To crimp or solder

Shunter46

Registered
3 Apr 2019
63
0
72
West Midlands United Kingdom
Best answers
0
Country flag
I am wiring up my new DC garden G gauge. What’s best to crimp or solder confections ? Any advice please and what tools are best ?
 

Rhinochugger

Retired Oik
27 Oct 2009
36,554
4,234
North West Norfolk
Best answers
0
Country flag
I am wiring up my new DC garden G gauge. What’s best to crimp or solder confections ? Any advice please and what tools are best ?
Solder, every time - but, if you want to use crimp connectors for ease of disconnection, then use a bit of solder in the collar of the crimped connector.
 

PhilP

G Scale, 7/8th's, Electronics
5 Jun 2013
33,457
3,505
Nottingham
Best answers
0
Country flag
If you have the correct tooling, then you can crimp.. Otherwise you will not get a 'gas-tight' connection, and you will have problems over time..

I solder, but if I had the tools, I would probably twist, tin/solder the wire, then crimp it!

PhilP.
 

dutchelm

Registered
24 Oct 2009
3,019
176
N Somerset
Best answers
0
Country flag
A lot of my joints are crimped , but all done with a proper ratchet crimper. It won't let go until it is done solid. Never had a problem.
 
8 Mar 2014
7,806
972
San Diego
Country
Armenia
www.elmassian.com
Best answers
0
Country flag
Realize crimping on stranded wire still is not "gas tight" since the individual strands still have some air space between them.

crimp, then solder.... mechanical connection before electrical connection.

greg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Shunter46

Registered
3 Apr 2019
63
0
72
West Midlands United Kingdom
Best answers
0
Country flag
A lot of my joints are crimped , but all done with a proper ratchet crimper. It won't let go until it is done solid. Never had a problem.
Just order a good quality ratchet crimper, arriving tomorrow. So I will try both as suggested on this forum.
 

Gizzy

A gentleman, a scholar, and a railway modeller....
26 Oct 2009
36,049
2,249
63
Cambridgeshire
www.gscalecentral.net
Best answers
0
Country flag
Prefer to solder, but belts and braces as Greg says is the way to go....
 

JimmyB

Now retired - trains and fishing
23 Feb 2018
6,892
910
69
Weston-super-Mare
www.tumble-down-falls.co.uk
Best answers
0
Country flag
On the railway I solder, but for my locos I crimp, again I bought a reasonable crimping tool, however the best qulity tools cost over £400.00 :(
 

Paul M

Registered
25 Oct 2016
11,789
1,686
60
Royston
Best answers
0
Country flag
Realize crimping on stranded wire still is not "gas tight" since the individual strands still have some air space between them.

crimp, then solder.... mechanical connection before electrical connection.

greg
Yes crimping solid cores isnt the best of things to do, so crimp then solder.
 

brownmat

Registered
18 Oct 2020
72
0
47
East Yorkshire
Best answers
0
Country flag
A lot of my joints are crimped , but all done with a proper ratchet crimper. It won't let go until it is done solid. Never had a problem.
May I ask what brand of crimper and crimps/ferrules you would reccomend?
 

Rhinochugger

Retired Oik
27 Oct 2009
36,554
4,234
North West Norfolk
Best answers
0
Country flag
I am wiring up my new DC garden G gauge. What’s best to crimp or solder confections ? Any advice please and what tools are best ?

Solder, every time - but, if you want to use crimp connectors for ease of disconnection, then use a bit of solder in the collar of the crimped connector.
Having said that, some crimped connectors have the coloured heat protective shroud all the way over the spade, while some only have it over the collar. Over the collar is best if you are going to solder the wire once crimped. Like this

1605883281606.png

There are some delightful pitfalls with crimped connectors as I have found out. While it is fairly common knowledge that the three colours relate to the size of wire that is to be used, when using spade connectors, there are in fact three widths of connector :eek: While the width is of little technical interest for the sort of current we're using, you need to make sure that the male and female are the same width :oops::oops:
 

Hutch

G Gauge, Raising Peaches, Apricots
1 Feb 2012
467
116
Southwest Oklahoma, USA
Best answers
0
Having said that, some crimped connectors have the coloured heat protective shroud all the way over the spade, while some only have it over the collar. Over the collar is best if you are going to solder the wire once crimped. Like this

View attachment 276439

There are some delightful pitfalls with crimped connectors as I have found out. While it is fairly common knowledge that the three colours relate to the size of wire that is to be used, when using spade connectors, there are in fact three widths of connector :eek: While the width is of little technical interest for the sort of current we're using, you need to make sure that the male and female are the same width :oops::oops:
There was a former United States based Train Vendor that "over crimped" the connecters. This would cause the wire to open up inside the insulation collar. Although securely attached by the collar, no electricity could get through. Often referred to as the "non conductive mid air splice".
---Hutch
 

Rhinochugger

Retired Oik
27 Oct 2009
36,554
4,234
North West Norfolk
Best answers
0
Country flag
There was a former United States based Train Vendor that "over crimped" the connecters. This would cause the wire to open up inside the insulation collar. Although securely attached by the collar, no electricity could get through. Often referred to as the "non conductive mid air splice".
---Hutch
Yeah, I was a bit concerned by the talk of ratchet crimping tools - I only have a simple had crimp tool and that's adequate :nod: :nod:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
8 Mar 2014
7,806
972
San Diego
Country
Armenia
www.elmassian.com
Best answers
0
Country flag
I'm not familiar with what is available over there, but here we have connectors with the same type of "crimp area".

The business end can be open, closed (ring), or a male or female "spade" (in 3 different sizes), bullet, and splice are the ones I can think of off the top of my head (and I have here)

In the use, there are usually 3 basic sizes for wire gauge, color coded to red, blue, yellow (small to large wire gauge)
61aeKoHL7EL._SL1000_.jpg


The crimp I use basically punctures the center (not on the split side) and compresses it.

The cheap crimpers just smash these into an oval, very poor, the wires will slip out.

There is a specific tool with a "finger" that adds pressure to the crimp, but more importantly "locks" wires from pulling out.... see the "indent here"
20201120_092103.jpg
 
Last edited:

Paul M

Registered
25 Oct 2016
11,789
1,686
60
Royston
Best answers
0
Country flag
May I ask what brand of crimper and crimps/ferrules you would reccomend?
The ones I have used at work for many years now (and TBH really need to be renewed) are from RS Components.
One small tip, don't pinch some skin whilst using ratchet crimped, I wont need to tell you how I know, but the resulting blood and pain just isn't worth it
 

brownmat

Registered
18 Oct 2020
72
0
47
East Yorkshire
Best answers
0
Country flag
The ones I have used at work for many years now (and TBH really need to be renewed) are from RS Components.
One small tip, don't pinch some skin whilst using ratchet crimped, I wont need to tell you how I know, but the resulting blood and pain just isn't worth it
Thank you. I've got a draper rachet, but the crimps I've got just don't hold the wires! Was there a specific brand at rs you used?
 
8 Mar 2014
7,806
972
San Diego
Country
Armenia
www.elmassian.com
Best answers
0
Country flag
  • RS Stock No. 136-7425 is ok but not great...
I searched the site, and did not find anything better for that type of terminal, in my experience, even though it is one of the recommend crimpers on that site for that type of terminal. I know so many people that have the issue of wires coming out, but the crimps I make with the tool you see are tops. Last for years.

In looking at Amazon UK, I see the Draper 35574, and that one will definitely let wires pull out. The draper 67652 is really poor, that is the type I see over here, and it is never good on insulated terminals.

The problem is made worse with insulated terminals, all you do is tear up and move the insulation, with poor crimping on the metal part.

Try this one:


And use the "bare" part on the insulated unit, then the insulated part to re-form the insulation as needed.

Greg
 

brownmat

Registered
18 Oct 2020
72
0
47
East Yorkshire
Best answers
0
Country flag
That's fab advice. Thanks very much for your guidance!
 
8 Mar 2014
7,806
972
San Diego
Country
Armenia
www.elmassian.com
Best answers
0
Country flag
I put up a page on crimping, showing how the crimper makes a positive lock on the wires:


Greg