Just wondering if anyone has any suggetions.
- Promted by reacent activitys and the below thread im after a ratch crimper and just making sure there isnt something not so obvisous in the selection.

Idealy to crimp isulated and non isulated terminals and also pins of plugs/conectors/etc. Although i basicaly only use isulated terminals (but will be doing some plugs).

Budget may £20-25? £35 at a push


The below thread:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=123516

Maybe on ene of these:
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=15703

And one of these for the conector/plugs:
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=18680


Daniel

I got a draper one off eBay for buttons, works a treat. To be honest though, after seeing a properly soldered and shrink wrapped join I will probably nit use it In future.

I have something similar Draper 220mm Ratchet Action Terminal Crimping Tool..

That's what you want for the insulated type of crimp terminals..

For non-insulated crimps (i.e the type with a separate insulation boot that you slip over the contact) I use long nose pliers and solder, or a cheapo crimp tool and solder.. Having ratchet crimps for every thing would be ideal, but it get's expensive, decent ones can set you back over 50 quid each..

Dan

I have to say im really not a fan of soldering, although most of the loom for the megajolt is soldered.

I like the heatshrink butt conectors too, which presumably are to be crimped with a isulated type crimper (always what ive used) before.

Looks like the draper jobs win, will look on ebay.


Daniel

Just be aware that if you solder practice first, and get a good powerful soldering iron. What you don't want to do is put heat into the joint for to long, if you do the solder will wick up the wire making it stiff..

Then the wire can break sometime latter (from vibration/movment). Ideally the wire (and sheath) should be flexible and mechanically secured to the connector before the solder joint. That is why the non-insulated grimps have more than one section, the first is the electrical contact the second is the hold the wire sheath.

Thus when I solder one on I crimp on the wire and solder to the first section, then once the joint is cold bend/crimp the second part that holds the wire insulation. The trick is the strip back the wire to the correct length, and ensure the wire and connector are very clean (you may need to wipe with meths before/and or mechanical clean, it may also be best to re-tin the connector first)..

re-tining is just allowing solder to flow over where you want the solder joint, i.e you heat it up with out the wire and flow a thin layer of solder over the area where you will later solder the wire on.

You may also find it necessary to tin the wires sometimes to to get a good joint.

Dan

[Edited on 27/10/09 by Bluemoon]

Try BEAL, prices are keen and the delivery is usually next day.

Davie

little thing to remember is that soldered joints are brittle, and for that reason all military spec wiring in crimped.

The trick to soldering a joint is to have a good mechanical joint (Clean wires twisted together) in the first place.
Have everything CLEAN.
The solder just secures and holds the mechanical joint firm.
Solder does not conduct electricity as well as copper, hence the good mechanical joint part.
I was taught this as an apprentice 40 years ago, and from 40 years experience I can tell you its still correct today

I prefer crimped joints as nearly all joints on BT are now either crimped or Insulation Displacement Connections.
A good well crimped joint is just as good if not better than a soldered joint.

Do NOT use these cheapo plier (NON Ratchet) type crimpers. Only use a decent set of ratchet crimpers. The Draper ones are just fine. I paid about £9 for mine about 10 years ago.
They will last a very long time, and always give you a well made joint, as you cannot release them once starting a crimp without completing the sequence and ending up with the right pressure. The non ratchet types will only give you a poor joint, as they will never crimp to the same pressure every time.

Its worth it. The £10 you spend on decent crimpers will pay it self back in the hours that you would spend chasing a dry or badly crimped joint in your wiring.
At £10 for an hours labour. you only want ONE bad joint to recoup that £10 you should have spent on the proper tool in the first place.

^^^ Spot on... Nothing wrong with solder joints if done well; but there is less to go wrong with a crimp so long as you used the correct tool for the joint, i.e. correct color terminal for the wire gauge and then the correct ratchet grimp tool to suite the terminal color..

A good crimped joint (i.e. correct pressure) is actually a cold weld... (hence the need for a the correct ratchet crimp and using the correct terminals for the wire gauge)..

Dan

Crimping linky..

linky

Dan

RS do a good one,

stock number 499-2313

RS website

ray

RS do a good one,

stock number 499-2313

RS website

ray

For non insulated terminals, I use the MP71 for site repairs, the PR4 for workshop use, although the MP71 is more than adequate and gives an OEM quality crimp, you just have to crimp twice.
For insulated terminals I use the DV5, although given the choice I would always use non insulated crimps with boots.
You will not get a reliable joint using pliers/ wire cutters etc; from my experiance.

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/terminalsnonins/noninscrimps.php
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/terminalspreins/preinscrimps.php

You may be able to get them cheaper elsewere, these are for illustration prposes only

The Rolson ones Maplin sell are just fine http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1066

You should be able the same or similar cheaper

Ok, so what about crimping the superseal contectors which ave the open type end with two fold over tabs?

Can i just bend them over with pliers to start them off and then crimp with a normal non-insulated crimper?

[img]http://www.salvarani.it/img_db/prodotti/superseal.jpg[img]

One of the may ebay sellers also sells a took for them which looks the part, but at £20 i would rather not if i can avoid it for the four 6-way termals im planning on. Although i would like to get them right firat time and that is a nearly 50 crimps in ttotal!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Crimp-Tool-Superseal-Waterproof-Connector_W0QQitemZ220497174994QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item335 6a7e1d2

Can't comment, but the crimp tool in the above link is not a ratchet one; you do need the correct crimp tool for the connector type of conector.... The one in the link looks like a poor quality cheapo crimp tool, I would not use it unless I was going to solder the connector as well. You can't start a crimp using pliers, get the correct crimp tool or solder it on..

Dan

quote:

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Originally posted by Bluemoon
Can't comment, but the crimp tool in the above link is not a ratchet one; you do need the correct crimp tool for the connector type of conector.... The one in the link looks like a poor quality cheapo crimp tool, I would not use it unless I was going to solder the connector as well. You can't start a crimp using pliers, get the correct crimp tool or solder it on..

Dan

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^^ Expect it will work fine, the problem is each different type of crimp needs it's own tool, if they would standardize it would be simple.. Practice and see.. We have loads of different crimp tools at work, it is a mine field, not so surprising then that electrical fires in kitcars are not uncommon...

Dan