What is the best anchor for breaking a properly made crimp connection?"

ploughs won't do it. must be a fishermans (big of course).

 

[sunquest]

Well this thread certainly got me thinking as I have always used a basic crimping tool, but in my defence I do use tinned wire. This afternoon I am purchasing some new sockets in my local Senate electrical suppliers and hey ho I spy some ratchet crimpers. How much are they I ask, thirteen pounds something plus Vat the man replied. Put a pair on my account says I.
Happy crimping

 

[contessaman]

http://www.neweyandeyre.co.uk/

bag of 100 =£5.

All of their crimp lugs are tinned copper and much better quality than, say, maplins.. I used tinned ISO cable.
I cut the blue PVC insulating off each terminal, crimped + soldered.

I used a cheap crimping tool. it didn't matter as I crimped a length of solder in with the wire, then heated it with my soldering iron whilst feeding in more solder. With the tinned wire as well the whole thing becomes one. Finished off with a length of heatshrink to cover the shank and the few millimetres where the insulating on the wire melted.

I dont know if thats a 'recognised' technique, and its time consuming but the result is very proffesional.

I would always be worried about just crimping as even tinned wire could still corrode in time...

 

[tobyh]

I'd have agreed about the solder onto the crimp but recently took my 17th edition wiring regs and they specifically ban soldering now. The reason is the individual strands can't flex like they do in a crimp and the solder effectively causes a shear point. They recommend boot lace ferrels for finishing multi core cable.

 

[mitiempo]

A good crimp has no need for solder and it won't help a bad crimp either.

 

[sailorman]

They are alumiunium and are the normal method of making connections on boats.

Tinned Copper that might "Look like Aluminium to some"
have you seem what happens to Ali & Copper in the marine environment