How to Make Battery Cables the Right Way and the Easy Way
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- Опубликовано: 3 ноя 2013
- In this video I show two methods for how I crimp ring terminals onto heavy gauge cable. There are countless types and styles of terminals - I use copper ring terminals here.
Please see my Cable Sizing video where I describe how to choose the proper gauge of wire.
• How to Select and Purc... 
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Proper battery contact is extremely important. Quite a while ago I had electric problems with my car that no mechanic could figure out. One of those mechanics was a bloke that went from garage to garage and only did electrics. According to the garage owner, he was "a specialist." Eventually I took the car to the official dealer, who simply cut the cable ends, made a new connection, connected the cables to the battery, and covered the terminals with grease. After that, the car finally started properly and never gave me any problems again. The problem had been caused by the terminals clamps corroding slightly after leaving the battery disconnected for a couple of months. A good scrub with sandpaper probably would have done the job.
A couple of decades later, I had a similar problem with my motorbike. Took it to a mechanic, who put in a new battery (identical to the brand-new battery I had purchased and installed two days before) and a new starter motor. After a couple of days, the problem came back. I finally figured out the problem was with the connection again and fixed it myself. Between the two incidents, it all came to three batteries, one starter motor, and numerous visits to clueless mechanics -- all for poor crimp jobs or a bit of corrosion on the battery terminals. I can't remember what the cost was the first time, but the second time I paid £400 on a £1,000 bike to have unnecessary work done on it that didn't fix the problem. All the mechanics except one were clueless, including the "specialist."
Remember, kids, if you have electric problems, check the battery terminals first.
Remember kids, just because they say they are a mechanic doesn't mean they are any good at it. Just like people, they come in all types and abilities.
I've seen this a thousand times and it would be the most common form of misdiagnosis in the industry. It comes down to laziness/ incompetence/dishonesty. It's usually the first two. I've rediagnosed so many battery and starting issues for clients usually taking less than one minute with a multimeter and carrying out a voltage drop test and then a charge test. Sooo many are actually bad connections... It's beyond belief!
Yep. Tell him
I had a cadillac back in 99 that had all sorts of issues at random, including engine misfires, bucking and stalling. When it got very bad I got under and all that hell that'd been going on for months was just the negative cable being loose at the starter.
@@oby-1607 Agreed, there are 'qualified' mechanics that have no interest in doing a professional job the right way that lasts for say the next 10 years.
Either method I would like too see some shrink tubing to cover any exposed wires. Good job!
Heat shrink helps provide strain relief and avoids contact shorts with other metal objects.
KnurlKnar, Excellent video quality and quantity. If you have less than an accredited Masters in Electrical Engineering, I would be very surprised. Great work. I see how folks like to bash your technique, however, it works for you. I used your method with solder, then put some heat-shrink on it. Relatively quick and easy once I got my method down. In general, all your videos are top-notch. You have inspired me to complete an off-grid solar system for $902. The goal was sub-1000. Thanks!
Thanks for your time making the video. I love getting new tools but your right that's a great cost saver, especially if you just need to get 'er done. As Taryl says its not the Space shuttle. :) I did see someone already stated but thought from the other comments it was important to say again. Man people are jerks. Thanks again
No, it's not the space shuttle, but it may be a battery on your own transportation. Do you think an auto manufacturer simply smashes their lugs in a vice? There's a reason people get passionate about issues, It's to make a point to people who cannot decipher from their amateur standpoint.
I recently found out that my local Ace Hardware store has a proper hydraulic crimper with the proper dies to make all of the heavier gage connections. Easy and inexpensive. They let me make my own and only charge for the materials used.
To start with, I wouldn't recommend relying on solder on a terminal that will carry heavy current. A proper crimp is a must. Use a tool designed for the terminal. If you are worried about oxidation, use an anti-oxidant compound. The other problem with soldering a cable that needs to flex, is it will cause the cable to break. Heat shrink has it's place but is not usually necessary on a battery cable. There are other ways to protect from shorts and cosmetics is not a huge deal unless you have a show car.
Agree with the comment on not relying on solder, heavy current is very capable of heating the connection to the point of liquifying the solder again and then your solder meant to help the mechanical/electrical integrity will become a lubricant in the connection possibly leading to catastrophic failure.
Not only that but solder is actually a poor conductor. You're not doing yourself one bit of good by soldering a battery cable into a terminal. Just about as half-a**ed as using a vise to crimp a terminal.
@@geekthesteve6215 wow, very good point
@@carlbeaver7112That's just WRONG! A soldered crimped wire is going to have BETTER conductivity and a lower resistance! Solder is a bad conductor? Really? Which kind? Compared to what? Sorry, but you're just wrong!
Very good video....Thanks for your time and quality of info. I especially liked your comments regarding heat shrink....hadn't given it much thought....but now I have and it makes perfect sense.
No, dont listen to this guy lol. He is dead wrong about that and a lot of other things
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about heat shrink!
if the heat shrink hides imperfections then you may want to use it on yours
That's brutal . .
Thought for the day: what constitutes 'perfection' here? Gotcha!!
All the heat shrink in the world wouldn't disguise this abortion.
You should always use heat shrink, not just when you do bad job.
I agree. I dont even want a cable that looks like that for free. For someone that makes cables and have not got the correct tool (a crimping tool), says a lot.
Regarding heat shrink; you can get clear, adhesive lined, highly abrasion resistant shrink that will provide strain relief and of course, prevent moisture ingress.
I was thinking this b/c I have translucent heatshrink too. Although I rarely use it.
post crimp, use dielectric grease, and heat shrink.
thanks for this, and your thoughts on heat shrink.
Thats 100% good info - thanks (still being outside US I would face some converting issues ;)
Many thanks for your video. However, I read the following" While battery terminal covers aren't strictly necessary, many new vehicles use them to prevent short-circuiting or arcing against the car body. Battery terminal covers can be plastic, rubber or any kind of synthetic polymer that can seal the terminals against water and incidental electrical contact." and I guess, the same goes for the shrink sleeves.
Heat shrink for cosmetic purpose?That was a funny i admit.
You say you don't have the proper crimper, then followed by you don't have the proper solder but your title says "the Right Way". That's awesome.
Hi. What type/gauge would you recommend for connecting two 12v 9ah batteries together (for a UPS battery backup)? Length would only be about 3 inches with T2 connectors.
The downside of soldering, is the solder will also flow up the wire causing the end to be very stiff. For this reason where flexibility is needed at the terminal, I only crimp the end using proper crimping tools. I then place some dielectric grease on any exposed wire before installing heat shrink tubing. Good quality heat shrink keeps contaminants out so corrosion does not easily take hold. Lastly, if using for a battery terminal the entire terminal (after installation) should be coated with dielectric grease and a terminal cap used.
If you don't have a crimping tool then use a dull centering punch to dimple the terminal. This is far better than a flat punch as shown in the video.
Dielectric grease and shrink tubing is a beautiful thing.
+100 Crimping - done properly - is _much_ stronger than soldering, lasts longer (Speaking from experience. This is why telcos moved to crimps 40+ years ago) and offers lower electrical resistance. If you want something to last forever, crimp it.
Roy Riederer Dielectric grease? *Show of!*
Then why solder anything?
Roy.. you are right about soldering done wrong. Letting solder wick up the wire is All Wrong.It can be done right.. by tinning the wire first, using an iron not a torch, and with finesse and experience. tin, crimp, solder, heat shrink. done.
I know the connection's good and there is no corrosion under my heat shrink because I did it.
because i did it WTF can you guarantee this statement is true 7 years from now.
@@kwacz Because I've been heat shrinking for 40 years with no issues?
Mint video ,I did it this way then found this video mechanic ,I didn’t use solder just shrink wrap ,it’s not going anywhere after u crimp,good vid
I like how you gathered your tools together and set up your workstation.
I guess that the military, aerospace, auto manufactures, and electrical distribution companies to name a few should view this video to see what they have been doing wrong for so long.
Having worked a more than a few technical areas in my time and terminated everything from 30Ga wire up to 1000MCM I have a bit of an idea of proper procedure. Not to mention a decent selection of crimping rools
Reality check, High current connections that you want to last should be properly crimped! NO SOLDER! The solder wicks back up the wire and causes the wire to break at the point where the solder ends. Also the rosen is reactive and will cause corrosion at elevated temperatures a starter cable would encounter. His dislike of heat shrink tubing is unfounded and ill advised. Glue lined irradiated polyolefin tubing is the best choice for the job. It provides a decent seal of the connection as well as a supplemental strain relief for the connection. A properly crimped connection will be serviceable for decades with little to no increase in resistance. There is a reason connections in homes are no longer soldered, they corrode over time and fail. Do yourself and others a favor and take this down. Also buy a crimper, there are a bunch on Ebay and Amazon for cheap that will provide a more than serviceable termination in about a 10th the time and effort. Finally protect the interface with glue lined irradiated polyolefin heat shrink. Best of all they will be terminated right.
I agree with much of what you have said. Where I have disagreement or clarification is needed is your comments on soldered connections. You mention issues but leave off that those issues only come from improperly done solder connections. FYI NASA MIL Avionics all use large amounts of solder connections in high vibration environments. The exact same thing could be said of crimp connections and in fact I would go do far as to say there are more failures of crimp connections than solder in the real world. People would all do themselves a huge help to have a good quailty multimeter before crimping or soldering a wire. Especially if its a sensor wire of any type.
Further a soldered connection can almost always be visually inspected and have no ohm drop /resistance increase. With crimp only connections its hit or miss in that two connections that look the same can produce a clean no drop connection or one with a few tenths in ohm loss.
Proper solder connection goes as follows:
* Strip wire with no damage to core wire/s. Visual inspection
* Tin wire stopping a wire diameter in length from the wires insulation
* Slide into connector or make splice ( mech connection: twists such as short western union splice etc) Proper fit to connector and form of splice if used visually and physically inspected
* Clean all solder and bare exposed wire with acid brush and alcohol or other rosin/flux solder wash cleaner usually pure iso alcohol.
* Connection is checked with ohm meter and visually inspected
* Use heat shrink with sealant depending on condition requirements. We always used only mil spec i.e extra thick with/without sealant heat shrink which was made of polyolefin. Its thicker and stiffer than tradition sleeves. The heat shrink must overlap the wire insulation by 3x wire diameter in length. (These were used irregardless of connection type crimp or solder or combo.)
* Final ohm meter and visual inspection.
With the solder stopped the spec distance prior to the insulation prevents solder and flux rosin wicking past the insulation. There are also heat guards to prevent these issues in highly critical areas that you use at the wires while you solder joints. At NASA it was a requirement for many jobs. This gap of tinning and or joint solder prevents any areas that will not be able to be cleaned and corrode/weaken creating resistance/short/failure.
You can certainly use clean free solder with rosin free and or non corrosive rosin. But if its allowed and meets spec it is always easier and in most ways better IMHO to use leaded solder and no matter what type rosin free or not always clean after soldering with a proper wash and brush. For those that do not know an acid brush is a type of brush and has nothing to do with actual use of any acid at all. Its a brush used to clean soldered connections splices etc. The cleaner is usually/traditionally the same alcohol used in rubbing alcohol you find in most med cabinets. It is a pure / much high percentage form so do not go using rub al. Its isopropyl alcohol
The use of heat shrink sleeve more so with heat activated sealant not only protects but aids mechanical strength to the connection splice or connector. Further the overlap of the wire insulation moves the flex point back to beyond the strip to where both factory and sleeve insulation meet. This will always be at least as strong as the base wire and insulation combo. No matter what connection crimp, solder or combo crimp and solder you never have a splice or connector where there will be bending or sharp radius's. Thats just poor engineering and electrical work. Not saying you recommended this in any way just a point for anyone reading. Set this way there are no weak points that are going to break or have corrosion. Spliced line a linesman/western union short or long and stronger than the base wire and insulation itself and that is even without any solder or sleeve.
Another thing to consider is proper crimping ALWAYS damages the wire thru deformation. Soldered splices almost never damage wires and thus can be undone if needed.
Solder connections create more contact area and thus equal or much close to no change in resistance and wire capacity. Crimp connectors freq can not. This can be critical with computer drive sensor command and control pathways where sensors use volt signal coms. Where 4.2 volts vs 4.1 volts is a different reading and thus effects how the program reacts. No matter what type connection you use alway have a high quality multimeter and test every splice and connection.
The Video author makes a number of mistakes or lack of critical info such as the type of solder and its quality along with any flux and type is very critical. You do not want to have people grabbing plumber solder and flux for sweating copper and brass pipe connections/joints and using it for electrical and electronic soldering. No mention of cleaning or distance from insulation. There are specs and standard for a reason.
Both crimp and solder connections can be very high quality and work without issues but both can be done wrong and will lead to trouble. they both have plus and minus. Crimps are quick and cheap which is a signif reason they are used where ever they can get away with it in the automotive industry. But in areas where perf and quailty regardless of cost is the focus such as the aerospace and areas of the military you see many more soldered connections.
Given how critical proper voltage is in todays computer controlled vehicles you want to be extra critical of your splice and joints and ensure there is no ohm drop with any connection you make. Many engine systems will not even allow the engine to start without seeing proper voltage from the battery/s to the computer. Everything from your gas pedal position to the temp of the various engine fluids is expressed in different amounts of voltage transmitted from a sensor thru connectors and splices to the computer i,e. usually called the PCM (Power Control Module) thus for a proper running vehicle be it car motorcycle boat airplane or even civilian drones all connections and circuits must be clean and with no resistance issues. To include ground connections. They are VERY critical so do not cheap out on them.
For crimping make sure you use the proper crimper for the type of connector i.e single vs double crimper. IMO ratchet crimpers are better choice as they take much of the skill out of making a proper crimp. Many crimps fail from too little or too much crimp pressure. High quality ratchet crimpers prevent this. Expect to spend $50-$100. Single crimp is used for heat shrink and double crimp for nylon. With heat shrink a double would crimp and damage the heat sleeve that overlaps the wire insulation. With nylon there is no heat shrinkage thus not sealed from environmentals and both the metal connector and the end of the nylon sleeve are crimped to further increase holding compression and sealing the connection.
HI any videos to show your description of how it should be done?
@@madarehgallag everything this goober does is a fail
mikeiver z I agree BUT some of us live 20 miles from town and poor so solder,heat shrink and or black electrical tape it is..Duct tape (all not just metal) are supposed to conduct electricity and not be used..BUT I'd rather have it than bare wires.It seems you are an intelligent man however for the most part at least we live in the Real World where u use what u got...
You are quite simply correct.
This is not the way to do it. Even a cheap eBay hammer crimper will do a better job.
I've worked with electrical cables for years now. Nice job, BUT it would be much better if you do these three things: 1. Clean the flux off with alcohol/solvent or it WILL Corrode. 2. Apply a liberal amount of non-acidic RTV to the joint, hint if it smells like vinegar you have the wrong stuff. 3. before the RTV dries cover it with heat shrink and Shrink it. After you heat shrink it and it oozes out, wipe the excess off and let it cure. This will humidically and acidically seal it so that it will NOT corrode. Best Wishes n Blessings Keith
Keith Noneya nnn
rosin core will not cause corrosion.. rosin flux wont.acid flux is for Plumbing ONLY.. and does cause corrosion.
If you use adhesive lined heat shrink, you will not need the RTV.
Paul Moffat R U related to mike moffit ,the guy that called jerry "a big phoney "??
i find it interesting that he did state the flux is acidic and will corrode the copper if not burned off then he stuffs the copper wire dipped in flux into the terminal with out the flux being burned off...
I always solder my cable lugs after I crimp the lugs! Just got this video today!
Great video , would it be ok to use welding cable. we have a bunch of it and wanted to use it. thank you for your help.
hahaha... "and I'm lazy"... love the honesty, thanks for sharing.
Would it be o.k. to put a little bit of dielectric grease on the exposed wires to help slow down or prevent corrosion if it will even do it?
Dielectric grease has been used for decades to protect metals from oxidation. It can always be used to extend life, but preventing the infiltration of ionic contaminants, acids, and aqueous contaminants is still the best corrosion prevention.
The heavy electric loaded headlight pins burned out, on my 05 Suzuki V-Strom motorcycle harness connector. The wire connector pins burnt out, because the gauge is too small and oxidized quick. I see now that the same gauge wire is still being used, but now the pin connectors are being slopped-up with as much dielectric grease as possible.
Your videos are great. Plz to keep them coming. Illegitimi non carborundum. - jwrit
Well done thanks just answered all my questions
Spend the $12 bucks for crimper, put electric grease on wire and use heavy duty heat shrink, heat up until you see the glue on the ends start to liquefy. Then you know if the joint is good,
Zinc coated copper lugs are a better choice as well, they don't corrode!!!!
So you are recommended puttng dielectric grease on the stripped bare wires. Then iserting the wires into the connector and crimping it. Then sliding the heat shrink sleeve over the greased wire connector and applying heat to shrink and seal the sealant filled sleeve??? What do you think happens to that grease when its heated up and what effect that now thin liquidized grease running out of the connector under the heat shrink sleeve and its sealant. How well does adhesives stick to surfaces coated in grease? How well does sleeve seal with expanding grease pushing seeping out from under it.
How about we lose the dielectric grease and save that to allie to the connector lug mating surface after the connector is installed on the wire. Nickel and zinc coatings slows corrosion they are not corrosion proof. They will corrode. If you think otherwise put some battery acid on them and see what happens in a few weeks months.
I have been crimping cables for way longer than I want to remember. Having said that recently while considering an electric APU for my van I came across Trojan Battery company document WP_Battery Cable Guide_0512. This changed everything in my thinking the solder pellets are the way to go see the thermal image pics on page two. When i do my cables I will be doing it that way. Thanks for the video I appreciate it.
John B
Thank for your video, but why you didn't used shrink to save cable from shorts?
Dear Mr Pierre, ...you are obviously one of those people who always correct I would say,... ( like my wife, ! ) I for one found this video very informative and very easy to follow, and it is WAY better than I was going about it,, .. a complete novice, I was, and I will be doing it this way from now on, even if you do shit-can it, - I thank you Knurlgnar, a well done video.
That's wrong
I thought so too after watching the way you and others do it!
So much wrong in one video, factual, process, everything. It's pretty much a guide on how *not* to make up cables
agreed, dead wrong.
Where's your link to how you make one if you comment like that?
@@zdravkomomci7570 ask Randall Goguen, the English physicist, he specializes in battery cables (doesn’t know anything else, but he’s adamant that he knows his way around a battery cable)!!😁 he’s your “go-to” guy!🥴
You might re-title your video how to make battery cables the easy way because it is certainly not the right way. You need a proper crimping tool to do it right so you are actually compressing the lug, not just flattening with a bench vice.
@Chris the vice grip & the solder was a lil too much but i mean if you dont got the crimper, hit it with the vice then hammer down with a flat tool to press it should be okay right? thats kinda what a crimping tool is, a flat tool that presses down with force
I can't defend him on the no heat shrink comment though if you do it with a press, chisel h
& hammer def use heat shrink lol
He does say you should use a crimper but he doesn’t want to buy one
If you're soldering it then the fact he didn't crimp isn't much to worry about
Maybe not right, but I have seen this work for 20 years.
Soldering will give the best conductivity.
can i connect 12v deep cycle battery to my car's main starter battery in parallel? the deep cycle is different size and is bigger in ah and amps. i need extra juice for electronics charging and lights.
Hi, I have same situation , I don’t know for shore is the right thing to do.
I was wondering why almost half the votes were negative and I was going to give this a 'thumbs up' . . . until the very end. The guy is promoting this crimp method as quick and easy . . . just don't hide it under shrink wrap so you can tell if it is "slipping out of the crimp" !?!?! 12:56 O M G
very good tutorial. i've done it this way for years. one tip: when i use the punch to crimp i saddle it into a piece of heavy angle iron. it kind of helps keep its rounded shape and looks cleaner. i use heat shrink with adhesive in it to protect when the cables are used outdoors. if i have a question about the viability of a joint i just cut off the shrink and re shrink if its ok.
Only an idiot would believe anything this idiot said or did
Hello Sir, while I'm sure you have good intentions to help folks. However it's a proven fact that a hydraulic crimping tool will secure that copper end so strong there's no way possible to remove it. Soldering is always a good thing but to get a super tight connection you really will want it to be done with the proper tool 😃
T & B makes a super crimper, the TBM14 that can be wedged into one of those adjustable saw horses, and the pump has a good little remote control so you can
pay attention to the crimp. Plus, if the crimp's right the dies will leave a number.
This video should be titled "Wrong Way". The solder has to meet the copper wire somewhere and it will make a rigid joint. With vibration that is where it will fail. The terminals are flared to allow some wire flex after the terminal has been properly crimped.
Not sure if this was supposed to be funny but.....that was funny as hell 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yeah, that's my sentiments too Tommy. I think he's just a comedian with a straight face.
having been around automobiles and working on them and taking various courses over the years, along with having my own garage at one time, working for a huge company taking care of their fleet of cars, and building and racing dirt late models, i can tell your one thing for sure, the people commenting on here telling you this is the wrong way to put a terminal on a cable are dead on. if you have any doubts at all just look at factory ends, they are crimped. what he is doing will work, and so will the cheap little bolt on ends, or just about anything that will make a connection, but there is a right way to do it. this isn't it, again if in doubt and you don't want to accept looking at factory ends, find your local electrical shop and ask them. and my experience goes way back to the early 50s, and yes i am really old.
You're right. A proper crimp is as good as a weld as far as conductivity goes. Take a terminal that has a proper crimp and cut it in half to look at a section.
This video title is very misleading.
A cheap $45 dollar hand held hydraulic hex crimper will make very nice and proper crimps every time.
And C H, most of those tools come with more than one size die. In the case of the HF unit, it comes with size #14 up to size #0. And you can get them for anywhere from 20 to 25% off with a coupon.
jimmie Roan all those cheap bolt on piece of garbage are for is to het you off the highway or off a trail to a place you can install the proper cable. Period. End of story.
@@robby844 i agree, i guess. not sure of what you are talking about as far as cheap bolt on garbage, i was commenting on how wrong this video is about making cables. ive never seen a factory cable that wasn't crimped, my short time in the military on aircraft all the cable ends were crimped. ive seen the crimped ends opened up to show their is no air gaps in between the wire strands with a good crimp, which would cause corrosion.
@@jimmieroan9881 I was talking about those cheap ends with the 2 bolts with the metal strap or the ones where you insert the stripped wire and tighten the screw down. Ive seen both styles get hot and melt
Thank for making this video. Crimping is the preferred method for making the connection. Solder is subject to failure under vibration. Also, crimp connections alleviate the connection problems associated with wire and terminal hardware corrosion, as the mechanical action of the crimping crushes the oxidation layer, guaranteeing the low resistance connection. Soldering only encapsulates the existing corrosion, which causes a lowered ampacity. Crimp connection with v-divits are preferred to flat crimps, due to the mechanical properties of the interface created. Use of heat shrink, especially adhesive lined, is preferred, due to the added mechanical strain relief, as well as its ability to seal out corrosive elements. But not everyone needs a connection designed by an electrical engineer. :-p
Agreed, we run 48V@600A at my facility and all lugs from 6/0 to 12G are crimped, no solder
Nice video 👍 i'm going to the same thing when i should change the batterycables on my tractor but i'm going to use heatshrink over the terminals. And the reasons for that is that it protects the cables from coroding and that it also looks better. You are just letting the moisture inside your cables whitout using heatshrink.
Crimp and Solder will last. Nice tutorial.
Heat shrink should always be used on cable terminations especially for automotive applications. Its not to hide or pretty things up. use adhesive lined shrink tubing and the wire strands will stay protected from moisture and corrosion. If you were to leave the strands exposed at the terminal like in this video and use them on anything automotive or otherwise outside in the elements that cable connection would be the color of moldy bread within a couple months. And would leave the cable with high resistance and voltage/current drop. Also if you want those terminals to last more than a year in any use exposed to outdoor elements youd want to use coated terminals. Bare copper will be corroded in a month especially directly connected to a battery thats venting right next to the terminal. Also getting a decent hydraulic crimper isnt that expensive you can get one that'll crimp up to 0 gauge terminals for less than your vise hammer and drift cost. I emplore you to get one and compare your crimps/soldering to the results of the hydraulic crimper. Get a hacksaw out and cut the terminal in the middle of your crimps and look at the difference. The hydraulic crimper will cold fuse all the wire strands to the connector. It will never separate and wont allow any moisture/corrosion in the crimp.
Vehicles, especially Japanese imports, have been made with simple bare wire cable clamps on the batteries for decades. It's not my favorite setup for that application but that's what they've been doing. Heatshrink is a corrosion catcher, not a preventer in real life. If you want your cable to last in an outdoor environment you need to encase it in something that will not corrode like solder. This is what nearly all vehicle manufacturers do now - essentially soldered connections (metal impregnated and molded, but basically the same). The whole 'cold weld' theory taught by crimper manufacturers is NOT science and is not true. You will find that info documented in 'best practices' information for technicians but if you look in research whitepapers you'll find real data which does not support that theory. I do have a hydraulic crimper now but rarely use it. Does it make better terminations? Yes. Better enough to matter? Not really in most cases.
@@knurlgnar24 you can make a video comparing the two
Shrink wrap is to help keep the elements out which cause corrosion.
and to keep it intact
With some dielectric grease in between
no with heat schrink with glue !!
Great video Thank You for posting
For everyone's safety, please take this video down.
do you have to use copper wire & copper inserts when using it for a converter or is regular wire ok //
Great video on how to make a cable if you need one in an emergency, otherwise buy the proper crimp tool and do it properly.
Love everything except the solder and flux. I have been professionally trained and have worked on electrical cables and repaired electronics for a living for over 37 years. The flux is corrosive and some solder can also have some flux in it, so I would not use it. What happens is the flux becomes a liquid acid, when heated, to clean the oxidation and contaminates off the wire and terminal. When it's in it's liquid state some of the acid flows down into the battery cable and up under the cable jacket. Through normal temperature changes the cable absorbs moisture and reacts with the Flux acid and starts to eat and corrode the copper cable. Over time the cable becomes a big resistor and things like batteries and starters begin to over heat and will be damaged. The solder may be a good idea if the cable is used in a non-vibration application, but is not needed. If it's used in an automotive application it's not a good idea, because the cable strands are not free to move flex slightly. When they're held without the ability to flex slightly they start to break, much like bending a coat hanger back and forth. So just crimp them. Smashing them in the vise is ok for a temporary solution but for a permanent one, use a couple of nails across the face of the terminal it will work better. Thanks for the entertainment.
Best Wishes n Blessings. Keith
@Keith Noneya, thank you very much! I was going to make up some battery cables next month. I was going to use welding lead and soldered connections. I will now forget about the solder, and crimp them instead. 👍🖐️
Can I use any flux at all when soldering a battery cable wire? Surely there is one type that I can use?
@@rickigunter1960 Use a no-clean flux or a no-clean solder containing this flux. It is often used for sensitive electronics (such as tactical systems) that are required to function after years in storage. The residue left behind is non-corosive.
@@rickigunter1960 You need to use a rosin flux like the author did it is water soluble and non-acidic. It is better to 1/4 fill the connector with solder and heat it until the solder is liquid, then push the cable into the hot solder any excess will overflow the connector. I buy my battery cable ends with the solder already in the connector at my local tractor supply. Doing it this way reduces the wicking of the solder up the cable.
What about the cable resistance etc do you not need to deal with that since it will be carrying current to a battery and could be the wrong resistances or is not so important???
Nice job. If you are making several a solder pot really speeds up the soldering process and tins the whole end keeping it from corroding.
I really hope you have learned that this is far from the best way and is actually a fail on so many points. Firstly, you cause a brittle point in the cable (it WILL snap in time, with vibration like you'll find on a diesel vehicle)The outer casing is too short, it should but to the connector, you burned the outer casing, you crimped a solder joint (Biggest no-no there!) Crimp OR solder, not both. As for using the vice to crimp, it squashes the lug instead of squeezing it so acrually is less effective by far and it looks awful.In my line of work or play it would be failed and binned everytime, just buy a cheap crimper, there are versions from hydraulic hex finish, manual die to the back and even a really inexpensive "hit with hammer in a vice" machines. All do better quality and finish.
To save money on expensive fittings, I have used copper tubing/pipe from hardware store, or reclaimed from job sites. Cut it to length, flatten one end and drill a hole through it and you have a low cost connector.
A low cost, low performance, and unreliable connector.
Not bad idea bro
I just pick up this crimper that comes with changeable teeth and has a hydraulic cylinder with a turn on/off valve. It also works on cable for regular tie downs for fences, poles. And I agree with you on the shrink tube.
Man you don't know how thankful I am for you. Good-looking out yo
“I’m only going to heat the end piece here so I don’t oxidize the wire... “
then processes to roast the shit out of the entire thing..looked like he thought he was soldering a copper pipe
Wow you guys really just wilfully ignored ALL the times he stated there are better ways to do this - like having larger solder so it doesn't take as long. Like someone else said - he's not going to the moon with this cable. It's good enough for what he needs. Fucking pedantic perfectionists do my fucking head in....
@@chocolate_squiggle Look at the title of the video.
@@chocolate_squiggle Bodger.
I heat the connecton until the solder flows. I intermittently apply heat as needed to keep the solder flowing. Never continuously keep the torch on the connector. Keeps the heat from melting the insulation.
I have been soldering cables since before my apprenticeship, 1 you are using solder lugs they do not need crimping.
2 you put the lug into the vice heat and fill with solder to just below the lip.
3 whilst the solder is hot and with a little flux on the wire push the wire slowly into the solder, whilst still heating the lug outer, raise the wire up and down a few times and you will see the solder run into the wire push in, remove heat, let cool. Finished perfect joint.
Your method of crimp does not produce a good crimp, that is butchering.
Quick does not equal best.
For extra low voltage you are setting your self up for trouble.
Kezza Tries, funny thing is I always drill a little hole at the bottom of the lug and solder it thru the hole, but I'm gonna have to try your technique now.
@@anomilumiimulimona2924 cool, I look forward to hearing back from you, re your results.
Tip, when you put the lug into the vice, only hold the tip of the termination (say up to the hole) end, other wise the vice will act like a huge heatsink. Do it right and it is quite quick, no t as quick as crimping, but much better than. I recently purchased cables made up, with some batteries (so they came from the battery suppliers) test the crimp by pulling the ends came off some, imagine them with a 4000 watt inverter. With extra low DC volts never crimp, especially where high currents are involved, or when you are solar charging.
Cheers Mate.
Kezza Tries, thanks that's good to know. Maybe I'll try it out tomorrow.
Merci beaucoup, très intéressant et très bon vidéo.
Use transparent heat shrink so that visual inspection is possible . Heat shrink also acts as a stress reliever and if quality shrink is used it is an insulator. Thanks for the video.
This is what happens when a plumber thinks he's an electrician....
I'm a plumber,I know better than this, loved your comment
Lol
Doginu, a plumber would have used acid core solder and acid flux like they do in sweating rigid copper tubing. I have done a lot of copper tubing in my occupation as a builder, but also used to solder house wiring connections back before they came up with wire nuts, in the 1960's. Each requires a different kind of flux and solder, but the actual soldering techniques are very similar. The way I see it the only thing he did wrong was not to tin the wire and inside of terminal before inserting and soldering.
@@plumberman5369 , not trying to be rude or anything, but speaking as a professional plumber what would you have done differently? As a professional builder since 1970 I have sweated a lot of rigid copper tubing. I have also done a lot of soldering on electronics. When I was a young boy I helped my grandad solder house wiring connections before the invention of wire nuts. Each uses different flux and solder but the techniques are very similar. What I would have done differently than knurlgnar24 is, I would have left only 1/8 inch between insulation and connector and would have tinned the wire and inside of terminal before inserting it and soldering it. I would also forget about crimping unless I had the proper crimping tool. From past experience, crimping with a vice or vice-grips just smashes the connector and flattens the wire and only prevents getting an adequate amount of solder in the connection.
@@vintagestereobuff7005 first thing would be not to heat the connector to the temperature of molten lava. Second would be to get the proper crimping tool.
I thought your wire selection guides were pretty good, but your cable termination advice is a bit sketchy. You are doing a disservice to people by calling this "the right way" in the title. This is a better than average "hack" way to make cables (since most people really suck making cables the "average" isn't very good). Your connections should work OK, and I've seen worse... and maybe using solder is better than someone having a cable that is only crimped poorly. But no way can you crimp something in a vise (among other issues) and call it the "right" way. I would suggest that people do a lot more research on proper crimping (and inexpensive tools that can help) vs solder or crimp + solder connections before deciding to follow your advice. Especially for mobile and high current use!
And you say heat shrink is only for cosmetics? Yikes! Well, I can understand why you want to keep an eye on the terminations you've made using these methods as they are going to be failure prone. (But without the heat shrink they WILL fail even faster!) On the other hand, you shouldn't need to keep such a close eye on well made, properly crimped lugs protected with high quality glue filled heat shrink.
Heat shrink is definitely only for cosmetics. There are no exceptions to this and there are multiple reasons for this both logical and practical. However I agree that a vise is not the best way to crimp and I do have an inexpensive American made crimping die that I sometimes use. The point here is that the average person doesn't need any special stuff to make safe cables. Cables made in your garage with garage tools can be more effective and long lasting than the majority of the commercially made junk out there on the market. In fact I trust the vise crimps more than the die's crimps that I have due to better strain relief on the individual strands. This method most definitely does work, and it works reliably.
Glue filled heat shrink is good stuff BTW and I put that in a separate category then standard heat shrink. But I still don't use it on 'battery' cables due to corrosion issues and inspection difficulties.
***** As I said, I've seen worse cables, but you title this video as "the right way" and that is waaaaay off the mark. If you posted this on a welding forum or a marine forum, those people would flame you to death. Your method is "a" way if you really, really really don't want to spend less than $20 on a hammer crimping tool (still not great) or $50 for a hydraulic crimper at harbor freight, or if you really don't want to fork over $10 or $20 to have a local auto parts store make them. And some welding supply shops don't even charge to crimp if you are buying cable and lugs from them. You don't position your advice as "this will get you by with OK cables" you are basically advising people they don't even need to try to do it using using one of the more widely accepted methods and proper tools. Same thing when you blow off heat shrink without pointing out that adhesive heat shrink is a different story (and I think widely accepted as a good idea).
Darin Weeks
Using adhesive lined heat shrink is still a very bad practice. Cables made this way are not merely 'OK'. They are far superior to most commercially made cables.
***** When adhesive lined heat shrink protects a well made crimped connection, you are providing nearly perfect protection against corrosion. There should be almost no oxygen anywhere in the connection and no way for acid or moisture to get in. As such, there is no need to monitor the area under the heat shrink visually as it would be more likely for the lug itself to corrode to the point it is unusable. The fact that you are so intent on monitoring this area is exactly what makes me think your cables stink.... and it seems like you just don't realize how bad they are (but again, to give you credit, as I've said, i've seen much worse). You should absolutely not have any undue worry about that area with a well made cable. With your cables, there is no question that the connection area is going to fail first.
But anyway, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. You are sorely misguided if you think that you'd ever see cables like yours used in an installation by a trained professional (and I'm not talking about a car audio guy). I'm not a professional BTW so that is not why I'm saying that. I have no idea what kind of "commercial" cables you are talking about where you find yours are superior or what planet you are on thinking that crimping in a vise makes your connections better than commercial equipment. Unless you are just saying you sourced better wire than you'll find in cheap chinese jumper cables. But in that case, you are talking about retail cables, not quality commercial/industrial grade cables.
top tips... made some today thanks to you
Excellent video.
"I am the Termination" (Arnold voice) 👍
“I em de termination”
I worked for years where we made custom cables every week. The easiest way we found was to cut the insulation off only slightly shorter than the lug cup is deep, fasten the lug cup-up in a vise, put flux on the cable end, heat the lug with a torch, feed solder into the lug cup until it's about 1/3 full, heat about another minute after that, heat the cable end for about 30 seconds & reapply flux, immediately push the cable end into the lug (be careful about pushing the solder out too fast -- it really burns). You will have an excellent connection & if you cut the insulation correctly, it will melt as it butts up to the lug -- creating an almost watertight seal. (A couple of coats of Liquid Electrical Tape will help seal it also.)
You'll have a better cable than you can buy & they only take about 5 minutes per end to make.
Thanks for the comment! You really know your stuff from a practical standpoint. If you have a video demonstrating your method and technique please link!
On my boat, the Onan generator battery cables have bronze castings for the battery posts which were designed for soldering onto the 2/0 wire. I wanted to use the 2/0 wire for an inverter for the boat, so I heated up the bronze casting and the old cable came right out in good shape, this after 45 years on a boat. Then I half filled the cup with solder and shoved the cleaned replacement battery cable (from an old GM v8 car, likely 0 gauge) into the casting and it works perfect.
I have also made my own custom battery cables for the boat using for the end short pieces of copper pipe or copper pipe fittings. Pass the entire stripped cable end into fitting, smash flat with hammer, drip a hole and then solder seal it on both ends. Works great. Very strong cable ends. They are thicker, but has not been a problem.
Scott Downey I also have made some of my own large wires using salvaged bare copper wire and make my own bundles. The wire strands are not as fine strands so make a stiff cable, but I salvaged lots of 14 and 12 gauge old romex wire this way for a few free cables. One I made was 5 feet long and likely about 250 mcm sized. Shoved into an old rubber hose for insulation. I also made an 18 inch 250mcm sized cable for joining the battery switch to the positive junction block and used heater hose for insulation. Anyone looking at them would just think they are some regular but massive wires. They all have worked fine for over 5 years.
Scott Downey I did make one wire using some finer strand wire salvaged from old burnt wiring of 16 to 8 gauge. Still plenty stiff but not as stiff as when using romex copper.
It is always better to spear your cable insulation rather than scoring it, in that way you won't have any blurring of the insulation when heating the conductor.
Would you recommend using heat wrap?
Thank you nice presentation.
You can also drill a small hole in the copper terminal through which to apply the solder. That's what I do...
I have payed hydraulic crimmper on Amazon around 20 EUR just to crimp few cables. Makes sense to me. It is cheap, quick and proper way of making cables.
With the "unsoldered" connection, wouldn't you "slather" the copper strands in Vasoline or Dielectric Grease, before crimping?
Crimp with wise..whattt???? I never thought this tricks till I found your channel!! What a waste having a wise but don''t do this methods all this time😂😂 thank you for the good tricks and video.
11:13 nice beat
Pierre! I totaly agree, this Video should be called How not to do it,,,
So we can look forward to YOUR video on How To Do It?
@@SRFDriver You need a video to tell you not to solder battery terminals?
@@randallgoguen3463 Read what I wrote again: There was nothing in my comment about how NOT to do it--that was in yours.
@@SRFDriver I read you comment again. I thought you were trying to be an arse both times.
@@randallgoguen3463 I "though" you couldn't spell
Those are interesting points about heat shrink, it is always nice to hear a contrary point of view. I use heat shrink to separate moisture from the metal of the conductor. Any unheated room will predictably reach the dew point temperature overnight, where moisture in the air condenses on anything. That moisture then promotes galvanic reactions, oxidation, and corrosion. There is a reason corrosion of battery terminals is largely confined to the posts, where contiguous moisture can wick up any unprotected wire. On the other hand, your remark about actually seeing what is going on is certainly valid.
I made my own terminals with copper pipe of the right inner diameter
flatened a end and drilled thru it. I also had wire half as big as I needed so I doubled it
up I cut my resistance by 1/3,,, by running a steel cable with the copper cable you will reduce the flux field inductance further....... plumbers pipe flux also works great
for difficult soldering they have soldering tip cleaner at radio shack or frys that
will solder the impossible connections I always keep a small tin around of it
Do Not use this method on Mains Voltage, In the UK, its best practice to use the correctly sized lugs and cable using a Calibrated Crimp tool without the need for soldering....
Soldering reduces resistance. Increases strength
@@FastenDeezNutz but a crimp is way stronger and not brittle
@@FastenDeezNutz Not really...
When putting connectors on the cables, buying some heat shrink with glue on the inside is a much better choice than using electrical tape to seal the ends. Also some silicone grease to keep the acid out is a good idea as well when inserting the cable. A tight crimp with clean wire is always required for a good connection that lasts. Clean as in no oxides or dirt, and cleaning the wires and lugs with acid either sulpheric or hydrochloric is needed, but must not by concentrated. Always pour acid into water to dilute, never the other way around. You will get a steam explosion and possible blindness if you do not follow this rule.
Hi, I wanted to know that I have 4 panels of 150 watts which mm wire you recommend from panels to charge controller distance is about 20 feets. Thanks
2 gauge.
Lol
Thank you for the video. Clear, simple and useful.
IMO , you should solder your cable ends first , then if you feel you need to crimp it , then do so after .
Once you crimp the end , there is no room for the solder to flow into the end etc etc .
Like your video's! Buy a Hammer Indent Crimper and leave the solder out.
How many strands of wire do I want on My battery cable and what temperature for it to handle?
Adhesive Heat shrink is recommended. It helps prevent corrosion. They trained me proper way of making cables when I was building locomotives which is meant for all kinds of weather. And not easy to change out either.
Why do people who have no skills in a subject feel the need to make "How To" videos? Anyone who "crimps" anything with a vise or vise-grips shouldn't even be allowed to own a camera to film it with.
+Ronald Rivet Because they are trying to make money off their shit video through youtube.
Because this is youtube..and idiots rule everything.Remember " You Don't Know What You Don't Know."
Ron Rivet
...and convinced of it !....still !!! Hahahaha!
The age old adage... "Those who cannot do TEACH"
i like how your video says the "right way" then you slam the thing in a vise. wh... yo... nevermid. just go away
Im glad Im not the only one who noticed that. The video title should be: how NOT to do it
@@Chris-yy7qc the vice grip & the solder was a lil too much but i mean if you dont got the crimper, hit it with the vice then hammer down with a flat tool to press it should be okay right? thats kinda what a crimping tool is, a flat tool that presses down with force
I can't defend him on the no heat shrink comment though if you do it with a press & hammer def use heat shrink lol
@@Donaldtrummp That would be just another hack job... Do it the proper way or dont do it.
I just get a bigger hammer . . . 🔨
@@Chris-yy7qc if you don't have a crimper solder will be fine as long as the wire insulation doesn't get burned and you heat shrink the connection. A solder joint will have a lower resistance than a crimp.
For like $15 I got a tool on Amazon that you place the the terminal in, that has a slide that you hit the top of with a hammer and it crimps the terminal. I tried to pull a terminal off and could not get it to budge at all.
I have that tool as well, or at least one like it. It works OK but is constructed very cheaply as they all seem to be. It seems to work for me about as well as a vice grip or bench vise. I think it is a useful tool but nothing special with respect to making terminations. I prefer this method. A multi-hundred dollar pneumatic/hydraulic crimper would work better in most circumstances but that isn't really the purpose of this video.
@@knurlgnar24 a good hydraulic one with dies is $50 at Harbor Freight, just so you know 👍
I'm more interested in car applications, and although I do appreciate the time you took to make, upload the video, automotive car battery cables are not that expensive, so I prefer to go that way for replacing mine, easier and bolt on if you end up purchasing one for your specific car make and model.
Thats all good usually if your replacing a stock wire with a stock wire, but its not always that inexpensive and its not always just a bolt on kinda deal even when purchasing OEM parts from the dealer. If your doing car audio and have to run 1/0 to trunk you don't really have to many premade options but in the past i have used premade wire from autoparts store and it looked to be well made 2AWG wire with terminals on both ends and it ended up being one of the worst wire failures I ever had and If I had not of been disconnecting it when upgrading alternator it probably would of broke soon anyways.
This IS for an automotive application. Look up "Big 3 wiring mod"
totally wrong buy the proper crimping tool and you will save a ton of time and have a great connection
and you should have used rosin core solder the same solder they use on electronics
acid core solder is used for plumbing rosin core solder is used for electronics no soldering paste involved, you don't have to worry about the acid eating the connection.
The reason for a good heat shrink wrap is to prevent oxidation by sealing the oxygen from the copper wire.
YES,YES!
why was yall watching this if you all ready know how? just to show off your superior skills.
Saving money and it will work. That’s what he’s teaching. Get over it boys.
As for as the heat shrink option, there's a type that has an internal epoxy coating that will effectively make the location air/water tight. You can usually find them where they sell welding supplies (cabling, O2 refills, etc) and are available in various colors. They are also a great place for the rest of the cabling, ends, etc that you may be looking for when building battery cables, whether for off-grid power systems or auto/truck/farm batteries. I will buy common cable sizes in "bulk" lengths for the cost savings and the convenience of having a ready source when something "pops up". By being able to have a "one stop shopping" resource that can cover 95% or more of what I need, I'm saving time and money just in the single source stop alone. If I can work out a discount that's in both our favors, it's icing on the cake.
Blessings to All and God Bless the USA 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I get the same stuff. Double walled with adhesive. Just look for marine worthy.
"How to Make Battery Cables the Wrong Way"
Great method - thanks for the video.
Where did you get those cable cutting shears? - very cool. - jwrit
Well, I see that the population of Dorkville is growing steadily.
I usually fill the terminal up with molten solder then re heat and dip the cable into the opening and let it cool. Heat shrink and your done for a better cleaner look. U can also use lead.
Nice knife friend!
if using the small solder. What i do is stretch out 1 ft long and i spool it back and forth across 2 points 1 ft apart. Usually about 5 or 6 times then twist this up and it gives you a nice thick solder. The heat shrink tubing is nice to label 12 volt positive and negative. Dual wall works very well also for protection. If you have that green type corrosion, use hot water and baking soda. Works like a champ to neutralize the acid from the battery tops. My 2 cents and thanks for making the video........... you rock.