Talurit (ferrule) splices, and DIY swaging ?

[sarabande]

Yesterday I came across some high level walkways where stainless multi-strand wire has been secured by (possibly) Talurit ferrules to shackles. This was in connection with a Working At Height mitigation.

I have two possible uses , one on the hydro station to make safety wires for the walkways so that I can attach my WAH harness; the other on the boat, where i need to split the existing single length guard wires, so that I can open a 'gate' between two stanchions for boarding and MOB recovery.


Has anyone used the small hydraulic swager (c 20 ton) for fixing ferrules to wire rope pls ? And if so, how easy is it to make a secure fixing ?

 

[prv]

I have one of the common eBay hydraulic battery terminal crimpers. I did recently use it to crimp aluminium ferrules onto stainless wire which seemed successful, but mine was not a safety-critical purpose (making a wire handle for a pot to hang over a camp fire ).

It can certainly apply enough pressure for small sizes, but I'm not sure whether the hexagonal dies for electrical terminals are the proper shape to be using for Talurit type ferrules. Maybe they are (I didn't immediately see a problem) or maybe alternative die shapes are available or could be adapted or made.

Making the crimp is easy, no different to battery terminals.

Pete

 

[lw395]

I've used the Ormiston bolt-up tool on 2, 3 and 4mm wire rope.
Copper ferrules from any decent dinghy chandler.
The 4mm was flexible for the adjustable part of dinghy shrouds on a raking rig. I informally tested one to about a tonne without a problem.
Unfortunately the Ormiston tool is now more expensive than the Chinese hydraulic ones.
But clamping it in a vice it's easier to use accurately I think. (I have a vice which bolts to a stout plank for site work).
Years ago, a mate of mine made his own. It's only some drilling in two stout steel bars.

 

[DownWest]

OK.. I do this frequently and up to 5mm cable. 20 ton bottle jack in a frame made of RSJ and 40x8 steel bar.
Made the swages out of 20x20mm steel bar too. You just need to know the diameter of the finished ferrules to drill the two bars while clamped together. Make them fairly long with a hinge at one end to aid alighnment.
In the days when we sold kits, my job was making all the rigging, but we had a Talurit 25ton unit back then.
If concerned about safety, a simple load testing rig can be made up.
I can't recall a single failure in the many years of doing it.

For a boat that I was asked to make 'gates' for. I ordered up the parts from S3i, marked carefully the guard wires and cut them, then had them done on a roll swager in La Rochelle. Bit neater than simple Talurit. Used Pelican hooks to get the tension.
DW

Bit slow typing, so missed the other answers

I tried an Ormiston, but it needs multiple crimps and I gave it away.
For SS wire use copper ferrules, ally for galve.

 

[GHA]

Has anyone used the small hydraulic swager (c 20 ton) for fixing ferrules to wire rope pls ? And if so, how easy is it to make a secure fixing ?

Must have done thousands over the years..

Not much point in doing any for your hydro use unless you can get it load tested as per LOLER -http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/thorough-examinations-lifting-equipment.htm

Boat should be OK legally spose, but make sure you get the right dies, most of the ebay stuff is for electrics and don't have DIN dies to suit the ferrules - I have actually destruction tested some steel wire terminations dome with LX dies, from memory even with wht looked like the right size the termination failed way below one doe with DIN dies.

Latchways are the most common systems seen around UK roofs >>
https://www.latchways.com/

 

[lw395]

.....

Boat should be OK legally spose, but make sure you get the right dies, most of the ebay stuff is for electrics and don't have DIN dies to suit the ferrules - I have actually destruction tested some steel wire terminations dome with LX dies, from memory even with wht looked like the right size the termination failed way below one doe with DIN dies.
...]

A lot of people don't seem to appreciate that the copper ferrule doesn't just get squeezed down to the 'right size'. the copper is supposed to flow into the strands of the wire rope.
If the ferrule does not end up noticeably longer after crimping, you're probably not doing it right.
Yes on 'bigger' sizes like 4mm the Ormiston tool needs a couple or few goes, it only attacks a short length of ferrule at each pass to get the pressure.
But it's still a lot quicker than taking it to your local rigger. But that's still a good option where possible.
As the Ormi tool also does a mean job of crimping battery terminals (on the odd occasion when I don't a technician to do it with the pro tool), I haven't had cause to buy one of the Chinese crimpers yet.

 

[Hydrozoan]

I’ve used an Ormiston tool on guard wires; I did not formally test the result but had no qualms. It is not difficult with a vice as lw395 says, but of course the result is not threadable through stanchions. And of course not very long afterwards, somebody (not me) bent a stanchion and …

 

[GHA]

I’ve used an Ormiston tool on guard wires; I did not formally test the result but had no qualms.

....... From destruction testing with calibrated load cells a good crimp and a bad crimp can look very similar.....