Q1. When crimping 2.5sq.mm T&E, blue crimps are used for the 2.5sq.mm L and
N, but should red crimps be used on the (smaller diameter) earth wire?

Q2 I notice on my newly acquired ratchet crimpers that the depressions in
the jaws (where the crimp fits) are smallest for blue and the biggest for
red (yellow in the middle). Thus seems cock-eyed to me. Surely the
smallest should be red (1.5sq.mm), followed by blue (2.5sq.mm) then yellow
(4sq.mm). Are the crimpers incorrectly marked (just bought them from TLC)
or am I missing something subtle?

Cheers

Steve wrote:

Q1. When crimping 2.5sq.mm T&E, blue crimps are used for the 2.5sq.mm L and
N, but should red crimps be used on the (smaller diameter) earth wire?

You can use either - most blue crimps have a minimum wire size that is
smaller than the 1.5mm^2 CSA CPC in 2.5mm^2 T&E, and reds have a maximum
greater than that. I tend to use blue, to save messing about with more
than one colour at a time.

Q2 I notice on my newly acquired ratchet crimpers that the depressions in
the jaws (where the crimp fits) are smallest for blue and the biggest for
red (yellow in the middle). Thus seems cock-eyed to me. Surely the
smallest should be red (1.5sq.mm), followed by blue (2.5sq.mm) then yellow
(4sq.mm). Are the crimpers incorrectly marked (just bought them from TLC)
or am I missing something subtle?

Sounds like they are marked incorrectly... they usually look like:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/P...3/DVDHCR15.JPG

My own set are pretty much the same:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...atchetTool.jpg

Red at the tip of the jaws, then blue, then yellow nearest the pivot.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
et...
Steve wrote:

Q1. When crimping 2.5sq.mm T&E, blue crimps are used for the 2.5sq.mm L
and N, but should red crimps be used on the (smaller diameter) earth
wire?

You can use either - most blue crimps have a minimum wire size that is
smaller than the 1.5mm^2 CSA CPC in 2.5mm^2 T&E, and reds have a maximum
greater than that. I tend to use blue, to save messing about with more
than one colour at a time.

Q2 I notice on my newly acquired ratchet crimpers that the depressions
in the jaws (where the crimp fits) are smallest for blue and the biggest
for red (yellow in the middle). Thus seems cock-eyed to me. Surely the
smallest should be red (1.5sq.mm), followed by blue (2.5sq.mm) then
yellow (4sq.mm). Are the crimpers incorrectly marked (just bought them
from TLC) or am I missing something subtle?

Sounds like they are marked incorrectly... they usually look like:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/P...3/DVDHCR15.JPG

My own set are pretty much the same:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...atchetTool.jpg

Red at the tip of the jaws, then blue, then yellow nearest the pivot.

--
Cheers,

John.

Many thanks John.

Q1 I'll stick with all blue crimps then.
Q2 Your photo shows what I expect - my new crimps are wrongly colour coded!
I'll be taking them back.

Cheers

Steve

Q1 I'll stick with all blue crimps then.
Q2 Your photo shows what I expect - my new crimps are wrongly colour
coded! I'll be taking them back.

Come on, the true DIY-er would be getting out the paint!

What a weird mistake :-)

In article , John Rumm
scribeth thus
Steve wrote:

Q1. When crimping 2.5sq.mm T&E, blue crimps are used for the 2.5sq.mm L and
N, but should red crimps be used on the (smaller diameter) earth wire?

You can use either - most blue crimps have a minimum wire size that is
smaller than the 1.5mm^2 CSA CPC in 2.5mm^2 T&E, and reds have a maximum
greater than that. I tend to use blue, to save messing about with more
than one colour at a time.

Q2 I notice on my newly acquired ratchet crimpers that the depressions in
the jaws (where the crimp fits) are smallest for blue and the biggest for
red (yellow in the middle). Thus seems cock-eyed to me. Surely the
smallest should be red (1.5sq.mm), followed by blue (2.5sq.mm) then yellow
(4sq.mm). Are the crimpers incorrectly marked (just bought them from TLC)
or am I missing something subtle?

Sounds like they are marked incorrectly... they usually look like:

Thats deffo arse about face!...


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/P...3/DVDHCR15.JPG

My own set are pretty much the same:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...atchetTool.jpg

Red at the tip of the jaws, then blue, then yellow nearest the pivot.

Thats how all ours are...

Nice big ratchet ones too...
--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
John Rumm wrote:
Sounds like they are marked incorrectly... they usually look like:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/P...3/DVDHCR15.JPG

My own set are pretty much the same:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...atchetTool.jpg

Red at the tip of the jaws, then blue, then yellow nearest the pivot.

Think they're all like that given the larger crimps need more pressure.

--
*A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

While we're on the subject, one of my ratchet crimp tools didn't feel very
tight, so I put the adjuster round a couple of positions until it felt
better.

Is there a more orthodox way to calibrate the ratchet, well, without buying
expensive equipment, that is. Or do you do yours by feel?

Cheers

Tim