Homemade free solder lugs for stranded wires.

[Boyntonstu]

Stranded wires have been a pain to connect to screws.

A soldered loop works great for small diameter stranded wires.

Large gauge stranded wires are almost impossible.

That is why they make solder lugs.

Simple solution, is to divide the single large stand into 2 smaller stands, twist them, and solder their ends together to form a loop.

[youtube]7vEBqjyOF5o[/youtube]

 

[riba2233]

You should really use proper cable lugs, that's the right way and they are also very very cheap.

 

[Boyntonstu]

No intermediate connection has a lower resistance as the wire itself.

IMHO When you crimp the copper wire with the steel lug it is not as sure as the wire itself.

Part of my hobby is whether I can do it better with less cost.

I never run out of lugs.

 

[riba2233]

That's why you should use copper lug, not steel. Proper crimped connection, with right tool, has almost zero resistance. Connections made with your method could fail mechanically over time, could corrode, and there's no way that they will stay rigid if someone stresses the wire.

 

[docw009]

If it's high current and exposed to weather, I've always use a lug. I always solder the lug to the wire. Thee process melts the plastic insulator, so I remove that and slide heat shrink over it later. A star washer under the lug is recommended too for the outside.

When you clamp wire in a screw connector like the OP's example, the actual contact area can be pretty small.

 

[Boyntonstu]

That's why you should use copper lug, not steel. Proper crimped connection, with right tool, has almost zero resistance. Connections made with your method could fail mechanically over time, could corrode, and there's no way that they will stay rigid if someone stresses the wire.

Why would I want stranded copper wires to be anything but flexible?

 

[Boyntonstu]

That's why you should use copper lug, not steel. Proper crimped connection, with right tool, has almost zero resistance. Connections made with your method could fail mechanically over time, could corrode, and there's no way that they will stay rigid if someone stresses the wire.

Copper lugs are the same material as the wire. The cost about a buck apiece.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-1-0-GAUG...170208?hash=item3cd695a960:g:uGcAAOxy1JBSSeLR

I do not see any benefit of having to solder copper to copper in order to have the end with a hole in it to fit onto a bolt.

 

[izeman]

look up differences between soldering and crimping and you willknow the benefits. main benefit is that the stranded wire will remain flexible and not break as easily as soldered wire. professional connections are always crimped, though i personally prefer a good solder over inproper crimping.

 

[Boyntonstu]

look up differences between soldering and crimping and you willknow the benefits. main benefit is that the stranded wire will remain flexible and not break as easily as soldered wire. professional connections are always crimped, though i personally prefer a good solder over inproper crimping.

I agree, and that is why I do it this way. No better contact than squished stranded copper wire.

 

[izeman]

look up differences between soldering and crimping and you will know the benefits. main benefit is that the stranded wire will remain flexible and not break as easily as soldered wire. professional connections are always crimped, though i personally prefer a good solder over inproper crimping.

I agree, and that is why I do it this way. No better contact than squished stranded copper wire.

yes. but once you add solder, the stranded wire becomes solid wire and is more likely to break at the transition from fine stranded to soldered.

 

[Boyntonstu]

look up differences between soldering and crimping and you will know the benefits. main benefit is that the stranded wire will remain flexible and not break as easily as soldered wire. professional connections are always crimped, though i personally prefer a good solder over inproper crimping.

I agree, and that is why I do it this way. No better contact than squished stranded copper wire.

yes. but once you add solder, the stranded wire becomes solid wire and is more likely to break at the transition from fine stranded to soldered.

The solder is applied only at the wire tips which extend beyond the pressure area beneath the washers; leaving behind bare copper strands.