What to use to crimp 8 AWG wire?

[Brylk1830]

I'm just wondering what I can use or buy to crimp 8 AWG size wire? My electrical pliers simply are too small and break the butt joint that I need to crimp and the only thing I've found at my search of the local stores is an $80 crimping tool used with a hammer for a variety of larger wires. Thanks for any tips in advance!!!

[Landlubber]

#8AWG is only 8mm sq, so a hand tool should be available for that without having to spend $80....have a talk to your local sparky.....how many to you have to do, if only a few, just have someone do em for you, if you are working doing this, buy the tool.

I'll bet some sparky at the marina would lend you one for an hour anyhow, offer a bottle of beer and you can have it all day!

[BHOFM]

I have worked at several places that sold wire and we
always had a crimper for customers to use! Check where
you got your wire! Or where you shop regularly!

you can in your country get used linesmans crimpers, i have a set cost 5 bucks does up to 50mm, look on ebay, no charge for this great info

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Crimp-to...QQcmdZViewItem

or root around here
http://search.ebay.com/search/search...fsoo%3D2&fgtp=

[FAST FRED]

An electrical connection for a vessel, MUST be made both mechanically and electrically.

While a big buck crimper can squeeze hard enough to "cold flow" the connection a hand job probaly wont , nor will a dull chisel.

So crimp it the best you can , for the mechanical part , and solder it for the electrical connection.Shrink wrap when done.

FF

[Landlubber]

Fast Fred,

Solder fastening has been out of "fashion" for a while now, the reason is that the solder sets up a hard spot on the multi strand wire, and it is at this point that most terminal failures were observed.

Only used now on some HD cables like batteries, but again if you look at most boats they too are swaged instead.

putting lanacote in the joint is a very good idea, no corrosion ever, essential on untinned wire, still who would use Untinned!
For All Types of Metals

A combination of non-toxic, but extremely efficient corrosion inhibitors, plus spreading and conditioning agents, result in broad spectrum, long-term protection not only against rust, but also against a wide range of acids, alkalis and salts. Lanolin based, will not dry, evaporate or wash off.

i use it in all the alloy boats on threads, batt lugs, gaskets, the whole bit, smells like...baaaaaaaaaa

[Landlubber]

lazy,

another good use is for anti splatter when welding...the lanoline just wipes off and the welds have no splatter to clean up....also for wet suit zippers and all the dive gear...i have used it for near on 50 years, i still actually have my old double hose Cousteau gear, the lanoline has pritected it all those years.

Wonderful stuff, no wonder the Kiwis love their sheep.......

Originally Posted by Landlubber

lazy,

another good use is for anti splatter when welding...the lanoline just wipes off and the welds have no splatter to clean up....also for wet suit zippers and all the dive gear...i have used it for near on 50 years, i still actually have my old double hose Cousteau gear, the lanoline has pritected it all those years.

Wonderful stuff, no wonder the Kiwis love their sheep.......

tee hee that made me go back in time, , when I was 14 I bought a double hose reg and 3 x25 cu ft bottles on a manifold, I am sure they were from german navy, I duly had em filled(no tests in early 60,s) drove down to Te Kaha in NZ, and jumped in, the whole thing flooded and 2 of the bottles were empty
i did not drown and dived until 1980,s or so, alone, sometimes every day when we lived on Great BARRIER NZ,
I had Siebe Gorman compresser, I reckon it was a fake made by dunlop, and it took an hour and a 1/4 to fill a 72, we generated our own power there, fun days
Lanacote is the ONLY product that will not harden on a fitting in say a mast, and no matter what you can remove even the tiniest screw without shearing, cheap too

[FAST FRED]

the reason is that the solder sets up a hard spot on the multi strand wire, and it is at this point that most terminal failures were observed.

Many folks do not know the technique for soldering wires in a boat .

The only method we use is to heat a large 5lb or so roofing copper.

This is a grand "heat flywheel" and will solder even #6 in a second or so.

The trick of course is to melt the solder IN the connection , but not outside the connection in the wire.Very easily done , even by a novice.

The "other" choice of a super priced set of genuine crimpers is too expensive for most boat tinkerers and hard to keep in inventory for smaller builders/yards.

A hacksaw and scrap connection will prove the worth of this method.

FF

[TollyWally]

"Many folks do not know the technique for soldering wires in a boat .

The only method we use is to heat a large 5lb or so roofing copper.

This is a grand "heat flywheel" and will solder even #6 in a second or so."

Fred,
I wonder if you expand on this just a wee bit. While not wanting to reintroduce the timeless discussion of soldering vs. crimping, etc. etc. etc. I will say that I am firmly in the camp of "soldering is best for me".

I don't know what a 5# roofing copper is and I have struggled with soldering bigger cables. If you can instruct me on the finer points of your successful system that even a novice can handle I will be in your debt.

Thanks

[BHOFM]

I don't know what a 5# roofing copper

Butt in a second, this is a roofing copper, they are a bit
larger!

This is how I learned to solder, you heat them with a torch
or charcoal! The larger ones stay hot for several minutes!

[Ike]

The best thread I have ever seen on this subject was on The Sailnet forum http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...vs-solder.html They give lots of opinions on various crimping tools and on crimping vs soldering. The jist of it is this; ABYC does not recommend solder, but they do not ban soldering. They say that if you solder you must also provide separate support for the wire at the connection to relieve the strain on the hard spot.

"Solder shall not be the sole means of mechanical connection in any circuit. If soldered, the connection shall be so located or supported as to minimize flexing of the conductor where the solder changes the flexible conductor into a solid conductor"

Hard spots concentrate stresses. So if you have flexing and vibration the stress from that will be concentrated at the hard spot rather than distributed evenly along the wire. So as the old saying goes, you pays your money and you takes your choice. You can crimp, or you can solder, or both. I prefer crimp, but a crimp has to be done right with the right tool. I have a crimp tool, God only knows how old it is. I've had it for years and can't remember where I bought it. It's not much good for large wire. But it works fine for smaller wire.

[TollyWally]

Thank you BHOFM,

A picture is worth a thousand words.

And now for the details

[BHOFM]

We have several large truck shops here and they crimp and
then solder and then shrink wrap twice! I think the shrink
wrap takes the strain off the solder joint as it limits the
flex in that area.

I know trucks are not boats, but I would think they have a
lot more movement and vibration than a boat?

I know one company replaces all the battery cables on new
trucks as soon as they get them! Also, all the connections for
the GPS and data links are soldered!

I sold them all the supplies for several years!

When I started out, fire was a new fangled invention that
most thought would not catch on!