Help sought with crimp lugs 25 sq mm please

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Plevier

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I'm fitting a windlass and need a crimping tool for 25 sq mm lugs for a couple of hours as mine only goes up to 16 sq mm.
The boat is at Southwick (Brighton), is there any kind forumite locally who could lend a tool or pop in and crimp them for me if I get it all ready ahead, or does anyone know where I can hire reasonably please? I can only find huge hydraulic ones to hire at ridiculous cost.
Thanks.
 
I would take it to an auto-electrics shop, and get them to crimp it for me.
Alternative, a tool for putting talurit ferrules on dinghy rigging might do it?
I've got one of the Ormiston jobs which does up with two M8 bolts. I have used that for crimping starter cables on a motorbike FWIW.
 
Plevier said:
I'm fitting a windlass and need a crimping tool for 25 sq mm lugs for a couple of hours as mine only goes up to 16 sq mm.
The boat is at Southwick (Brighton), is there any kind forumite locally who could lend a tool or pop in and crimp them for me if I get it all ready ahead, or does anyone know where I can hire reasonably please? I can only find huge hydraulic ones to hire at ridiculous cost.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I bought one one of these: http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/0-703-90-heavy-duty-crimping-tool-8109.html you can squeeze in a vice or use a heavy hammer to crimp the lugs. I also then solder using a small bloworch, and then shrink a cover over the connection.
 
JumbleDuck said:
It can be done, but it takes a fiendishly big iron, or dexterous use of a flame, to solder onto something that big, because the copper cable conducts the heat away very effectively.
Click to expand...

I've done it with a blowlamp.
Wet rag to limit melting of the insulation.
Don't put too much solder on, it wicks up the strands and stiffens the cable, somehow this seems to happen worse on bigger cables?
 
Plevier,

I have something similar to this http://www.crimpterminals.co.uk/crimping-tools/crimping-tool-copper-lug-medium-sizes/prod_477.html and used that with good results on the last boat. For me it was worth the investment.

I would not use the tool suggested by Sarnia. Looks like it pinches one side only. You want the crimp tool to press from all sides. Soldering is not a good solution. First you need the right tool delivering enough heat in a very short time and the solder joint may break off where the wicking ends through vibration.
My tool is on the boat in Eastbourne. You can PM me and we could sort something out but I work away a lot and it is not going to happen very quickly.
Cheers,
Findus
 
ghostlymoron said:
Why not solder them on?
Click to expand...

That was my intention but having tried it with a micro blowtorch it's not very good. The crimps are a bit loose on the wire, they take a massive amount of solder that wicks up the cable, and heat conduction up the cable is very quick and melts the insulation.
 
lw395 said:
Looks like good tool.
As with any crimping, making a dummy cable and pull testing it is a good idea.
Click to expand...
I've just redone all my battery cables with one of those.... I wanted to reorient one to align the terminal better with the natural lay of the cable, and had to cut the cable as there was no way I could get it off, even trying to squeeze it in a vice to reopen it.... I'm perfectly satisfied with the integrity of the crimp.
 
lw395 said:
I've done it with a blowlamp.
Wet rag to limit melting of the insulation.
Don't put too much solder on, it wicks up the strands and stiffens the cable, somehow this seems to happen worse on bigger cables?
Click to expand...

That's how I did it, too. Use mole grips to tighten lug on to cable, then blowlamp and solder. Heat-shrink tube neatens the job.
 
Plevier said:
I'm fitting a windlass and need a crimping tool for 25 sq mm lugs for a couple of hours as mine only goes up to 16 sq mm.
The boat is at Southwick (Brighton), is there any kind forumite locally who could lend a tool or pop in and crimp them for me if I get it all ready ahead, or does anyone know where I can hire reasonably please? I can only find huge hydraulic ones to hire at ridiculous cost.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you go to your local electrical wholesalers, you may be able to hire the correct tool. I know my local CEF has one that they hire out.

I have one of the same type - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-120MM-...WIRE-CABLE-LUG-TERMINAL-CRIMPER-/290649530340 - This is the correct type of tool to use.

If I lived nearer, you could you borrowed it.
 
findus said:
Plevier,

I have something similar to this http://www.crimpterminals.co.uk/crimping-tools/crimping-tool-copper-lug-medium-sizes/prod_477.html and used that with good results on the last boat. For me it was worth the investment.

I would not use the tool suggested by Sarnia. Looks like it pinches one side only. You want the crimp tool to press from all sides. Soldering is not a good solution. First you need the right tool delivering enough heat in a very short time and the solder joint may break off where the wicking ends through vibration.
My tool is on the boat in Eastbourne. You can PM me and we could sort something out but I work away a lot and it is not going to happen very quickly.
Cheers,
Findus
Click to expand...

Also yours looks a good tool, mine does crimp ito a 'V' was recommended to me by a garage who uses them all the time, certainly no volt drop from the connections
 
Plevier said:
Not seen that before, looks workable thanks - but I note you solder as well!
Click to expand...

Yes I do solder, but not always, but soldering makes doubly sure.
I well flux the cable end and inside the terminal, sometimes tin it also, then crimp, and use a soft blowlamp heat until solder runs through.
 
Sarnia said:
Yes I do solder, but not always, but soldering makes doubly sure.
I well flux the cable end and inside the terminal, sometimes tin it also, then crimp, and use a soft blowlamp heat until solder runs through.
Click to expand...

A properly done crimp should cold weld the wire and the terminal, so in theory soldering doesn't add anything. In theory ...
 
Plevier said:
I'm fitting a windlass and need a crimping tool for 25 sq mm lugs for a couple of hours as mine only goes up to 16 sq mm.
The boat is at Southwick (Brighton), is there any kind forumite locally who could lend a tool or pop in and crimp them for me if I get it all ready ahead, or does anyone know where I can hire reasonably please? I can only find huge hydraulic ones to hire at ridiculous cost.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Where do you live? I have one but it's in South London.
 
Another way of sticking the lugs on is to clamp it in a vice, but put a nut or bolt between the lug and the vice face also to make an impression into the lug. So crimped and locked with the impression from the nut/bolt, and then solder as well to be sure.

I've done it that way loads of times; works a treat and nice and solid!
 
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