Obiwan007
1 kW
Not sure how anyone else does this but I have found a way to make strong, waterproof, triple parallel unions for 10AWG silicon insulated wire. Better yet, it uses supplies that can be sourced at Home Depot (mostly) and tools that you likely already have if you have been doing any of your own wiring. I have been making up some harnesses for my current project (My Big Fat Giant, see sig) and thought I would pass this technique along. So this is what I was after:
Hard to get 4 wires in commonly available crimps; especially when one end has to accommodate three wires packed in and the other end only one. But these copper crimps are available at Home Depot in 2 sizes, small and large...and they nest nicely into each other. So here are the steps I use.
1. strip the ends of the wires on the triple end so that they are just the right length to fit half way into the large crimp. Then strip the wire on the single end so that it goes all the way into the small crimp.
2. Now apply some paste flux to the single wire end and the inside of the small crimp. Tin the end of the wire and then slip the small crimp onto the end of the single wire with the flared end against the insulation. Heat with a small torch and add solder to just tack the wire inside the crimp. Let cool.:
3. Add flux to the outside of the small crimp and the inside of the large crimp and slide them together with the flare of the large crimp opposite the wire. Hold it by the wire so it is sideways but tilted up slightly. Heat with the torch until solder flows into the joint and sweats the two crimps together. Let cool.:
4. Now push the three wires into the large crimp, with the insulation right up against the flare. It can be tricky getting them all in there but I have found that if you put two in at a time and then pull out slightly and bend them down, the third goes in easily.:
5. Now get your linemans pliars out. I like to clamp the bottom jaw of the pliars into my vice. Carefully place the harness into the large crim space of the pliars and squeeze to hold the crimp in place right next to the large flare on the triple wire side (if you crimp the other side first it wants to push the triples out some). While holding the crimp in place with the pliars (held in the vice), push all three wires in as far as they will go and then crimp down as hard as you can squeeze:
6. Now that everything is solidly held in place, crimp the middle being sure that the crimp lines up with the previous crease. Squeeze as hard as you can:
7. And finally crim the single wire end. Be sure to crimp on top of the flare and line it up with the previous creases:
8. With the crease facing up, clamp the copper into the corner of your vice (so as not to damage the wires) and squeeze the crease closed along the entire length. If one end does not close up, reposition and clamp to make it neat. If you don't have a vice...get one! But otherwise you can do this part with channel-locks.:
9. Now put a small gob of silicon right at the Union of the three wires. Not too much:
10. Slide on a piece of 3/8" shrink tubing and, once in place, put some more silicon down inside the single wire side (coffee stir stick works good here). Now shrink the tubing with your heat gun starting at the single wire end. Don't heat too fast and keep the heat on and moving longer than normal so that the silicone can squeeze out the end. Do the same with the triple end so the silicone sgueezes out:
Wipe off the excess silicone and let it all cure overnight. There you have it! I have been trying to add to the overall knowledge in thanks to those who came before me here and did the same so it was available when I needed it as a noob. If you have some cool techniques like this or the Tench T-Bar please think about sharing it here.
Hard to get 4 wires in commonly available crimps; especially when one end has to accommodate three wires packed in and the other end only one. But these copper crimps are available at Home Depot in 2 sizes, small and large...and they nest nicely into each other. So here are the steps I use.
1. strip the ends of the wires on the triple end so that they are just the right length to fit half way into the large crimp. Then strip the wire on the single end so that it goes all the way into the small crimp.
2. Now apply some paste flux to the single wire end and the inside of the small crimp. Tin the end of the wire and then slip the small crimp onto the end of the single wire with the flared end against the insulation. Heat with a small torch and add solder to just tack the wire inside the crimp. Let cool.:
3. Add flux to the outside of the small crimp and the inside of the large crimp and slide them together with the flare of the large crimp opposite the wire. Hold it by the wire so it is sideways but tilted up slightly. Heat with the torch until solder flows into the joint and sweats the two crimps together. Let cool.:
4. Now push the three wires into the large crimp, with the insulation right up against the flare. It can be tricky getting them all in there but I have found that if you put two in at a time and then pull out slightly and bend them down, the third goes in easily.:
5. Now get your linemans pliars out. I like to clamp the bottom jaw of the pliars into my vice. Carefully place the harness into the large crim space of the pliars and squeeze to hold the crimp in place right next to the large flare on the triple wire side (if you crimp the other side first it wants to push the triples out some). While holding the crimp in place with the pliars (held in the vice), push all three wires in as far as they will go and then crimp down as hard as you can squeeze:
6. Now that everything is solidly held in place, crimp the middle being sure that the crimp lines up with the previous crease. Squeeze as hard as you can:
7. And finally crim the single wire end. Be sure to crimp on top of the flare and line it up with the previous creases:
8. With the crease facing up, clamp the copper into the corner of your vice (so as not to damage the wires) and squeeze the crease closed along the entire length. If one end does not close up, reposition and clamp to make it neat. If you don't have a vice...get one! But otherwise you can do this part with channel-locks.:
9. Now put a small gob of silicon right at the Union of the three wires. Not too much:
10. Slide on a piece of 3/8" shrink tubing and, once in place, put some more silicon down inside the single wire side (coffee stir stick works good here). Now shrink the tubing with your heat gun starting at the single wire end. Don't heat too fast and keep the heat on and moving longer than normal so that the silicone can squeeze out the end. Do the same with the triple end so the silicone sgueezes out:
Wipe off the excess silicone and let it all cure overnight. There you have it! I have been trying to add to the overall knowledge in thanks to those who came before me here and did the same so it was available when I needed it as a noob. If you have some cool techniques like this or the Tench T-Bar please think about sharing it here.
