I am partial to the 0638111000 by Molex Inc.įinally, never – and I mean NEVER – solder a crimp (unless the manufacturer explicitly instructs you to do so). If you really can’t afford the proper crimping tool (and lets face it, for a lot of hobbyist work, it’s tough to justify $300 for a crimping tool when you can buy an entry level-level digital scope for that price), get one of the universal non-ratcheting crimping tools from a reputable manufacturer. I can’t even count the number of failed crimps that I’ve tracked down that failed because the person who crimped the wire over-crimped and weakened/scored the stripped part of the wire so that it broke at a later date. Also, get a proper ratcheting tool that limits the crimping force appropriately. If you are making a lot of crimps and what you are making really matters, then the “high cost” of the correct crimping tool is vanishingly small to the cost of tracking down that one bad crimp that is standing between you and a functional system, let alone the cost of having it shipped back to you for repair. Step 3: ignore all other advice from people who, especially those who claim to “know how to crimp – I don’t need to read no instructions…” Step 2: use the tool with the proper contacts and follow the manufacturer’s instructions (this includes proper wire gauges for the contacts, etc). Step 1: purchase the proper crimping tool for the contacts that you are using At that point, I make do with whatever I can, even if that means smashing it in a bench vice with a makeshift die…and then it gets soldered. I run into this with big terminals for big wire, or very small terminals for very small wire. (That said, sometimes the proper crimping tool isn’t available. There is nothing wrong with them if the connection is (or can be) properly crimped. They keep your DSL and cable modem connection going. The 3M version is stocked at Wal-Mart in the automotive section, and works fantastically for automotive things that see occasional exposure to the elements.Ĭrimped, unsoldered connections keep your car on the road. I’ve also had excellent results from insulated terminals that come with the adhesive-lined heatshrink tubing pre-applied. You can buy this as a kit at any decent hardware store. 20 years later and the pump wiring is just fine. This is standard fare for residential well pumps, with butt splices that are subjected to vibration, reasonably high current, and continuous submersion in water. Or, use hot-melt adhesive-lined heatshrink over a properly-crimped connection, apply heat, and call it done. ![]() Posted in Tool Hacks Tagged connectors, crimp, crimp connectors, crimping Post navigation Dupont connectors – those flat, black connectors with a 0.1″ pitch – go together like you think they would, but for larger connectors – VH and XH-style – it’s important to use the right wire gauge and not to squish the square female part of the connector. ![]() There are a few connector-specific tips for the most common connector types, too. For non-ratcheting pliers, it’s suggested the connector be re-crimped with the next smallest hole in the jaws. Then, put the connector into a suitably sized space in the jaws, insert the wire, and crimp it down. The general theory for crimping all types of connectors is to strip a little bit of insulation off the wire. ![]() These pliers press the crimping wings of the connector into each other, a task made much easier on the non-ratcheting pliers if you use a rubber band to hold the jaws of the crimping pliers open just enough to hold a crimp connector. ![]() Before you start digging in to a pile of connectors, crimp terminals, and wire, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into and Gogo:tronics has a great tutorial on how to crimp electronics connectors.Ĭrimping connectors onto wires requires the right tool, and the most important for this task is – surprise – the crimping pliers. It’s not easy, either, unless you have some practice. Putting crimp connectors on wires is one of the most tedious things you’ll do.
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