Ancor crimper rant

[Badsanta]

Its really nice when all the wire is one color. Makes it so easy.

Sent from my SM-G860P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[hellosailor]

Canibul-
" The part in the crimp gets flattened and can't be pulled out."
When I've been really stuck in that situation, I'll get out the small sharp wire snip, cut the plastic off, and then often there is a seam on the crimp that can be "chewed" a bit to spread it open. Followed by some patience with a variety of tools, it can be uncrimped and the wire left intact in many cases. Granted, good crimps should have no seam in them but even then, a small sharp wire cutter can often chew them open. Or, a dental pick or other small good steel tool can wobble them open from one end, enough to do the job. Yes, it is a slow job, lopping the wire off and starting clean is way faster, if you can.


I don't think I've ever seen or heard as good as explanation as MS's for the different types of crimpers and crimps.


But if an Amazon or other online vendor (Amazon doesn't write those web pages) isn't smart enough, or proud enough, to say what the country of origin is...inevitably there's a reason they're ashamed to say it. You can query them, but just as often I'd rather give the business to someone who says clearly where it comes from.


Your experience with the "obviously" right crimping tool and crimps reminds me of the first time I found there was only an espresso machine on board, and none of us had any knowledge of how to use it. Oh, that wasn't a pretty sight either.(G)

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Canibul-
" The part in the crimp gets flattened and can't be pulled out."
When I've been really stuck in that situation, I'll get out the small sharp wire snip, cut the plastic off, and then often there is a seam on the crimp that can be "chewed" a bit to spread it open...

Avoid (do not use) terminals with open seams.

[Jeanneau 45.2]

Interesting discussion. My boat was made in France in 2000 back when untinned wire was commonly used over there. FWIW, based on the comments in this thread, I am going to go with single crimp with heat shrink. Happy New Years to Everyone.

[Canibul]

I'm not having an issue with the quality of the wire, for the most part. At least, not the original 1985 wire. I do have some issues with wires of various sizes and colors running all over the boat from the closest 12 volt connection, bypassing circuit breakers and I doubt there were a dozen fuses on the boat when we got it. There are a lot more now.

I've been pulling a lot of old stuff off, and that includes wires. Part of the problem is that PO apparently believed that leaving old wire in the runs was a good idea. Some of the chases are so jammed up with unused wires that I cannot easily pull any of them out.

I am going to have to replace all the breaker panels, both DC and AC, and I'm really not looking forward to that. Lots of the circuit breakers are labelled for things that no longer exist, or were taken for something else. I have a DC breaker, for example, with the original label Cabin Outlets. It actually runs a fan on the starboard side. It's a mess. The bilge pump in that hull is on a breaker labeled Sat Nav. There is no Sat Nav. It's taken years to find some of this stuff.

I need to get it down to the essentials for the boat before I will know how many and what type breaker boards to buy.

It's get complicated living in a foreign country with no good hardware or marine stores, too. I have to order stuff from Amazon or elsewhere, and hope it's the right thing when it gets here. If not, I still own it because it's just not cost effective to ship stuff back to exchange it. I've thrown lots of twenty and thirty dollar things away brand new rather than send them back.

[redsky49]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

...
For example, many/most electric bilge pumps and float switches come with pigtails. But these should never be butt-spliced except on rare conditions. Better tech is to terminate the pigtails on a terminal strip. This facilitates testing and service/replacement. ...

This is a great approach, as long as you can get the terminal strip mounted high enough to be safe from immersion.

With deeper bilges, and the short pigtails that manufacturers, this can be a real challenge.

Glad you solved your problem Canibul. Good luck with your wiring

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Glad you solved your problem Canibul. Good luck with your wiring

Actually, YOU guys solved my problem. Thanks for all the input. Nice to have the benefit of Maine Sail's expertise.

I feel like I wasted a hundred bucks or so (cost, shipping, duty, fees) but at least I should be able to use the connectors I bought. This refit stuff is an expensive education.

[Blue Crab]

Otherwise the butt-splice connector must be cut off each time a pump or float switch needs replacing. This eventually results in wires being extended with yet even more butt-splice connectors. Often large coils of excess wire are coiled up at every connection, just to provide for attrition, but actually creating a catchall that cannot be easily kept clean. And it is readily apparent that some DIY'er didn't take the time it takes to do it right.



Good thread.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by redsky49

...With deeper bilges, and the short pigtails that manufacturers, this can be a real challenge...

Here you simply first extend the pigtails, then connect to terminal strip, as before. In damp locations like this all terminations are lastly coated with Liquid 'Lectrical Tape.

bul--you bought the right crimper for the wrong terminals. This crimper should be just right for 90% of what needs done on a boat.

[Canibul]

Well, I just received my new Ancor wire stripper, but somehow the new crimper missed the shipment. Gee. Thanks Amazon. So here I sit, a week and a half later, about to just say to hell with it and finish the next job with Vise Grips as crimpers.


Yeah, they're the wrong tool for the job.
I do find it amusing that they do a better job on insulated shrinkable butt connectors than another $ 70 "wrong tool for the job". Who wrote that about "Vise Grips, the wrong tool for every job"?

[Blue Crab]

Here I sit
Broken-hearted
Crimped w/ Vgrips,
Connections parted.

With apologies to the Bard

[hellosailor]

Canibul-
FWIW, email Amazon about that and ream 'em out. I find they regularly miss shipments (here in the US) and they have all sorts of creative excuses. But if you remind them "Hey, I'm a prime member and I already PAID for that shipping" or simply that "Hey, your web site said it would ship...and I NEEDED THAT" they will almost always extend a credit on the account. If they don't offer, you say "not good enough" and you'll never have to ask more than twice.
Apparently their fulfillment system and inventory are really fubar and they don't want that to become a big issue with the stockholders.
If you no longer need the crimper, just tell 'em so, and that you expect them to absorb all costs. They usually will, without protest.

[Canibul]

Thanks. I'm one of Amazons better customers these days. They've done well replacing things that went missing and handling credits etc. Perhaps they'll send this overnight, which of course means I'd get it maybe Friday if I'm lucky. Has to go to Sarasota, and then to me. So Fed Ex overnight is typically a three work-day process to here.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Canibul

This is the crimper:
http://www.amazon.com/Ancor-701030-D...V8848PPZ4RP2K2

I have what appears to be the exact same thing, different name. Lots of practice, never liked it. The star-shaped adjustment washer (for lack of a better term) ended up with a couple of the points stripped off, after which in never really tightened up on anything smaller than the yellow connectors.

I fell back to using this $12 tool. Haven't had a bad crimp since:

[Canibul]

I have a chromed Chinese copy of that and have been using it, too. But the nub breaks the shrink tubing if I'm not careful.