On 30/10/2011 12:12, Fred wrote:
Hi,

I just wanted to thank whoever wrote the crimping faq:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...Cable_crimping

I bought a ratchet crimp and some crimps but neither came with
instructions so I was not quite sure how to use them.

I didn't know whether you had to crimp each end of the butt crimp
(which the wiki tells me I should do) or whether I needed just one
crimp in the middle (wrong).

When I did some practice crimps, the plastic got "chewed up" and I
wasn't sure whether that was supposed to happen, but I see from the
photos on the wiki that that is right.

The plastic should get "formed" to the profile of the jaws, although not
chewed as such...

So thanks very much, that page has really helped a complete crimp
beginner.

Good.

By the way, are all crimps equal or are some better than others? I
bought a selection box from CPC but find the central metal insert can
slide when positioning the cable. Do all of them do this or is it just
that mine were cheap and nasty?

They can vary. Some have internal serrations for a better grip. The
central stop is not full radius, so if using a bigger crimp than
required for the wire, then you can push it right through. However
something like 2.5mm^2 T&E in a blue one will probably not push through.
Experience also teach you how much insulation to trim, and that limits
how far you can go.

I have encountered non-insulated crimps in repairs in the past. Could
the page be updated in the future to give an introduction to these?

They get a mention in the required tools and materials section. However
I did not have an uninsulated crimp tool to hand to photograph and so
did not cover those in detail. For most cable joining activities, using
uninsulated terminals means more time spent heatshrinking.


--
Cheers,

John.

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