AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.

Having lost my soldering-gun some time ago,
and not wanting to buy a new one, just in
case my lost one turns up, I was looking
through those wide-drawers r-shack keeps
connectors, motors, buzzers, etc in.

Noticed these things called "tap-in squeeze connectors",
and bought several envelopes-full:

some red ones (64-3053), for 12 to 10 gauge.

some yellow ones, and blue ones.

To use these things, you of course strip the wire-end,
then insert one wire into one end, and the other into
the other, and then with levered-type pliers you
squeeze it like hell, and a little guillotine-like
piece gets shoved against the two wires, and that makes
the connection.

QUESTION: is it ok to use these things for making
the connection?


ALSO: they also have little yellow tubes, maybe 1.5
inches long, called "Butt Connectors:".

No instructions, though, for these, not even a hint
of how to use it.

What, you're supposed to *crush* it somehow, once
you have the two (insulated) wire's stuck into the
two ends of the tube?

Anyone know what to do?

(FYI: The yellow ones have part-num 64-3110.)

And safety with this one (for use for putting a
power cord onto an appliance)?


Thanks!

David

(snipped extensive rambling which amounts to: how to repair fan wire?)
Not safe, is the answer.
Butt connectors I use for telephone wires but not high current appliances.
Further, crimpable connectors are best used with solid wire not multistrand
such as on fans.
The only safe way to fix, is to take base off fan, remove all of line cord
at terminal block, and replace cord with comparable or heavier guage
stranded appliance wire, with moulded (already attached plug).

Butt connectors I use for telephone wires but not high current
appliances.

A table fan is a high current device?

In article ,
David Combs wrote:
AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.


Noticed these things called "tap-in squeeze connectors",
and bought several envelopes-full:

some red ones (64-3053), for 12 to 10 gauge.

some yellow ones, and blue ones.

To use these things, you of course strip the wire-end,
then insert one wire into one end, and the other into
the other, and then with levered-type pliers you
squeeze it like hell, and a little guillotine-like
piece gets shoved against the two wires, and that makes
the connection.

QUESTION: is it ok to use these things for making
the connection?


I would not use these for 120v connections.. they sort of work for
12v in the car, but I don't consider them to be reliable, and avoid
using them.
The online catalog lists the as "Low Voltage Tap-Ins", which tells me that
they are not intended for 120v use.


ALSO: they also have little yellow tubes, maybe 1.5
inches long, called "Butt Connectors:".

No instructions, though, for these, not even a hint
of how to use it.

What, you're supposed to *crush* it somehow, once
you have the two (insulated) wire's stuck into the
two ends of the tube?

Anyone know what to do?

You strip the wires about 1/4", and insert the ends into the metal portion
of the tube, and crimp with the proper crimp tool. I have used vice grips
in a pinch, but the tool is the right way. If you have a pair of wire
wire strippers, check them, many have the crimp function as well.
The radio shack tool is 64-2984 $6.99

If properly crimped, they work fine, if not, the wire can pull out.
The trick is to pull on the wire after crimping, and if it pulls apart, cut
it off, and start over with a new but splice.

They are color coded, and you really need to use the correct size for the
wire you are using. red for 22-18 gauge 64-3108, blue for 16-14 gauge 64-3109,
and yellow for 12-10 gauge 64-3110. Using the wrong size means that you will
either not get the wire into the splice, or you will not get a secure crimp.
You also need to use the correct die on the crimp tool in order to get a good
crimp.

(I use a lot of crimp connectors, and have a very high quality ratcheting
crimp tool dedicated to the task.)


(FYI: The yellow ones have part-num 64-3110.)

And safety with this one (for use for putting a
power cord onto an appliance)?

Like any connector, they can be installed improperly, and create a hazard,
but if properly installed, they are fine.

If you can, open up the fan, and put the splice inside the unit, and reuse the
strain relief on the cord.
--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net |
| P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, Ca 94309 |
-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --

In article ,
Roger Taylor wrote:
(snipped extensive rambling which amounts to: how to repair fan wire?)
Not safe, is the answer.
Butt connectors I use for telephone wires but not high current appliances.
Further, crimpable connectors are best used with solid wire not multistrand
such as on fans.

This depends on the connector. For the butt splices that the OP was asking
about, they actually work best on stranded wire, and are perfectly safe if
properly installed.

The 3M telephone jellybeans are a different design, and do work best on
solid wire, although I have used them with tinned stranded wire with
good success.

The only safe way to fix, is to take base off fan, remove all of line cord
at terminal block, and replace cord with comparable or heavier guage
stranded appliance wire, with moulded (already attached plug).


In this case, the OP stated that the cord was damaged just outside the fan,
so the only thing that he would need to do is to shorten the existing cord,
and re-terminate. If there is a terminal block, then no problem, if it's
just pigtails spliced inside the fan, then he would need s butt-splice or
similar.



--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net |
| P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, Ca 94309 |
-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --

JohnH wrote:
Butt connectors I use for telephone wires but not high current
appliances.


A table fan is a high current device?



compared to your 12v vibrator, yes. compared to the stadium lighting at
Pac Bell Stadium, no.

"David Combs" wrote in message
...
AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.

Having lost my soldering-gun some time ago,
and not wanting to buy a new one, just in
case my lost one turns up, I was looking
through those wide-drawers r-shack keeps
connectors, motors, buzzers, etc in.

Noticed these things called "tap-in squeeze connectors",
and bought several envelopes-full:

some red ones (64-3053), for 12 to 10 gauge.

some yellow ones, and blue ones.

To use these things, you of course strip the wire-end,
then insert one wire into one end, and the other into
the other, and then with levered-type pliers you
squeeze it like hell, and a little guillotine-like
piece gets shoved against the two wires, and that makes
the connection.

QUESTION: is it ok to use these things for making
the connection?


ALSO: they also have little yellow tubes, maybe 1.5
inches long, called "Butt Connectors:".

No instructions, though, for these, not even a hint
of how to use it.

What, you're supposed to *crush* it somehow, once
you have the two (insulated) wire's stuck into the
two ends of the tube?

Anyone know what to do?

(FYI: The yellow ones have part-num 64-3110.)

And safety with this one (for use for putting a
power cord onto an appliance)?


Thanks!

David

I think you are better off going to a hardware or electrical store. I know
that many years ago there used to be plugs with screw on connections for
bare wire.

Bob Vaughan wrote:
In article ,
David Combs wrote:

AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.


Noticed these things called "tap-in squeeze connectors",
and bought several envelopes-full:

some red ones (64-3053), for 12 to 10 gauge.

some yellow ones, and blue ones.

To use these things, you of course strip the wire-end,
then insert one wire into one end, and the other into
the other, and then with levered-type pliers you
squeeze it like hell, and a little guillotine-like
piece gets shoved against the two wires, and that makes
the connection.

QUESTION: is it ok to use these things for making
the connection?



I would not use these for 120v connections.. they sort of work for
12v in the car, but I don't consider them to be reliable, and avoid
using them.
The online catalog lists the as "Low Voltage Tap-Ins", which tells me that
they are not intended for 120v use.


There are some "insulation displacement" splices and taps that are rated
for 120V


ALSO: they also have little yellow tubes, maybe 1.5
inches long, called "Butt Connectors:".

No instructions, though, for these, not even a hint
of how to use it.

What, you're supposed to *crush* it somehow, once
you have the two (insulated) wire's stuck into the
two ends of the tube?

Anyone know what to do?


You strip the wires about 1/4", and insert the ends into the metal portion
of the tube, and crimp with the proper crimp tool. I have used vice grips
in a pinch, but the tool is the right way. If you have a pair of wire
wire strippers, check them, many have the crimp function as well.
The radio shack tool is 64-2984 $6.99

If properly crimped, they work fine, if not, the wire can pull out.
The trick is to pull on the wire after crimping, and if it pulls apart, cut
it off, and start over with a new but splice.

They are color coded, and you really need to use the correct size for the
wire you are using. red for 22-18 gauge 64-3108, blue for 16-14 gauge 64-3109,
and yellow for 12-10 gauge 64-3110. Using the wrong size means that you will
either not get the wire into the splice, or you will not get a secure crimp.
You also need to use the correct die on the crimp tool in order to get a good
crimp.

(I use a lot of crimp connectors, and have a very high quality ratcheting
crimp tool dedicated to the task.)


(FYI: The yellow ones have part-num 64-3110.)

And safety with this one (for use for putting a
power cord onto an appliance)?


Like any connector, they can be installed improperly, and create a hazard,
but if properly installed, they are fine.

If you can, open up the fan, and put the splice inside the unit, and reuse the
strain relief on the cord.

I agree the best solution is to splice inside the fan.

I doubt the other splices indicated above are intended to be installed
exposed and to take strain in the cord.

How about installing a plug on the end of the cord and plugging it into
an extension cord.

Bud--

In article ,
FDR wrote:

"David Combs" wrote in message
...
AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.



I think you are better off going to a hardware or electrical store. I know
that many years ago there used to be plugs with screw on connections for
bare wire.



Please re-read the original question.. The cord is described as damaged at
the fan, not at the plug, implying that the existing cordset is fine, and
that it just needs to be reconnected at the fan.


--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net |
| P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, Ca 94309 |
-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --

In article ,
Bud wrote:
Bob Vaughan wrote:
In article ,
David Combs wrote:

AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.





I agree the best solution is to splice inside the fan.

I doubt the other splices indicated above are intended to be installed
exposed and to take strain in the cord.

How about installing a plug on the end of the cord and plugging it into
an extension cord.


Re-read for context.. where on the cord is the damage? where does the
repair need to be made?



Bud--


--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net |
| P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, Ca 94309 |
-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --

Bob Vaughan wrote:


Re-read for context..

Sorry about that.

Looking at the Radio Shack website:

64-3053 (red) connectors are for low voltage

64-3052 (blue) connectors #18-14 - not specified but presumably line voltage

These are "insulation displacement connectors" - you don't strip the
wire; the "guilotine" cuts through the insulation and makes contact with
the wire. Because of the guilotine it is important that the wire sizes
be in the range the connector is rated for. (Also important for crimp.)

The blue ones should work (would be nice to know the temperature rating
though)

3M makes similar connectors rated for 600V, 90°C, UL listed, solid or
stranded wire (#557, 558, 560)


Butt connectors come rated for line voltage or low voltage. (Radio Shack
does not specify on 3110).
Also available are connectors that look like a wire nut.
Both the 2 above are crimped to make the connection as described well a
couple posts back

Another posibility is a small wire nut. It is not ideal because of
vibration.

Ideally the connector should be UL listed, rated for line voltage and
rated for the temperature it will encounter in the fan.

If you have a torch you could solder - very carefully.

Bud--

"Bob Vaughan" wrote in message
...
In article ,
FDR wrote:

"David Combs" wrote in message
...
AC line-cord for my table-fan (Vornado) finally frayed
(just outside the fan), and so I need to toss that
bad spot on the line-cord, and then reconnect the
slightly-shortened power cord to the same wires
inside the fan it was hooked to before.



I think you are better off going to a hardware or electrical store. I
know
that many years ago there used to be plugs with screw on connections for
bare wire.



Please re-read the original question.. The cord is described as damaged at
the fan, not at the plug, implying that the existing cordset is fine, and
that it just needs to be reconnected at the fan.


Yep, you're right.


--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net |
| P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, Ca 94309 |
-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --

G Henslee posted for all of us...
I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.


compared to your 12v vibrator, yes. compared to the stadium lighting at
Pac Bell Stadium, no.


giggle liked that
--

Tekkie