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Old 24-11-2012, 14:08   #16
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

Thanks Gord, I knew you were involved in some fashion.
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Old 24-11-2012, 15:15   #17
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

If you are soldering and need to use flux, use acid free or electronic flux. Unless you can clean the acid type flux off completely it can cause problems in the future. If you are working with new, fresh wire and connectors you do not need flux, so solid flux is best.
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Old 24-11-2012, 16:44   #18
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

Ancor makes some good chit!... as does Cole-Hersey, as does Blue Seas.... (not all terminals, but marine wiring supplies in general)...

I found some Chinese heat-shrink terminals at Harbor Freight for 1/5 the price of Ancor.... got what I paid for and re-did all the ends within a year
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Old 25-11-2012, 02:07   #19
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I found some Chinese heat-shrink terminals at Harbor Freight for 1/5 the price of Ancor.... got what I paid for and re-did all the ends within a year
Isn't that usually the case for Harbor freight? It's so intoxicating when you walk the isles and see "all the things you can afford," but the quality is often a disappointment.
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Old 25-11-2012, 02:11   #20
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Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

Isn't that usually the case for Harbor freight? It's so intoxicating when you walk the isles and see "all the things you can afford," but the quality is often a disappointment.
I prefer uninsulated crimps and heat shrunk adhesive tube. I can inspect the crimps properly, the tube extends well down the cable. I tend to view it as strain relief rather then sealing. I tend to use AMP. Agree all in respect of good tools

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Old 25-11-2012, 04:08   #21
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If you want a properly sealed crimp then get enviro seals. They have the crimp and an environmental seal that shrinks over it and is resistant to just about everything. If they work on a filthy turbine engine they will work on a boat. You need special crimping pliers but as you have been suggested to buy calibrated/good quality ones the price won't be much more. The plier PN is GMT232. You can get them from aircraft spruce for about $160. Very cheap. We get our crimps from edmo in Adelaide. Crimp base PN is M81824.

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Old 25-11-2012, 04:11   #22
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

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Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler View Post
Isn't that usually the case for Harbor freight? It's so intoxicating when you walk the isles and see "all the things you can afford," but the quality is often a disappointment.
Yeah, I would not trust HF for electrical connectors to use on board. But, I did pick up some packages of heat shrink I used to encase some wiring for a recent project. Things things like micro fiber towels, disposable brushes etc... do come in handy on board. I've also bought some power tools like a 3 1/2 inch cutoff wheel tool for $9.00 that I only really needed to use once to trim some aluminum bar on my solar bimini. But, if it went over the side I would not be left crying on deck. Plus I have gotten quite a few of free LED flashlights, voltmeters and stainless steel scissors just from the coupons. Free is always a great price.
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Old 25-11-2012, 04:53   #23
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

Quote:
Originally Posted by goboatingnow View Post
I prefer uninsulated crimps and heat shrunk adhesive tube. I can inspect the crimps properly, the tube extends well down the cable. I tend to view it as strain relief rather then sealing. I tend to use AMP. Agree all in respect of good tools

Dave
It seems to me that crimping over the insulators has just got to degrade the quality of the crimp. The only possible reason for it -- as far as I can see -- is just to save time separately insulating the crimped connection.

Now to find some really good uninsulated terminals and appropriate tool -- I will check out AMP.
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Old 26-11-2012, 01:29   #24
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

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Originally Posted by Dockhead View Post
It seems to me that crimping over the insulators has just got to degrade the quality of the crimp. The only possible reason for it -- as far as I can see -- is just to save time separately insulating the crimped connection.

Now to find some really good uninsulated terminals and appropriate tool -- I will check out AMP.
Only when using cheap no-name crimps and tooling.
Using AMP / TYCO PIDG and Molex style crimps and tooling is perfectly fine. Every aircraft you have ever flown relies on them. The downside is that they are not sealed so IMO, for marine work, you still have to used adhesive filled heatshrink. As you point out, why not go directly to uninsulated terminals and sealing same.

I also endorse the bengearing's suggestion with enviro seals but only if you use Teflon insulated wire; the heat necessary to correctly seal them kills PVC insulation
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Old 26-11-2012, 02:44   #25
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[QUOTE=the heat necessary to correctly seal them kills PVC insulation[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I used them all though my boat. PVC burns pretty easily. You have to be careful not to get the PVC too hot...heat gun way down low and be patient lol
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Old 26-11-2012, 02:56   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead

It seems to me that crimping over the insulators has just got to degrade the quality of the crimp. The only possible reason for it -- as far as I can see -- is just to save time separately insulating the crimped connection.

Now to find some really good uninsulated terminals and appropriate tool -- I will check out AMP.
Www.farnell.com or uk.rs-ononline.com. ( all 24 hour delivery)

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Old 02-12-2012, 15:39   #27
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

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If you are soldering and need to use flux, use acid free or electronic flux. Unless you can clean the acid type flux off completely it can cause problems in the future. If you are working with new, fresh wire and connectors you do not need flux, so solid flux is best.
1) Don't get acid core solder or acid flux for any electrical/electronic soldering. Acid flux is for plumbing. Buy a good grade of solder which is meant for electrical/electronic connections, which has the right flux.

2) Even with new wire and connectors, suitable electrical flux makes the solder bond better.


Regarding marine terminals, a good crimp is superior to a mediocre crimp + solder. Main reason is that if a connection overheats to the solder melt point, and the mechanical connection is weak, the wire could pull out.

The ABYC doesn't approve of soldering terminals unless there's also a sufficient mechanical connection made prior to soldering, which in the case of crimped terminals kind of makes the soldering redundant. In my personal experience, soldering a crimped terminal often makes the wire less tolerant of flexing. And of course soldering can make a mess of wire insulation or the terminal sleeve.
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Old 11-01-2013, 03:30   #28
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

So I have now received my Pressmaster KAA 0760 and a bunch of Molex heat seal terminals and butt splices. Hooray!

The K-frame Pressmaster is an impressive tool.

The only problem is that the dies are made for terminals, not butt splices It crimps hard on one side, and then slightly on the other, for strain relief.

So do I need to buy another one of these expensive things for butt splices?! It doesn't look like the better K-frame tool even has dies for butt splices; they want you to buy the lighter duty RS type for that.

I sacrificed one of the Molex butt splices in an experiment. I crimped it once, then flipped it around and crimped it in the opposite direction. Looks damned good to me. Is that an acceptable practice, or do I need to buy another tool for butt splices? What say ye?
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Old 11-01-2013, 05:25   #29
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

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only problem is that the dies are made for terminals, not butt splices It crimps hard on one side, and then slightly on the other, for strain relief.

So do I need to buy another one of these expensive things for butt splices?!
My general "best practice" rule is not to use butt splices on our boat. If I can't avoid it I will try to put in a terminal block. Only as a last resort will I use a butt splice and then only temporarily. A butt splice serves no function except saving wire and has 2 possible points of failure.

If your test piece looks good and you cannot pull the wire out then it should be ok. Just make sure to seal the splice and you will probably be ok.

Regards,
Dan
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Old 11-01-2013, 05:37   #30
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Re: Crimping - Best Practice?

Quote:
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My general "best practice" rule is not to use butt splices on our boat. If I can't avoid it I will try to put in a terminal block. Only as a last resort will I use a butt splice and then only temporarily. A butt splice serves no function except saving wire and has 2 possible points of failure.

If your test piece looks good and you cannot pull the wire out then it should be ok. Just make sure to seal the splice and you will probably be ok.

Regards,
Dan
Well, I guess I could put in spade connectors everywhere instead of butt splices.

But I do have different cases where I have wires coming out of some device (electric toilet, bilge pump, etc., etc.) which need to be connected to another wire. That's where I typically use butt splices, not to save wire.
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