Fat Cable and Terminals

place lug standing in vice and melt enough solder into the terminal to roughly half fill it. Allow to cool and then get your cable, insert into lug and slowly heat solder from outside of lug to melt the solder, while pushing cable slowly into lug. Once cable inserted fully, allow to cool and finish off with some heat shrink.

be careful not to heat the cable too quick or the solder will disapate through the cable and hence, no solder left in the lug

I have the same plan for today. (although did get the shop to crimp some of my terminals)

good luck

Ray,
If you don't have access to the correct crimping tool then solder them. But don't butcher the lug first.
I'd love a $ for every boilermaker I've seen hammer a crimp lug flat then get all confused when the joint smokes and melts.

Geoff.

goodday m/d
a vice is not to bad a hammer doesnt do it properly i have seen it done with a coal chisel as you need to pull the sides of the lug in and tight on the cables
if you use the coal chisel just use a small 1 as it can become messy and maybe after a bit of heat shrink

what size lug are you using ???

steve

heavy gauge copper like that which is not tinned may be a problem, even with resin cored solder

try brown tip brazing.....

Crimping is the prefered method, but as you say, you dont have access to one. Soldering is the next best, and as mentioned before, dont apply to much heat to the cable or the solder will 'wick" up the cable.
Finish the joint with some heat shrink, or some amalgamating tape like scotch 23.

Yeah mate

Some bush thoughts

Strip end of cable. Cut suitable length of copper pipe. Fit cable into pipe. Squash in vice. Smack end with with 4 pound hammer. Drill suitable hole in flattened end.

Have never had a problem (but then again...I drive an uncomplicated truck...lol)

Cheers

Oh yes, and keep your thumbs out of the way of hammer...LOL

Yo Bowser,

No, No, No - that's the wrong way. The solder actually causes a week spot for cracking-breaking. Being and electrician I would advise you to go to a large electrical contactor - talk nicely and ask the lads if they will crimp it for you. THAT IS WHAT I DID 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A BIG CRIMPER. Also put a bit of heatshrink over the joint as well.

Now I suppose the whole forum will get into me for that but that is the correct way to do it....

Good luck...

Grrr!!!

Then I would go here and avva squizz mate!

www.matson.com.au/terminals.html

Grrr!!!

Ray,

IMHO you are better waiting until the new week and get the correct thing for the job. You won't be sorry....

Grrr!!!

MD,

I'm a long way from any sparkie, and what I do is use one of those crimping tools that have a point on one jaw, and a hollow on the other. If the lug is too big, use a centre punch in 3 or 4 different places. This should grip the cable, then solder at the eye end, to provide a less resistant path.

They look s'house if flattened in vice or hammered.

Willem's method is a great way for busted welding cable ends.

Hooroo...

G'day 'Madster'

Those big old fat lugs usually have a leetle hole in them at the end of the tube bit, on the down slope as it flattens out.

Method:

Select appropriate lug to fit cable snugly.

Push cable to the end of lug tube.

Ignite a nice big fat electric soldering iron.

Whilst waiting for it warm up, cut about 200-300mm (8-12 inches for us 'good old days boys) of 1.5 - 2mm resin core solder off the roll.

Apply flat part of lug to the flat surface of the soldering iron.

Feed the the resin core solder into the aforementioned leetle hole so that it rests on the copper cable just inside of same.

As the heat transfers along the flat part of the lug it will start to melt the resin cored solder.

When this happens just feed the resin core solder in until you see the solder appear in the cable at the other end.

Immediately stop feeding it in and apply it(resin core solder) to the cable end of the lug for a second or three and then remove lug from soldering iron and let cool.

Finish off with a heavy duty piece of shrink tube.

If you are troubled by, fazed or sleeping badly at night worrying there being a weak point that might/may/could crack, then cable tie the sucker to a stable point within 6-12 inches to stabilised it.

I have never ever ever had a problem with this method.

Otherwise, the - Peterborough Kid's - and your current method is as good as any.