Can i double over wire and crimp it?

[toddster8]

Somewhere I saw a set of crimp-on ferrules that "thicken up" those tiny wires. They are actually made for terminating wires to plug in to euro-style terminal blocks. But that would require sending away for stuff, and of course, another expensive dedicated crimp tool.

I usually just resort to western union splices and heat-shrink on those, with or without a drop of solder.

[boeing1]

I have doubled over and crimped with no problem, also I use heat shrink splices

[Ahmet Erkan]

Originally Posted by er9

DUH! lol why didnt i think of that? thats why i love these forums. so much experience to draw from. if i did this should i/ would it also be prudent to heat shrink the end as well or is that way overkill?

"Overkill" in cost and labor are undesirable characteristics. Overkill in reliability should be the goal for every shipboard project big or small.

Soldering iron (cheap) 12V or 120V
Solder paste (cheap)
Solder (cheap)
Electrical tape (cheap)
Marrette connectors aka wire nuts (cheap)
RTV type sealant (cheap)


Strip both 14AWG and 22AWG wires 1/2 inch or so, clean and dip the stripped ends in solder paste.
Wrap a few turns of the insulated section of the small wire onto the insulated section of the 14AWG wire close to the stripped end for strain reilef. Twist the stripped ends together and solder.
Tape the wires running parallel so that the little wire does not unravel until the RTV dries.
Smear the wrapped area and the solder end generously with RTV.
Fill the wire nut with RTV also and screw it on with very little force.
Let dry.
Reliability? Good even if the splice is immersed in salt water. (ie: bilge pump splice)
Material cost? Low. (Tools are all essential to have on board anyway)
Labor cost? Not too bad, and you will never have to repair it.
Overkill? I don't think so, especially for a splice at the mast top etc.
Ah and don't forget to have a beer after this job, you will have earned it.
Cheers


NOTE: The wire nuts are good for solid wire, here they are used just as an insulator, some other means of insulation might be just as reliable too. Lastly watch out for cold solder joints. Cleaning the bare wire, using paste and touching the wire to melt the solder and not the iron are important.

[thinwater]

December 2016 Practical Sailor tested a bunch of small wire connection methods for fatigue and corrosion resistance.


The Western Union and several variations are strong and dependable, but soldering increased corrosion.


The simplest method was to wrap the very small wire around the larger wire, slip a crimp butt fitting over both, and crimp/seal. No step-down fitting needed.


But I hate telling folks how to wire. Many methods work and failures in well-made connections by any method other than wire nuts are very reliable. Some are faster. Some are easier to fish. Some resist corrosion better. Remember that the connections inside the a non-sealed devise are probably nothing special!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

You can twist the two different size wires together and crimp into one end of a butt splice connector; then seal the other end with liquid electrical tape.

Don't fold it over insulation as that will create a high resistance connection that could start a fire.

How about a jelly connector instead?

Raymarine supply them with their kits, but it took me a while to find then on e bay so bought a box of them.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Product...iABEgLn4PD_BwE

[Terra Nova]

7--stick with marine grade materials that can handle power.

[Stu Jackson]

These worked for me:

[Terra Nova]

SJ--those are not made to carry power.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

SJ--those are not made to carry power.

I use them to great success for tiny wire to tiny wire like on a chart plotter signal wires etc.
They will not work however to connect say a 14 ga wire to a 26 ga wire though.
Telephone company used them for decades and I’m sure untold millions of splices.

[hellosailor]

Jelly connectors: better known in the US as "button" connectors, because you "push" the button to make the connections. An old standby for our telephone companies where a waterproof connection in standard 24AWG elephone wires was needed. They previously used small white-covered crimps that look something like a 3/4" long piece of fat spaghetti and a special crimper to fit that, open at one end, tapered but not closed at the other, no silicon jelly in them.

Any standard or reduction crimp in the red-blue-yellow kind won't get you down to 24AWG (which the LEDs may be) but with a wire gauge chart, you can convert to the EU's "mm2" gauge and then figure out how many folds or pieces of 24AWG or other thin wire will fit the 10-12, 14-16, or 18-20 that the standard crimps are made for.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

SJ--those are not made to carry power.

TN, but they work. The wires carry the power.


Try these, too, I used these for stereo wiring. I used the first ones for signal wire for a new electronic modules for my fridge.


POINT BEING: there ARE products out there that can be used to mate small wires without resorting to bend-over crimps. They also save a lot of time.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

SJ--those are not made to carry power.

But then, neither is wire of 24 gage!

Jim

[Cheechako]

I've folded over small wire quite a number of instances. If you are worried solder it up. But my preference is to get a single end butt connector that both fit into one with/on the other, then crimp.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by er9

DUH! lol why didnt i think of that? thats why i love these forums. so much experience to draw from. if i did this should i/ would it also be prudent to heat shrink the end as well or is that way overkill?

There is no overkill when it comes to sealing electrical connections on a boat!

Originally Posted by hellosailor

.............

Any standard or reduction crimp in the red-blue-yellow kind won't get you down to 24AWG (which the LEDs may be) but with a wire gauge chart, you can convert to the EU's "mm2" gauge and then figure out how many folds or pieces of 24AWG or other thin wire will fit the 10-12, 14-16, or 18-20 that the standard crimps are made for.

Very rough rule of thumb. Double the wire over gives one decrease in AWG, i.e. two pieces of say 18 will be 16 etc.

[Cheechako]

Auto Parts stores etc have these single connectors.... tinned ones.