New wire being made 5 foot battery wire to terminal strip

[sdowney717]

I made a shorter wire of 18 inches just like this years ago and it has worked fine.
For that one I used the strands from an 8 gauge multistrand DC wire.

This one uses thicker strands of 14 to 12 gauge from old romex.
I Plan to run this from a battery terminal to a battery selector switch as I am adding another battery to my battery switch. So I will now have three 12vdc batteries, two on number 1, this new one just on number 2.

Strip off insulation burn etc... however you do it the insulation from romex.
I used a combination of 12 and 14 gauge. Wires I had leftover from several years of electrical work. All of it cost me nothing but my time.

Steps to reproduce
Get the wire
Get two 3/4 to 1/2 copper pipe reducer couplers.
Cram the wire ends into the small end of the coupler, so big end faces outward.
You can get about 45 of these wires in there.
Get ends all even
Smash the broad end flat with hammer.
Work it till it is about 1/4 thick and flat
The space will be completely copper filled.
Grind off excess wire from swedged end of coupler
Slide a black rubber heater hose onto the copper strands, either 5/8 or 3/4.
Rubber heater hose is very nice heat and chemical resistant thick take abuse hose.
Put the other coupler on the other end
Repeat

Drill a 3/8 hole in broad flattened copper end
Solder seal the copper coupler ends

The wire you get is slightly greater than a 4/0 wire. More like a 250 to 300 mcm electric wire as the outside of a copper pipe is a nominal 5/8 inch

Close up of an end


shows the scale of wire compared to a rug


I have not shown all the steps yet in my federal crime illegal wire spree and other accused and alleged federal infractions from another post and I dont expect you will make this.

If you want to save money, recycle old wires and you do it properly it works.
If you panic about what the critical guy in the slip next to you says who has more money than dirt or the surveyor gasps and beats you on the head then dont bother.

here are shots of the other project wire and buss bar. Bar is 3/8 thick copper plate.



Electrical



Wire Gauge Comparison Table

Notes on Pipe

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by sdowney717

I made a shorter wire of 18 inches just like this years ago and it has worked fine.
For that one I used the strands from an 8 gauge multistrand DC wire.

This one uses thicker strands of 14 to 12 gauge from old romex.
I Plan to run this from a battery terminal to a battery selector switch as I am adding another battery to my battery switch. So I will now have three 12vdc batteries, two on number 1, this new one just on number 2.

Strip off insulation burn etc... however you do it the insulation from romex.
I used a combination of 12 and 14 gauge. Wires I had leftover from several years of electrical work. All of it cost me nothing but my time.

Steps to reproduce
Get the wire
Get two 3/4 to 1/2 copper pipe reducer couplers.
Cram the wire ends into the small end of the coupler, so big end faces outward.
You can get about 45 of these wires in there.
Get ends all even
Smash the broad end flat with hammer.
Work it till it is about 1/4 thick and flat
The space will be completely copper filled.
Grind off excess wire from swedged end of coupler
Slide a black rubber heater hose onto the copper strands, either 5/8 or 3/4.
Rubber heater hose is very nice heat and chemical resistant thick take abuse hose.
Put the other coupler on the other end
Repeat

Drill a 3/8 hole in broad flattened copper end
Solder seal the copper coupler ends

The wire you get is slightly greater than a 4/0 wire. More like a 250 to 300 mcm electric wire as the outside of a copper pipe is a nominal 5/8 inch

Close up of an end


shows the scale of wire compared to a rug


I have not shown all the steps yet in my federal crime illegal wire spree and other accused and alleged federal infractions from another post and I dont expect you will make this.

If you want to save money, recycle old wires and you do it properly it works.
If you panic about what the critical guy in the slip next to you says who has more money than dirt or the surveyor gasps and beats you on the head then dont bother.

here are shots of the other project wire and buss bar. Bar is 3/8 thick copper plate.



Electrical



Wire Gauge Comparison Table

Notes on Pipe

[Azul]

Seems like it would be easier just to recycle an old shore power cord. My boat came with two extra slightly chafed old cords and probably there are more in the boat yard dumpster.

[sdowney717]

Those are not big enough to carry 12 vdc large currents for starting engines.

I got the rubber cover on using soap and a lot of peristalsis like pressure.
If I had use a 3/4 hose, it would have been easy. I had a free length of 5/8. Everything I had, no cost to me but time.
Still have to afix the other lug end.

Shows rubber hose on the wire
Wire is 5 feet, hose is longer about 6 feet.
it is not the very fine multistrand more suitable for attaching to vibrating engine. this will work fine for simply attaching one battery to the switch, overkill really on diameter size of the copper strands.