Matronics Email Lists Forum Index Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists
 
 Get Email Distribution Too!Get Email Distribution Too!    FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper messaroundary

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
fidot



Joined: 07 Jul 2019
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:06 pm    Post subject: Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper messaroundary Reply with quote

Well folks,

Will soon need to crimp a number of large AMP terminals to some large wires, and been playing around with a Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper I had for a while.

I decided to write this report part to contribute, part to solicit thoughts and feedback.

General notes:

I got my crimper in ~2014, so YMMV (they might've changed the "jaw" dies).

It has hexagonal dies, like the ones in "jaws.jpg" attachment below.

Crimps were made, then hacksawed apart, and cut polished some with a deburring wheel.

Setup: #8 wire in an AMP lug.

My problem is, I always suspected that these jaw dies are mis-labeled, because using "nominal" dies does not produce a nice hexagonal crimp. Specifically, it feels like they are labeled about 4 AWG steps too high (ie, dies labeled 4 AWG have the hex "hole" that, when closed, is just larger than 8 AWG wire)

And now, we get to the gist of this report.

Test #1. Using jaws labeled for 8 AWG.

Hex opening in them is much smaller than the wire.

Notice how it's this weird pinched, rather than hexagonal, shape (especially well obvious on the cutaway pic). Also, crimping adds this weird "jog" to the length of the terminal. Overall though, aside from the strange shape, very good crimp. Note: on cutaway, the "spots" are dust specs I caught in the pic and noticed just now Sad. They are not crimp defects, like in test #3 below).

Test #2. Using jaws labeled for 6 AWG.

Opening is still smaller than the wire.

Initially, here, I got those "wings" to the crimp, too; but then I turned the crimp 90 degrees and crimped it again, "smashing them in". Notice how mangled up that whole business is (and without "smashing in" the "wings", it looks just like the #8 jaws crimp; just with thinner "wings").

Test #2. Using jaws labeled for 4 AWG.

This procuced a nice hex, as expected; and no surprise - the opening on the jaws is just about the same size as the wire; so with added thickness of material from the terminal itself it went well.

However, notice on the cutaway you can see some "spots" - those are "cavities", so makes me thing that it could've been compressed just a tad more.

Overall, my personal thoughts?

Either use nominal or 4 sizes "up" (test #1 or #3). I am probably leaning towards #1, because, though ugly, that crimp is _definitely_ not gonna rot from the inside. ...


- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -
 

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List



jaws-4-2.jpg
 Description:
#4 - cutaway
 Filesize:  35.14 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-4-2.jpg



jaws-4-1.jpg
 Description:
#4 - crimp
 Filesize:  49.99 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-4-1.jpg



jaws-6-3.jpg
 Description:
#6 - cutaway
 Filesize:  44.01 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-6-3.jpg



jaws-6-2.jpg
 Description:
#6 - crimp
 Filesize:  105.28 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-6-2.jpg



jaws-8-3.jpg
 Description:
#8 - cutaway
 Filesize:  40.6 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-8-3.jpg



jaws-8-2.jpg
 Description:
#8 - 2
 Filesize:  79.84 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-8-2.jpg



jaws-8-1.jpg
 Description:
#8 - 1
 Filesize:  112.02 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws-8-1.jpg



jaws.jpg
 Description:
Crimping Jaws (Dies)
 Filesize:  13.91 KB
 Viewed:  3652 Time(s)

jaws.jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest





PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 5:14 am    Post subject: Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper messaroundary Reply with quote

On Wed, Sep 4, 2019 at 1:12 AM fidot <web(at)79ft.net> wrote:

[quote]

Well folks,

Will soon need to crimp a number of large AMP terminals to some large
wires, and been playing around with a Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper I
had for a while.

I decided to write this report part to contribute, part to solicit
thoughts and feedback.

General notes:

I got my crimper in ~2014, so YMMV (they might've changed the "jaw" dies)


- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -
 

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List
Back to top
madriver42(at)gmail.com
Guest





PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:58 am    Post subject: Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper messaroundary Reply with quote

Bob and Others,

A few years ago...many years ago...I was in the same quandary of how to crimp a ferrule to wire.
I did not want to go the solder route as a lot of feedback stated that this was not the best for many reasons.  Then I remembered an old farmer trick for making a "die".  I scrounged around and found a regular hex nut of suitable size, cut it in half - remember the threaded inside diameter will decrease - and used the "nut die" over the ferrule in a vice to crimp;  of course I rotated it to equalize the crimp all the way around.  Sure it left thread marks but they were covered with shrink wrap.  BTW if you don't want the marks you could ream out the nut.  AND if you want longevity you could use grade eight material.
To tell the truth this was used originally on my 1954 Case tractor rebuild and worked so well I adopted the procedure to my CH 701 build a few years back.  No problems.
Just thinking !!!
Phil
On Wed, Sep 4, 2019 at 10:37 AM Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote:

Quote:
At 08:05 AM 9/4/2019, you wrote:


Quote:
On Wed, Sep 4, 2019 at 1:12 AM fidot <web(at)79ft.net (web(at)79ft.net)> wrote:
--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: "fidot" <web(at)79ft.net (web(at)79ft.net)>

Well folks,

Will soon need to  crimp a number of large AMP terminals to some large wires, and been playing around with a Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper I had for a while.

I decided to write this report part to contribute, part to solicit thoughts and feedback.
  <snip>

Quote:
Somewhat of a shock to discover that the USA ain't the center of the universe, like we've always thought. Wink

Charlie

  Thanks for sharing your experience and
  observations with this tool. I purchased
  one about 10 years ago with similarly
  high expectations. I found that the die
  markings bore no real relevance to
  the real world.

  I too accomplished a few crimps onto
  various un-insulated terminals and
  found that with a little fiddling,
  a FEW combinations of terminals and
  wire could be artfully accommodated.

  Wound up taking the tool back 'cause
  it would NOT do the crimps most
  needed (4 and 2AWG). Too bad. The
  hydraulics were fine but the die
  set was essentially useless.

  I considered making new die sets
  but unless I was going to seek a market
  for production, return on investment
  was poor.

  In answer to Rich's suggestion, YES . . .
  soldering is a perfectly reasonable
  alternative  . . . but without vice grips.

http://aeroelectric.com/articles/big_term.pdf



  Bob . . .


- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -
 

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List
Back to top
Mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:57 am    Post subject: Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper messaroundary Reply with quote

On 9/4/2019 11:28 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:

Quote:

In answer to Rich's suggestion, YES . . .
  soldering is a perfectly reasonable
  alternative  . . . but without vice grips.

http://aeroelectric.com/articles/big_term.pdf

Excellent solution here in my limited experience.  I soldered up all my fat wires on a Z-14 RV-10 (plenty of fat wires there) about 10-12 years ago.  1200 hours later, all good.  The wedges are the key. 

One might solder or crimp, but I can see why one might want to avoid doing both.
Virus-free. www.avast.com [url=#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2] [/url]


- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -
 

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List
Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group