Hello,

I have now purchased this ratchet crimping tool:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DVDHCR15.html
and am using it with these crimps:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CTBUTTslashB.html

What I wanted to know is: where do I use the tool
on the crimps? I had originally assumed that the two
sides of the jaw would both go on the central section
of the crimp, but the two sides of the jaw differ. One
has a "flatter" arch and the other has a more "rounded"
arch.

I assume then that you use either use the tool twice (both
ways round) on the central section, or once on each side
of the crimp.

I have drawn a diagram showing what the two sides
of the jaws look like. The picture is at:
http://www.bat400.com/images/crimping.gif

My instinct is that when crimping the (1&2) end of the
crimp, the flatter (A) jaw should be at (1), and the more
rounded (B) jaw should be at (2). Can anyone confirm
or correct me on this?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Al Reynolds

In article , Al Reynolds
writes
Hello,

I have now purchased this ratchet crimping tool:
....

My instinct is that when crimping the (1&2) end of the
crimp, the flatter (A) jaw should be at (1), and the more
rounded (B) jaw should be at (2). Can anyone confirm
or correct me on this?


Yes, the wider part goes round the outer end of the crimp, where the
wire insulation is. For butt crimps like you are using, you crimp twice,
once for each wire, keeping the wider part on the outside.

--
Tim Mitchell

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 09:37:53 -0000, "Al Reynolds"
wrote:

I had originally assumed that the two
sides of the jaw would both go on the central section
of the crimp,

No.

I assume then that you use either use the tool twice (both
ways round) on the central section,

No.

or once on each side of the crimp.

Yes.

I have drawn a diagram showing what the two sides
of the jaws look like. The picture is at:
http://www.bat400.com/images/crimping.gif

My instinct is that when crimping the (1&2) end of the
crimp, the flatter (A) jaw should be at (1), and the more
rounded (B) jaw should be at (2). Can anyone confirm
or correct me on this?

On the diagram A appears to be rounder and B flatter so I'm not sure
if you have you A's and B's mixed up in the description above. Using
the diagram labelling the B (flatter) part fits at 2 and the A
(rounder) part at 1. On the other end you put B at 3 and A at 4.

If you hold the tool in your right hand and insert the crimp from the
left so the cable (at end 1 in your diagram) is in your left hand
then the orientation is correct.

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

"Peter Parry" wrote:
Al Reynolds" wrote:
I have drawn a diagram showing what the two sides
of the jaws look like. The picture is at:
http://www.bat400.com/images/crimping.gif
[snip]

On the diagram A appears to be rounder and B flatter so I'm not sure
if you have you A's and B's mixed up in the description above.

Absolutely right - I did get the descriptions the wrong way
around. It should have said:
When crimping the (1&2) end of the crimp, the more
rounded (A) jaw should be at (1), and the flatter (B)
jaw should be at (2)
which is what you said - thanks for clarifying that.

One more question, now that we know which way round I
should be working - how strong should a crimp be? For
example, should I be able to pull it apart by hand? I read
somewhere that the crimp should be at least as strong as the
uncrimped cable, from which I would assume that I shouldn't
be able to pull it apart.

TIA,
Al

Yes, the wider part goes round the outer end of the crimp, where the
wire insulation is. For butt crimps like you are using, you crimp twice,
once for each wire, keeping the wider part on the outside.

I always crimp 4 times, 2 for each wire. Paranoid, moi?

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
Yes, the wider part goes round the outer end of the crimp, where the
wire insulation is. For butt crimps like you are using, you crimp twice,
once for each wire, keeping the wider part on the outside.

I always crimp 4 times, 2 for each wire. Paranoid, moi?

I doubt if this actually makes the crimp more secure, with the correct
tool for the crimp the tool is designed to squash the crimp just
enough and no more. If you then do it again I think you're likely to
damage (e.g. crack) the crimp and it certainly won't improve the
connection.

--
Chris Green

If you then do it again I think you're likely to damage (e.g. crack)
the crimp and it certainly won't improve the connection.

I do the second one quite far from the initial crimp for this reason. A few
quick tests have shown greater mechanical strength, if nothing else.

Christian.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 12:38:01 -0000, "Al Reynolds"
wrote:


One more question, now that we know which way round I
should be working - how strong should a crimp be? For
example, should I be able to pull it apart by hand?

Not unless you indulge in weight lifting. The crimps do have pull
apart figures. For some heatshrink sleeved crimps we use these are
red: 25 lb; blue: 50 lb; yellow: 60 lb. The figures for crimps not
incorporating heatshrink sleeving will be lower.

http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/terminal.pdf is a good article
on crimp terminations and suggests the following "calibration" test -

"(1) Drive a finish nail into the front of your
workbench. (2) Hang the terminal lug on the nail and tie a
plastic 1 gallon milk jug of water onto a 22AWG wire (red
terminals). For 18AWG (blue) use two jugs. For 12AWG
(yellow) use three jugs. "

http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/...alibration.pdf
contains some more formal figures for insulated terminals and
quotes:-

Wire Size Pull-out Force
20 AWG (0.50mm2) /= 13.0 lbs (58 N)
18 AWG (0.75mm2) /= 20.2 lbs (90 N)
16 AWG (1.5mm2) /= 30.3 lbs (135 N)
14 AWG (2.5mm2) /= 43.8 lbs (195 N)
12 AWG (4.0mm2) /= 60.7 lbs (270 N)
10 AWG (6.0mm2) /= 80.9 lbs (360 N)

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

Christian McArdle wrote:
If you then do it again I think you're likely to damage (e.g. crack)
the crimp and it certainly won't improve the connection.

I do the second one quite far from the initial crimp for this reason. A few
quick tests have shown greater mechanical strength, if nothing else.

On the crimps I use this would be impossible, one wire in each and and
one squish at each end leaves very little of the connector unsquished.

--
Chris Green

In article ,
Al Reynolds wrote:
What I wanted to know is: where do I use the tool
on the crimps? I had originally assumed that the two
sides of the jaw would both go on the central section
of the crimp, but the two sides of the jaw differ. One
has a "flatter" arch and the other has a more "rounded"
arch.

If you check inside those crimps, you'll find they have a partition so the
wires go in to the same length. And that partition won't deform to crimp
anything - try it without any wire in one.

--
*Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

On the crimps I use this would be impossible, one wire in each and and
one squish at each end leaves very little of the connector unsquished.

Sounds like my crimps are longer than yours! There's plenty of space on mine
to double crimp without interfering with each other.

Christian.