I need to make two 4-6 gauge cables to connect my battery to the fuse block, but being that large a gauge I don't know how to crimp the ring terminals on the wires. I've heard of people soldering them on, which is something I could do if that's an accepted method. Any suggestions or recommendations anyone?
making my own 4-6 gauge cables
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SternWake
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Both soldering and crimping can be done well, and can be done poorly, equally easily.
This topic can bring on strong opinions on both sides.
I recommend people have their cables made rather invest in the right crimping tools then learning how to use them properly, or ruin wiring and lugs in an attempt to solder large cable into lugs.
http://www.genuinedealz.com/custom-cables
Do not buy the 4awg autoparts stores premade cables. They have steel ends and will develop high resistance quickly.
The hammer crimps are adequate for lesser overall currents but are a far cry from a high quality crimp.
Top end wire termination can be taken to ridiculous levels.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/battery_cables.
This topic can bring on strong opinions on both sides.
I recommend people have their cables made rather invest in the right crimping tools then learning how to use them properly, or ruin wiring and lugs in an attempt to solder large cable into lugs.
http://www.genuinedealz.com/custom-cables
Do not buy the 4awg autoparts stores premade cables. They have steel ends and will develop high resistance quickly.
The hammer crimps are adequate for lesser overall currents but are a far cry from a high quality crimp.
Top end wire termination can be taken to ridiculous levels.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/battery_cables.
Soldering will be fine for stationary applications but I would be less likely to use it in a mobile situation, airplanes are mostly crimps versus soldered connections. Proper soldering requires more skill, they offer entire courses on it for a very good reason. Proper crimping requires proper tools that aren't cheap. I felt like I was more likely to produce proper crimps than solders, I actually could suspend my weight from my crimps, I can't say the same for a 4awg solder.
The learning curve is steeper for soldering if you ask me and you're more likely to think you got it right when in fact you didn't with solder, for all of these reasons I'm sticking with crimps.
The learning curve is steeper for soldering if you ask me and you're more likely to think you got it right when in fact you didn't with solder, for all of these reasons I'm sticking with crimps.
Optimistic Paranoid
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I have one of those $18 hammer type crimpers. I don't hammer on it, though. I have access to a very large, heavy duty bench vise, and I use that to press it all together. I get very solid crimps.
There are some good videos on youtube showing how to solder ends on to battery cables.
Regards
John
There are some good videos on youtube showing how to solder ends on to battery cables.
Regards
John
LeeRevell
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SternWake said:
What would a proper cable have for the ends, copper? I need to install a set of house batteries in my new van, and don't want to have to do the cable more than once!
Optimistic Paranoid
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What you want are marine grade ends.
Ancor and Blue Sea Marine are two great brands. You should be able to order them from Amazon. Search on "battery lug".
Do you have access to a drill press? I do, and these days I only order the lugs for 1/4 inch studs. When I need bigger, I just drill them out myself. Makes it easier to keep a supply on hand.
Regards
John
Ancor and Blue Sea Marine are two great brands. You should be able to order them from Amazon. Search on "battery lug".
Do you have access to a drill press? I do, and these days I only order the lugs for 1/4 inch studs. When I need bigger, I just drill them out myself. Makes it easier to keep a supply on hand.
Regards
John
LeeRevell
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Thanks, good info!
blars
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I have a harbor freight hydrolic crimper. It has dies for #14-#0 wire, but the #0 requires the lug to be flattened a bit to fit in the crimper. (Thin-walled lugs might work without that.) Soldered large stranded wire tends to break in high vibration enviornments.
SternWake
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The HF crimper is not well regarded. I have one and I can see why.
The (black) Dies are too small, but more recent ( silver dies) models have addressed this. I do not know how well the silver dies actually match. The black dies, the ones that say they are for 0awg wire are barely big enough for 4awg lugs, and are too small for thick walled lugs.
Crimps with 'ears' indicating the incorrect die size for the lug used, should be avoided.
A hammer crimp can make a good physical connection, but less of a good electrical connection. Ideally the copper strands are compressed equally around the wire so tightly that air is forced out and cutting a cross section would make it appear as if it is a solid wire.
Don't forget to slide the shrink wrap tubing over the wire before crimping, and do not cheap out on the shrink wrap. The HF products seems to stretch back out over time and can slide off the area it is designed to protect.
Electrical tape is halfassery, and the last resort. It will unravel and become a sticky ugly mess that causes a curse fest when it needs to be addressed at some point in the future.
Liquid electrical tape is good, but several layers are needed applied over a period of time to build up a thickness. Clean the areas with rubbing alcohol before application of first layer.
Self fusing electrical tape is an impressive product, in my opinion. It will not unravel and is very stretchy and can be wrapped very tightly. This stuff is good for when one forgets the shrink wrap or does not cut open a wire to join another wire into it.
Here is my original alternator to battery wire. I opened it up to take power for my headlamp relays. What a difference in light output when the headlamp bulbs see 14.4, compared to 11.4!
The (black) Dies are too small, but more recent ( silver dies) models have addressed this. I do not know how well the silver dies actually match. The black dies, the ones that say they are for 0awg wire are barely big enough for 4awg lugs, and are too small for thick walled lugs.
Crimps with 'ears' indicating the incorrect die size for the lug used, should be avoided.
A hammer crimp can make a good physical connection, but less of a good electrical connection. Ideally the copper strands are compressed equally around the wire so tightly that air is forced out and cutting a cross section would make it appear as if it is a solid wire.
Don't forget to slide the shrink wrap tubing over the wire before crimping, and do not cheap out on the shrink wrap. The HF products seems to stretch back out over time and can slide off the area it is designed to protect.
Electrical tape is halfassery, and the last resort. It will unravel and become a sticky ugly mess that causes a curse fest when it needs to be addressed at some point in the future.
Liquid electrical tape is good, but several layers are needed applied over a period of time to build up a thickness. Clean the areas with rubbing alcohol before application of first layer.
Self fusing electrical tape is an impressive product, in my opinion. It will not unravel and is very stretchy and can be wrapped very tightly. This stuff is good for when one forgets the shrink wrap or does not cut open a wire to join another wire into it.
Here is my original alternator to battery wire. I opened it up to take power for my headlamp relays. What a difference in light output when the headlamp bulbs see 14.4, compared to 11.4!
Zil
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uuhh.
