<br /><br />I was trying to bend the + and - wway to many times and the crimp on the 6 guage stuff bent and came out. I was just about ready to slide the heat shrink on it too. Instead of removeing the wires and using more lugs and the hammer thing I just got out the torch and the solder. Stripped the 1.5 requred and soldered the darn thing. Also heat shrank it. <br /><br />Good thing that was the first two crimps I did they held well but I was moving the wires at a pretty good angle to the lug and messed it all up.<br /><br />All the other wires are 14-16 guage and crimped then shrunk on.
They did not come loose and I was bending them to but not as sever as under the dash and had a bit more wire exposed. I then heat shrank them with thicker sleeved stuff.
No mine was designed for welding wires and looks close to that one. Its black and the saddle area is not as smooth. <br /><br />It did work much muc better when I hit the lug along the barrel and not just 1 time. Had a tug of war with the kid and the 7" yellow conductor to see if it would pull out and it held well! The other 7" red conductor was used for the Circuitbreaker in the boat. Not subject to this test however.
<br /><br />I dont think the crimp vs. solder topic has been thoroughly covered yet, so Ill mention that electrical copper is of a softer variety. When you crimp (or smash the crap out of) a connector to a copper wire, the copper in the wire (and tin, if coated) deforms and molds to the surface imperfections and pores of the connector, making a virtual weld. The individual strands of the wire do the same thing with respect to each other. They deform and compress against each other to make a superior electrical connection. Overall, the mechanics of a crimped connection is very secure.<br /><br />David, are you awake, yet???<br /> I've certainly enjoyed following this discussion!<br /><br />What bugged me about the OP was that the point of the original post appeared to be pointing out how the prior owner had done sloppy work and "here's the correct way" to do it. When questioned, the response was- I don't really care, this is how I'm doing it. Pot<->Kettle<br /><br />Now I see a post that talks about "smashing the crap" out of the connector and follows up with "overall, crimps are very secure connections". PROPERLY crimped connections are very mechanically sound. I think the OP found out the hard way about properly crimped connections...<br /><br />Someone mentioned the relative skill levels associated with either crimping or soldering. I would argue that they BOTH require skill AND the proper tools to do correctly.<br /><br />It seems the old adage holds true- when you equip some people with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
<br /><br />I was told 1 hit to crimp the wires it worked however it takes two and a small move to get the correct crimp. The little crimper did not have instructions either.I wasn't picking on your situation. I suspect many have been in the same position- I know I have. I have all the correct crimpers at work. I personally only own a few and they are for the more common terminations that I do on a regular basis. So I have the exposure to the correct tools but often do not have access to them for my personal use. This is where is gets tough- you know the correct way but do not have the correct tool. So you're forced to make the best of the situation. For me, that's the best mechanical crimp I can make followed by soldering.<br /><br />What got me going was my perception of the initial tone of the discussion and then the follow ups on right versus wrong- especially when a bad practice is highlighted by someone who is acting as an authority on the "correct" method.<br /><br />As the prior post points out, you will most likely never have a problem with the work you have done. We all have our own circumstances to weigh when determining what is sufficient to reduce the risk to acceptable levels. Most of my boating is on fresh water lakes of small to medium size. I can afford more risk than someone who is going out to sea with their boat. I think we're often clouded by our own circumstances and risk tolerance on topics like this.Originally posted by Realgun:<br /> Rastro I tried to be gentle but got burned so to speak, so I used the hammer correctly.
I think you're dead on Rastro. I boat in the ocean, often far from shore. A good day is 2' - 3' chop which can turn to 8' seas in minutes. I have on many occasions had my 6,600+ lb Formula completely air born only to slam into a trough or the crest of the next wave. In this kind of an environment you quickly become risk averse
<br /><br />I'm also biased by the fact that I assume people who ask for help are DIYers w/o much boat wiring or soldering experience and they are wiring something more than just optional, non-essential accessories. So, it is often better to recommend people crimp otherwise you risk people thinking the soldering technique recommended here in another thread is acceptable and just when they need their boat the most (like in heavy seas) it quits on them and puts them at risk.<br /><br />Now, what are you doing up on the North Shore boating in fresh water! Here's one reason:<br /><br />Now, what are you doing up on the North Shore boating in fresh water!
<br /><br />I go fishing alot after work hours and that doesn't leave much time so I often go where I can launch and get to the fishing spots ASAP. My fiancee is more of a fanatic than I am and lately she's been pressing for some striper action. We spend perhaps 50% of our fishing time in a canoe catching 5lb largemouth on some of the smaller ponds, 40% of the time in the bass boat and the remaining 10% of the time in salt water.
However the ABYC also said large battery wire could be soldered per the 1.5 diameter rule. <br /><br />What I saw in the boat shocked me as all the negatives were wrapped into the main wire which was a 12 guage not 8 like it really needed. (I used 6 for my own reasons). And the wires were then soldered and actually looked OK to me they was wrapped in electical tape. I unwound about 40 feet of tape!<br /><br /> The other issue I had was when I got the boat home I tested all the accessories and they worked.<br />I then hooked up the batteery a year later, I had not touched any wireing, and nothing woreked and no fuses were blown. There were fuses thrown into the splashell however that were blown. I never found where those fuses came from.<br /><br />Now the ony wire thats in the boat is the engine and tilt wires all others have been replaced. I will attack the basttery cables later. Every wire is the proper colr except the horn which is red which should be orange but was to lazy and broke to but some. Only needed 6 feet BTW.<br /><br />DavidL I never said soldering was bad only that it could not be the only method except as noted about battery cable and lugs.<br /><br />Thank you all for posting/helping me!!!!!
