Feed thru terminal question

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Boo2

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Hi,

I need to feed two high-current wires through a bulkhead to feed my new windlass installation and had sourced a pair of the following, one red, one black from Merlin at http://www.power-store.com/view-item.asp?itemid=2296&id=385& :

feed_thru_01.gif


Unfortunately after I'd drilled the hole through the bulkhead I discovered the bulkhead was 45mm thick, not the 16mm or so that I'd expected. In retrospect I should have measured it first but I just didn't think to question that assumption.

So now I have a problem : I really would like to buy a pair of similar feed through terminals exactly the same but 45mm long instead of the 22mm that these are, anyone know where I can get something like that ? The advantage of this type of feed through is that they provide a terminal facility so it is easy to disconnect the windlass without simultaneously disconnecting the long run of cable. Also, they are a convenient way of turning the cable through 90 degrees to pass through a bulkhead after running along it without needing long swan necks of wire to acommodate the 90 degree curve either side of the bulkhead. For these reasons terminal posts won't really do it for me and the idea of just running the cable through the bulkhead and bending it back the other side is also unpalatable.

If anyone is struggling to understand what I am trying to do then the following pic may help :

h_locker.gif


The windlass is mounted through the deck that can seen internally in the pic which was taken before the installation commenced. It's mounted above where the coat hangers are situated in the pic. My wires will come through the bulkhead in the right of the pic upon which is mounted the windlass control box (solenoid). The wires will, if just passed through a hole in the bulkhead, need to turn through 180 degrees to be connected to the windlass control box which is ugly. However, if I could have used my feed throughs, then the wires could come off them parallel to the bulkhead to connect to the control box.

The cables run vertically up the other side of the same bulkhead before turning 90 degrees left to pass through it. They need to do this because of the arrangement of the locker space on the other side and because the space at the bottom of the above pic will be filled with chain so there is no possibility of passing wires lower down.

Any suggestions or pix of similar installations would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Boo2
 
I have always kept the number of connections to an absolute minimum. Therefore I suggest you pass the cable through the bulkhead.

If you still want to use such a terminal you could always use a bolt or threaded rod of an appropriate length and pass it through block of insulator like nylon, tufnol, epoxy resin, epoxy putty, etc. In fact if you use the threaded rod and epoxy putty and threaded rod you could fix it in place at the same time.
 
These feed through insulators are really designed for s steel boat or bulkheads where insulation is essential. In GRP just a bolt through the GRP is adequate.
However having bought these feed through insulators and you now found they are too short. I don't imagine you could get longer.
You could use these insulators if you had a longer through bolt and then some sort of tube to extend the insulated post. Plastic conduit or irigation pipe comes to mind. You need to be able to tighten up a nut with big washer on each side or at least on the winch side that will support the bolt so that another nut with terminal can be attached. The bolt could be made from threaded rod in brass of correct thread or any thread if you get nuts to go on. Good luck olewill
 
Boo2 said:
So where can I buy 45mm long 15mm dia studs with an 8mmor 10mm thread on the end, dp you know ?
Click to expand...

15mm brass bar stock (or a nearby size) probably available on eBay. Then drill and tap an M8 or M10 hole in each end and use a short brass bolt instead of nuts? Male M8 or M10 threads on the end would require a lathe, but the female thread you can do with a drill bit and a tap. Or I suppose you could use short lengths of threaded bar instead of the bolts, if you needed loose nuts on the ends for some reason.

Pete
 
If you can't find any drop me a message and I'll turn you some

Do they come apart so you can just replace the stud?

Brass or stainless?

If not I could do some with a plastic surround similar to your picture, just send me some dimensions
 
DinghyMan said:
If you can't find any drop me a message and I'll turn you some
Do they come apart so you can just replace the stud?
Brass or stainless?
If not I could do some with a plastic surround similar to your picture, just send me some dimensions
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind offer DM but I have looked into the resistance figures for brass and ss compared with copper and have decided to skip the extra conections and the stud etc and just connect direct to the control box / windlass motor.

I originally thought that the motor connection cover could not be un/fitted while the motor was in place which was my main reason for wanting an external -ve terminal stud (to save having to drop the motor with the entire length of the -ve lead still fitted). Luckily I now find I can take the cover off with the motor in situ and disconnect the lead before dropping it if I ever need to so don't have the same requirement.

Thanks to all who replied,

Boo2
 
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