Steve wrote:

I have been buying #00, #0 and #1 battery cable, (the tinned marine grade
with the fine strands) and the proper lugs. However, my crimping tool will
only do up to #4 gage.

I've tried soldering with my 150 watt soldering iron and as others have
worned, the solder wicks up into the strands, making it to stiff.

These stiff ends are hard on the electrical terminals that they attach to.
I want to redo about a dozen lugs that I have concerns about.

How do all the rest of you crimp or swedge these lugs??

I've seen a tool that is used by the guys building DIY electric cars and off
grid elect systems. These were just a steel saddle that the lug/cable end
rest in and a crimping die is driven down over the open side. They were
using a heavy hammer for the force and that give me some concern (lack of
control, etc.).

I've seen some professional tools in the electrical supply catalogs but they
are pretty expensive for doing a dozen cable ends. (several hundred
dollars).

I'm thinking there should be some kinda die similar to that used for
NicoPress swedge rigging sleeves. (come to think of it, I have one and I may
try a test and see if it would work)

Or perhaps the marine suppliers?? But, then I already have purchased, mail
order, all of my cable. Not sure they would do it for me..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions


Don't you just love it when stuff is made to be multi useage?

I would buy bolt cutters and then grind notches to suit nicopress,
cable crimps, and other heavy terminals on board, and still leave
some tooth for cutting those pesky post dismasting shrouds and other
thick wires.

With a little more grinding, I might end up with a small axe, and a
hammer of sorts. With care, I might also get a useable bone cutter
for butchering them damned seals and dolphins and amputating limbs
wounded by pirates.

A little fancy rope work, and possibly even a bellows pump useable
in the bilge, or for puffing up the fire under the old steam boiler
/ teakettle / fog horn whistle. I also need a torque wrench / oil
filter removal tool, ice chipper / crusher, and a dog neuterer. Oh,
and a lunch hook for the dinghy, and with the addition of 3 clam
cleats, a come-along for rope and an emergency tiller extension /
spare jack handle / prop shaft immobiliser. All doable, I bet.

I'd hope not to change the tool so much that it becomes unuseable
for it's most common use of trying to scare off the mosquitoes and
quieting those obstreperous muskillenge. I know it's probably way
too small a calibre for the larger ones, but It'll scare off the
stupider ones.

Any other good ideas for multi use tool modifications?

I especially like the garden sprayer / poop tank purge air pump /
flame thrower, a legal fire arm never noticed by USCG inquisitors,
especially with the breadfruit growing on the poop deck.

You can get screw clamp battery terminals in several different
styles. All toatally non-marine, of course, so of no obvious use on
a boat. I mean automotive stuff never has to deal with wet, salty
vibration, right?

Terry K