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Old 23-11-2016, 07:08   #1
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DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Any reason not? I'm thinking it should prolly have a cover.

Small Boat Projects - Making Life Aboard Easier: Fabricating a DIY ANL Fuse Block
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Old 23-11-2016, 15:06   #2
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

looks fine for purpose, but as you mentioned, great idea to have a non conducting cover (preferably transparent so you can see the fuses)

on the other hand - those wires look corroded and badly overheated, hopefully they are just for show and not the ones you intend using...
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Old 23-11-2016, 16:48   #3
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

I have been running a couple of homemade fuse blocks for 20 years on two different sailboats. Never a problem but have wondered if there might be a slight increase in tripping current because of the larger heat sink on the DC input side of things.

As a practical matter, fuses at this level are more likely to be fault interrupting rather than overload protection.

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Old 23-11-2016, 17:29   #4
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Why DIY it? ANL fuse holders only $7 or $8 each. add $3 more for the fuse cover and its just easier to order it than spend the time building it. I got mine from Waytekwire.com ordered a pile of parts from them. the best deal was the 200amp circuit breaker ( cost $40 and it was the exact same part number as the $200 bluesea version)
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Old 23-11-2016, 17:44   #5
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

What metal is your homemade fuse block made off?

I agree with the post above. It's far simpler to buy a readymade, approved fuse block.
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Old 23-11-2016, 18:27   #6
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

that blue sea buss bar is about $100. probably cheaper to buy ANL holders...
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Old 23-11-2016, 19:00   #7
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Ok silly question. Why fuse instead of resettable breakers? Because 200 miles from a retail place is not time to not have a fuse but if it's a breaker it's a touch and go
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Old 23-11-2016, 19:33   #8
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

I use ANL fuses in the 200-700a range. you can't buy breakers that big. under 100a I normally use breakers.

also they are required by code near the batttery for the AIC rating. which most breakers don't have.

also generally fuses are used on major DC cables and are oversized for loads (150%). and will only blow in a major fault. having a resettable breaker doesn't help if there is a major fault. you still need to fix it.
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Old 23-11-2016, 20:25   #9
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Have made covers for ANL fuses from PVC pipe with some cutouts to see the filaments but keeps the fuse itself from flexing and breaking.
Used the battery + terminal post with nut for mounting one side of fuse, the heavy wire with a bolt and nut on the other side of the fuse and going to where needed, while the fuse itself sits inside a short white plastic pipe with cutouts for the posts and the nuts and a window to see if the fuse is blown.
Have (6) 6 volt batteries. and 2 more for start and windlass and that's a lot of fuse holders that must be mounted here and there with extra wires and more connections, so.... easy solution here using PVC. Not difficult to make a pile of these with just a hacksaw and a round file. Keep lots of extra fuses ( $1.00 each Ebay) in case any flexing breaks them. Oh,... put vaseline jelly on all these connections and wiring to keep the corrosion away!.
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Old 23-11-2016, 22:15   #10
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

It is difficult to buss a bunch of std. ANL fuse holders together, high amp ANL holders are big, expensive, and a lot of extra connections ( I had a space issue).

The bus material is tinned copper 1"x 3/16" (probably good for about 500 amps), the machine screws/ nuts are silicon bronze (more about galling than conductivity).

The feed on the bottom is protected by a 250 amp class T at the battery switch (1,2,all).

Most modern yachts have a requirement for this type of distribution setup. I am surprised that BSS or somebody has not come up with a commercial product. Was not hard to build a one off so production design would be NBD.
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Old 24-11-2016, 01:13   #11
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frankly View Post
It is difficult to buss a bunch of std. ANL fuse holders together, high amp ANL holders are big, expensive, and a lot of extra connections ( I had a space issue)...


....Most modern yachts have a requirement for this type of distribution setup. I am surprised that BSS or somebody has not come up with a commercial product. Was not hard to build a one off so production design would be NBD.
This is what I am coming up against. I have the BSS buss bar ($30), I have the BSS fuse holders (4 x $25), now I need to connect the fuses to the bus bar? Where am I going to fit it?

Then I started looking around and found the article linked to in the OP. Surprised someone doesn't just make one already but I've got some scrap starboard and plenty of bolts, just need to get the buss bar material. Can you get it at an electrical supply house?
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Old 24-11-2016, 01:45   #12
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

if all the fuses are under 300a then use the MRBF's. I put them on the buss bar. way less space then ANL's and easy to do.

best picture I could find,

this one looks like it's one unfused input, one unfused output to Class T for inverter, and 4 MRBF fused outputs, off a 600a blue sea bus.

the spare MRBF fuses are so much easier to strap on then the ANL's too...
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Old 24-11-2016, 05:47   #13
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Storm Copper in Tennessee has all S&S of copper buss material. Used to have it tinned also.
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Old 24-11-2016, 09:44   #14
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Delancey View Post
Any reason not? I'm thinking it should prolly have a cover.

Small Boat Projects - Making Life Aboard Easier: Fabricating a DIY ANL Fuse Block
Conceptually, no, although I agree the quality of the conduit on the "mock up" is a little dubious.

One concern, however, would be the careful and sufficiently beefy mounting of such a setup. That's going to be heavy just in the weight of wire, and you want no chance of any of those leads touching each other. That means the design could be improved simply by putting little HDPE/Starboard "blocks" as spacers between each power lug, so that if the cable ties or similar wire supports failed due to heavy boat movement, they could not make contact. That simple measure of "chocking" each lead also makes the likelihood of the nut loosening itself less, I would think.

I just did this job, but went with the standard Blue Sea buses:



I did, however, fab up a sub-panel for the DC main board and bilge/fridge, items that are switched.
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Old 24-11-2016, 10:09   #15
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Re: DIY ANL Fuse Block?

Quote:
I just did this job, but went with the standard Blue Sea buses:
Bad choice of cable colors.
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