Handy tool fire wiring

Stewartb

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Messages
8,539
Location
Wasilla, AK
Display Name

Display name:
stewartb
Especially those little terminal blocks on Pmags! I’d never heard of these tools before last week. They’re inexpensive and available from lots of sources. I bought a similar kit on Prime for under $30. Cleaning up my Pmags will be worth that easily.

Fire wiring? Auto spell got me!

 
Cool. I would get one if I had to work with stranded wire more than about once a year. But I can see where they would be really handy.
 
Friends don't let friends use bare wires in terminal blocks. ;)

Nauga,
voluntarily terminated
 
Last edited:
Just finished rewiring my Pmags including putting the jumpers into the same connectors as the wires they jump. 1000% better than before.
 
Yes the ferrule connectors are great. I've been using them for at least 20 years on wiring in underground equipment.

51jbjs5Jc9L._AC_SY355_.jpg
 
You had me at Pmag. Ordered.

OBTW the PMAG ignition coil is from an old Ford Ranger 4 cylinder, should you need one fast.
 
Are the ferrules available with heat shrink tubing attached?
I have not seen them with heat shrink. In all the applications I'm evolved with they are used with DIN contacts. The contacts are inside a sealed box or cabinet.
 
I have a dimmer exactly like the one pictured above and I've had issues with it because of the stranded wire pulling out. Ordered.
 
I can’t find heat shrink terminals, either. Terminals with a heat shrink sleeve? Yes. One cool thing about these is that you can add a heat shrink boot after the crimp is made, so no prior planning is required.
 
Faster then tinning the wires too. TFS
Also, if a stranded wire is tinned properly, the solder wicks up the strands, making a stress concentration where the solder ends; this *may* lead to a fatigue failure under vibration, depending on cable 'dress'.
 
Also, if a stranded wire is tinned properly, the solder wicks up the strands, making a stress concentration where the solder ends; this *may* lead to a fatigue failure under vibration, depending on cable 'dress'.
You are correct, and I was wondering how long it would be before someone posted this useful reminder.
 
Also, if a stranded wire is tinned properly, the solder wicks up the strands, making a stress concentration where the solder ends; this *may* lead to a fatigue failure under vibration, depending on cable 'dress'.
True. But also true is a stress concentration at the end of the crimp connector can lead to the wire failing. For example, the wires from the charging coils that power the capacitive discharge ignition system on my Rotax - two out of two have failed.
 
Also, if a stranded wire is tinned properly, the solder wicks up the strands, making a stress concentration where the solder ends; this *may* lead to a fatigue failure under vibration, depending on cable 'dress'.

That's something that is often claimed, but I've never seen a tinned wire or soldered connection that was adequately secured fail.

I use the ferrules at work a lot and most of what I do outside of work gets tinned. Both ways seem adequate.
 
A mechanic buddy installed some today by inserting the wire into the tip and crimping, then cut off the nylon sleeve and heat shrinked a jacket. Good idea!
 
A mechanic buddy installed some today by inserting the wire into the tip and crimping, then cut off the nylon sleeve and heat shrinked a jacket. Good idea!
They do made the ferrules of different lengths that do not have a nylon sleeve
 
Most of the time when I use the ferrules I install a wire marker or number of the wire that it is in the schematic. The markers slide around the wire, they are a circular collar, with numbers. A set is around $70. Comes with numbers 0 thru 9 about 40 numbers each. You slide the numbers on to the wire and the nylon sleeve holds the numbers in place
 
Most of the time when I use the ferrules I install a wire marker or number of the wire that it is in the schematic. The markers slide around the wire, they are a circular collar, with numbers. A set is around $70. Comes with numbers 0 thru 9 about 40 numbers each. You slide the numbers on to the wire and the nylon sleeve holds the numbers in place

They are expensive, but Brady makes some nice printers and heat shrinkable labels. Much nicer than the little numbers for troubleshooting at a later date. But the printer and labels are likely well outside the scope of a homebuilder or hobbyist. You might appreciate something like that for the rebuilds you do for work though.
 
They are expensive, but Brady makes some nice printers and heat shrinkable labels. Much nicer than the little numbers for troubleshooting at a later date. But the printer and labels are likely well outside the scope of a homebuilder or hobbyist. You might appreciate something like that for the rebuilds you do for work though.
I have use that type of label system. It's nice but time consuming at least for me. A lot of the time we repair a wiring harness and don't know what is needed until you get to it. It's quicker to just slide the wire numbers on the wire. These are from McMaster Carr

12405t111p1-i02c-digital@1x_636988192104763556.png
 
No disagreement, the emphasized part agrees with the snippet below.

I saw that but felt it was a little subtle for most so I thought I'd expand on it. I've built vehicle wiring harnesses and done automotive test cell wiring for my entire adult career so the comments about soldering are one of my pet peeves because it gets repeated so often, mostly by those who haven't been taught how to do it right. I have not once seen a properly soldered connection break but have seen numerous solderless connections that have failed or are so poor that failure is imminent.
 
Back
Top