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help - how do I crimp 8AWG terminals?

IowaRV9Dreamer

IowaRV9Dreamer

Well Known Member
Anybody have a good tool to do this? The "Terminal Tool" doesn't go down that small, and my Stein ratcheting crimper doesn't go up that big.

Thanks for any info,
 
Dave,
I used a commercial electrician's crimping tool. This tool is used to crimp the Burndy terminals they use. The tool looks like a pair of bolt cutters, with adjustable dies on it. The set I borrowed went down to #8. Do you have any electrician or avionics tech friends? If so, perhaps you could borrow a pair. Maybe someone in your EAA Chapter has one. That's how I borrowed the one I use.
I don't know who makes the low budget tool for doing that job.
Charlie Kuss
PS Here are a couple of links to show what these tools look like. I used a larger one made by Greenlee (see 3rd link)
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http://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=476838&WT.mc_id=google_base

http://www.graybar.com/webapp/wcs/s...nd+Tools:Crimpers:Manual+Operated+Compression

http://www.greenlee.com/products/CRIMPER-8%40d1%40F0.html?product_id=19104
 
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Ask your local A&P. I found most I know have one. Your local repair shop my let you bring your wire in and crimp it on the spot for no charge (as long as you do the squeezing)
 
believe it, I use a holder to drill a hole in a tube. They are pretty cheap, I got mine from cleaveland tool. What you do, and I've used this on all wire down to 2agw. Put the wire in the end, put it in the holder and take a punch, wide one and hammer it, worked great for me.
 
If you have some AL bar stock you can drill a hole the proper diameter in it for the connector. Cut through the hole with a hacksaw cutting it in half. Place each half then over the connector with the wire installed and place the whole unit into a vise and squeeze it shut. That should work fine if you can't find the proper tool to borrow.
 
Dave,
I'm down the road from you in Muscatine. I have one of these....

"I used the $8.85 crimper from www.weldingsupply.com (Item # 04040). Worked great for AWG 2 - 8 wires, and you can't beat the price. The crimps are very strong. "

You're welcome to use it if you want to drive down.

btw... there is a builders assist shop out at KCID. Can't remember the name of the guys but bet they'd have something as well.

Doug....
 
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Wasn't somebody (Avery, Cleavlend, etc.) making 8 ga crimping lugs for our pnumatic squeezers? Perhaps I'm remembering a custom set somebody made and posted about once.
 
IowaRV9Dreamer said:
Thanks guys - how does that funny looking $8.85 tool work? Do you squeeze it in a vice?
Click to expand...
If you have a larger vise that works good. I have a smaller vise so I start it in the vise and then once the lug begins to hold the wire I finish it off with a hammer. For 8AWG wire you just pound it until the "8" indicator mark on the shaft is aligned with the top of the black housing. Easily passes the pull test!

The nice thing about this tool is that it crimps at three places around the wire. It's not just a flat crimp.
 
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