Crimping Copper Tube Terminals

[RichardB]

What is the best inexpensive way to crimp these for battery terminals and other thick cables?

I'm doing an upgrade to the earth cable on my Clarke welder, and intend to replace the short thin earth cable and clamp with a detachable dinse socket / plug, 25mm² cable and a much better clamp. So will need to crimp a ring tube terminal onto the existing earth wire.

I can see two types being sold that are about £20, one is like a mini arbour press and the other is a hydraulic affair. There is a third type I can see that look a bit like a pair of bolt cutters, but are much more expensive and hard to justify for a tool I will scarcely use. Anyone had any experience using any of these?

 

[Sprint95m]

I have pondered this question Richard,
so did a You Tube search, where I found comparison tests.

This led me to conclude that after soldering the cable end first, using a big hammer and a drift is the way to go.
The copper strands and terminal end up all welded together with the solder offering protection against corrosion.

 

 

Ian.

[RedRooster]

25mm crimpers are not expensive, pop across and i'll do it for free.

RR

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, Sprint95m said:

 

This led me to conclude that after soldering the cable end first, using a big hammer and a drift is the way to go.
The copper strands and terminal end up all welded together with the solder offering protection against corrosion.

 

 

Ian.

Not the best way to do things, but if needs be, just use thinned wire otherwise the heat involved to solder it will melt the insulation.

RR

[spitfire6]

Hydraulic crimpers cheap from China. Do not Solder.

[RichardB]

Thanks all, I found those tests on youtube - quite interesting. I know what to aim for now.

Soldering seems preferable if access is good and the joint won't be susceptible to vibration, although realistically how much that would be an issue if it's also got a mechanical method to fix it is debatable.

I'll give the hydraulic tool a chance as I think that may be the go to option for battery terminals later down the line, and report back.

[2.5piman]

Hello Richard,

if you are going to solder the terminal, I assume with a blow torch, the old fashioned way?  Wrap the end of the insulation with cotton strip dipped in tallow or such like, this shields the insulation from heat damage to a large degree.  Hold the lug in a pair of vice grips or a vice and heat the lug then fill with solder. Insert the prepared cable end and heat again to be sure that the solder flows. Finish the job with insulating tape covering the insulation and the solder socket of the lug when cold.  That's how the old cable jointers used to do it.

Alec

 

[RichardB]

thanks Alec that's really helpful. So in principle it's a bit like tinning a soldering iron, or using solder fittings in plumbing - you already have some inside the lug before it goes in.

[JohnD]

"Hammer crimping tool"?

For not much less than a ratchet plier crimper.

[ed_h]

I have a tool similar to that one, but i put it in an arbor press instead of whacking it with a hammer.  Works well, is more controllable, and seems more civilized.

Ed

[2.5piman]

hello Richard,

 

yes, the lug full of molten solder gives a little amount of heat buffer so making it easier and requiring less flame to get every thing hot enough for a good joint.

Unfortunately some lugs have a hole where it flattens so this method obviously won't work for them?

 

Alec

[ahebron]

Just find a friendly mains voltage sparky. If they are any good they will have a set of crimp tools that can do the job in a matter of seconds.
My big hex crimper goes up to 75mm csa
Unless you are a soldering god then crimping is the best way