Crimping versus Soldering

[sailboy21]

Not just vibration, but occasional access to panels, or the occasional tug on the harness will cause enough mechanical fatigue in a solder joint to cause it to fail. Soldering requires a long list of prerequisite conditions to create a satisfactory joint, and even then, as mentioned you have created a solid strand vice multistrand. That alone is reason enough not to solder. You don't use solid wire on a boat for the same reason.

[Stillraining]

am glad you brought it up again..Its amazing what Im still learning after 50 years...I knew about cold welding in cable manufacturing and the like but this is the first time I have seen evidence of it being possible with crimp fittings...I must be doing them very wrong as you can pull mine apart without much effort..I have used then for years as what I thought was a slip shot replacement for a good soldering...I vacillate between whatever tool is handy to crimp with... however I cant say that the cheap 4.00 crimpers do any better job then a 4.00 pair of side cutters...but now at least I know why I should go buy a 30.00 crimper...Old dogs do learn new tricks...Thanks to everyone who posted especially the links to thoes sites showing propper crimps...

[Freesail99]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

am glad you brought it up again..Its amazing what Im still learning after 50 years...I knew about cold welding in cable manufacturing and the like but this is the first time I have seen evidence of it being possible with crimp fittings...I must be doing them very wrong as you can pull mine apart without much effort..I have used then for years as what I thought was a slip shot replacement for a good soldering...I vacillate between whatever tool is handy to crimp with... however I cant say that the cheap 4.00 crimpers do any better job then a 4.00 pair of side cutters...but now at least I know why I should go buy a 30.00 crimper...Old dogs do learn new tricks...Thanks to everyone who posted especially the links to thoes sites showing propper crimps...

It may not be the crimpers but the proper size connectors that you need to use.

[Stillraining]

the right size..albeit cheap ones..There is most likely half the culprit

Off topic...how do you guys get your quotes in that nice blue box?

[werebeagle]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Off topic...how do you guys get your quotes in that nice blue box?

click the quote button at the bottom of the post you want to reply to.

[PBzeer]

Originally Posted by Still

Off topic...how do you guys get your quotes in that nice blue box?

Or, to customize the quote, start with [quote=anything you want] ,what you want to quote, and end [/quote (plus the rear bracket)

[Stillraining]

Thats the one I needed...Not sure I understand but Ill play with it...Thanks

[hellosailor]

"but now at least I know why I should go buy a 30.00 crimper..."
More like $50 for the crimper. That would be a ratcheting one with removable/replaceable dies at the business end.

And, you need proper crimps as well. The cheap stuff at the auto store is junk. Real crimps are carefully designed and made on machinery that was not worn out and then sold to someplace in China. They are matched to SAE or AWG wire sizes, and include an inner seamless copper sleeve to grip over the wire. No inner sleeve? Then it is junk, not a proper crimp terminal.

With the right wire, a good crimp, and a good crimping tool, you should be able to wrap the wire around both hands and PULL and not have it come out of either side of the crimp. The wire should break first, if need be.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"but now at least I know why I should go buy a 30.00 crimper..."
More like $50 for the crimper. That would be a ratcheting one with removable/replaceable dies at the business end.

And, you need proper crimps as well. The cheap stuff at the auto store is junk. Real crimps are carefully designed and made on machinery that was not worn out and then sold to someplace in China. They are matched to SAE or AWG wire sizes, and include an inner seamless copper sleeve to grip over the wire. No inner sleeve? Then it is junk, not a proper crimp terminal.

With the right wire, a good crimp, and a good crimping tool, you should be able to wrap the wire around both hands and PULL and not have it come out of either side of the crimp. The wire should break first, if need be.

Yep. I give all my crimps the "tug test". Fail the tug test, and I start all over.

[Stillraining]

Quote=More like $50 for the crimper. That would be a ratcheting one with removable/replaceable dies at the business end./quote
Thanks for the details

Edit : Well that one didnt work..