Cord End Terminals / Bootlace Ferrules for Fine Stranded Wires
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- End terminals which are crimped onto finely stranded wires before use with screw terminals.
Examples of insulated and uninsulated types and fitting them to various sizes of stranded wires.
Patreon: / jwflame
Contact info, sending stuff in etc.: xo4.uk/?YTT
There's something calming about crimping. I could watch it all day lol
Ikr lol
I have recently bought a ratchet crimp tool and a wide range of plain and insulated ferrules. Now I find that every bare wire needs one.. 'Give a small boy a hammer, and everything he encounters will need to be hammered.'
I remember using these very expensive ratchet crimpers in aerospace engineering as an apprentice. Each crimp operation or combined set of operations on a job was counted on a card (dated and initialled) and after so many, the tool had to be sent to Standards Lab for re-calibration. When we actually had proper control of standards in this country. Even the mains plugs were wired by a skilled person and we only ever used the good old MK built like a brick shithouse plugs.
The folks who suggest just putting those into screw terminals without crimping them are probably the same who think the PVC covering should be pushed under the screw of a choc block because the only point is that the wire ends touch inside the choc block!
Thank you very much for this presentation, the practice of using those is criminally underrespected in the UK!
Excellent - as we have come to expect from JW. Keep them coming.
Oh, I have that style of crimper. I thought I needed one more specific for ferrules, a quick search shows a huge range in price points, most far out of my range. The ones with four jaws seem to be easier to use and more expensive. If two jaws are good enough for John, they are good enough for me, ha ha.
Have a similar type crimper that squares them off. Very neat and sturdy.
I've never used these before but they seem pretty helpful for ensuring a secure connection and result in a very tidy presentation. Reducing the chance of careless whiskers is always good.
Thank you JW. Very good close-ups.
Very nice video, will be getting a crimp kit asap.
The exact crimper shown is available here www.switchelectronics.co.uk/tools-equipment/tools/crimping-tools
I'd like to mention that bootlace ferrule crimpers are different from the similar looking non-insulated terminal crimpers, and also different from insulated (Red-Yellow-Blue) terminal crimpers (the photo of the crimper shown at 4:51 as an example of a cheap crimper to not buy is for these colored insulated terminals, so it is the wrong tool anyway regardless of quality).
CK make all three types of crimper (non-insualted terminals, insulated Red-Yellow-Blue terminals and bootlace ferrules).
The CK 30018, 30029, 30022 are the ones for bootlace ferrules.
www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-crimping-pliers-7/6497x
www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-crimping-plier-0-5-6mm/75132
www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-crimping-pliers-9/9476x
What’s the chance of making a video on crimping and sizing of spade terminals inside boilers to connect ntc’s and sensors etc. There seems to be so many different tools, different crimping dies and sizes of spades, not sure on the best method. A lot of connections are angled/flag terminals in boilers and I can’t seem to find out much information on these and if the tools are suitable for a range of different sizes.
Side note:
Just bought an automatic ferrule crimper because of this video, AMAZING connections! Thanks.
I like those tools that have a coloured dot corresponding to the insulating part. Oh and I really like the klauke tool you can see on mikeselectronicsstuff, if I had it, everything in my vicinity would be crimped ^^
rachet crimps are the only way to crimp. The "camp" and "super champ" type crimpers are no good. They do not get a consistent "cold weld" of the copper. A cold weld can have a lower resistance than a soldered connection.
Over 122 PAT testers loved this video
If you know what your doing, you don't need these ferules at all. Just strip double, twist tight and fold back.
They're are one of those things that are used to stop unskilled workers making a bad job of terminating wires and to provide an alternative for those pillocks that think it's ok to tin wires before pushing them into screw terminals.
A few months back I had to reverse engineer and build a replacement for a large 3 phase motor control cabinet (which had failed in the field) and whoever built the thing had tinned every wire before placing them into screw terminals, I swear half of them fell out or sheared off with the slightest of tugs.
+Strider9655 What a ridiculous statement. I think you need to broaden your experience - some control panel building maybe.
Max Phipps
Not sure what you have issues with......
The use of crimped ferules is subjective, the tinning of wires to go into screw terminals is amateurish and also against regs. The control cab I took apart, the clown that built it also soldered the tags onto the earth wiring.
But that's not why it had to be rebuilt, it had to be rebuilt because of a multitude of sins, like an e-stop that didn't work properly and failure to understand how to wire a star-delta starter.
+Strider9655 QUOTE - "The tinning of wires to go into screw terminals is amateurish and also against regs." Sorry I stopped reading your reply after that line. Have a nice day.
Max Phipps
Not only does solder cold flow, but it also makes a terrible contact material due oxidation. But what do I know? I've only spent the last 10 years working in Automotive, Aerospace and Defence sector electronics.
Next time you get on a plane, be thankful they didn't solder wires into screw terminals.
Next time I get on a plane, I will now be worried that some idiot screwed bare stranded wire into a terminal, with individual strands sheared off and floating about in the electrics and electronics, possibly causing all sorts of shorts, whereas a simple crimp could have neatly kept all the strands in order … Because guess what: copper strands don't give a fuck about what the installing electricians know or don't know. They don't follow regulations, they follow laws. Laws of physics!
Solid and informative video - thank you very much!
Far to often i see ferrules not being used with fine stranded cables. BS7671 regulation 526.9 (Connection of multiwire, fine wire & very fine wire conductors) applies to this situation. :)
clear, concise, and to the point - thanks John
No need to twist the wires strands before applying the ferrule. They go on easier with straight strands. I'd also recommend using a 4 or 6 side crimper instead of the flat style shown.
Don't forget that he had been splaying the wires out and showing why they would not make good contact. Need to get them back into a shape which would go in the ferrule without bending back some of the little wires.
hi John, great video thanks. in my line of work I come across many hundreds of pieces of twin and earth jointed with butt crimps. many of these I find are incorrectly done - for example incorrect tool used, wrong crimp colour, no heayshrink over the assembly etc. is this something you would consider a video on? i would do myself but your presentation style takes some bearing! loz
I use my little butane soldering iron to tin them instead. Its a "one size fits all" solution and I personally think that when the terminal screw clamps a tinned end, it makes fantastic contact on all surfaces as the tinned end will be moulded into the correct shape which will also lock it into place - a bit like the end of the RCBO neutral at the start of this video, only better.
+mastergx1 You should not tin stranded wires that go into a screw terminal. There are two issues. Solder is quite brittle and could break easily, secondly the solder could get displaced by a cold flow process which will leave the connection loose over time.
+cjmillsnun Seconded.
+Graham Langley Thirded, tinning the ends is a recipe for future disaster
+cjmillsnun also, you shouldn't use solder in a high current application, as it will heat up more than the copper wire and even melt.
After reading these comments I'm going to rethink my practices. However, one point I would like to make parasBanaani is that the current flowing through individual circuits is max 50A for any that I have installed. I've seen solder used on ELV DC circuits with currents reaching 100s of amps. The idea of the solder is to increase the contact area which reduces impedance and, resultantly, reduces heat. I don't consider individual LV circuits to be particularly high current.
What about crimping two wires together, for example where you need to connect two wires to one socket terminal?
Yes you use double ferrule for that.
@@SkazaTV Ok thanks.
@@SkazaTV would be a bit annoying if you needed to seperate them to do some testing or fault finding though. Can you put 2 single ferules in a single terminal?
@@cooper512 yes, but you need to make sure they fit ok.
Hi John.
Thank you for this and the other informative videos you have made.
I've wondered in the past the name and function of the ferrule, this video has confirmed the function I had thought it was for, and now I no the correct name for the ferrule too.
I'm watching your videos to try and gain as much knowledge before I enroll on a electricians course at college next year.
Up to what size strands would you recommend using ferules on?
If it's stranded, use ferrules. That would be the simplest way. Don't see it as a chore, make it a habit.
Great video 😊
Another good video JW!
Can you give the make and model number of the crimper tool?
I think I may actually do my bootlaces in these.
while listening you remind me to Murray Walker 🙂
At 10:08 you have a stranded T+E if you where terminating into sockets and not using the ferrules, would you twist the end of lets say the brown into 1 solid like core and then terminate or just put it right in as is?
+IrishHitman79 - I think the twisting action is more to gather together tiny stranded wires where they may otherwise not insert into the pin properly if some of them get caught-up on entry (as John mentioned in the video). I wouldn't think it generally necessary for thick stranded wire though unless experiencing the same problem.
When crimping those cylinder-type ferrules, the crimpers you used crimp one side, though I've seen a crimping tool that crimps the cylinder into a square shape. What's the difference? Any reason to use the crimpers you have over the other 'square' crimpers, and vice versa ?
I have a 4 way and its very good.
Just an older design
Less moving parts means a longer tool lifespan on average. When using the older crimpers, I crimp then rotate 180 and crimp again.
The old manual crimping tool is not totally useless , it does the job just as well as a modern ratchet crimping tool, but the downside is is you need to crimp two or three times along the length of the crimp . Also if you can’t tell if you have applied enough pressure then you shouldn’t be doing crimps.
Crimps are designed to be crimped once in one specific position. If you have mashed some other tool into it in 3 different places, the crimp is destroyed.
What crimping tool would be used for butt splices? Mine are the Absolute Rubbish brand ones (lower quality than the Shyte brand ones you showed) and they are so bad that the jaws bend sideways and it has pinched my skin on the handle side. Again, only good for the nifty boltcutter thingy.
Could you solder the ends of the wire to contain the strands instead of a ferrule? I generally do that when I use those white terminal blocks for high current things (such as my 3D printer's heated bed) and it seems to have worked. The soft solder deforms and presses against the metal, which could give better current transfer.
what will i use or most compatible if i use in thhn wire?. Pls help
Hi John, I was just wondering which type of crimping tool is better, this style with multiple jaws for the different sizes of wire or the self adjusting style that has one opening with multiple 'jaws' (typically 4 or 6) that close down onto the ferrule?
Is it common to use stranded wire in AC wiring in Europe? In the U.S. all I've ever seen in residential homes and businesses is solid core wire, negating the need for crimped ends. Solid core wire is a pain to work in other respects though!
Building wiring is solid for smaller sizes and usually 7 strand for larger sizes, which in most cases can be connected without ferrules. Fine stranded is typically used for control systems such as heating and cooling installations, or interconnects within distribution boards or other panels.
In sweden it the other way around. small sizes up to1,5mmsq seem to usually be stranded and 2,5 and larger wires solid core. Much easier to rout stranded wire through conduit in walls. But sweden and the uk have totally different systems for that. It's less of an issue when you use twin and earth anyway like they do in the UK. Using those in swedish wall conduits would be like pushinf a diamond back through a drinking straw. WE do have stranded for bigger cables aswell and is probably more common now than 20 years ago because the electricians need to use it more since the smallest fuse today is 10 or 13 amps while it used to be 6 amps when we didnt have computers and other power hungry equipment.
@@rimmersbryggeri We have stranded conduit wire here in the UK in individual conductors as opposed to twin core and earth.
Can you cut down the length of ferrule if the terminal depth is shallow and only accepts say half of the ferrule? Or perhaps use heatshrink?? Some boiler terminal connections can be very shallow so wouldn’t want any exposed metal to each connection point.
Yes - crimp first, then cut down to the length required.
Crimps can also be obtained in different lengths.
John Ward thank you for taking the time to reply 😎. Fantastic videos, very informative and interesting 👍. The electrical workings of the 3 port valve/mid position valve was especially helpful. Very much appreciated.
FYI the bit at the end of a shoelace is an aiglet, not a ferrule.
Bootlace time yippee!!
How would these work with something like a multi zone heating system where 2 or more cables are connected in junction boxes?
Would the screw choc block connections grip 2 or more of these?
You can get crimps that take 2 into one.
@@nicholaspratt7934 but there's often 4 or more neutrals
Guess if you have some spare terminals then it'd be ok
Very informative. Thanks 👍
Hi John.....Another infomative video as usual.
I wonder if you could supply the make of the crimps you used ...they seem to make a very nice crimping job. The type I have only do a single crimp and I noticed yours do two or three dimple crimp in one action.
+ningis21 Davico DCER510, which can be obtained here: uk.farnell.com/davico/dcer-510/crimp-tool-ratchet/dp/209181 or here: www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DVDCER510.html
Thanks John.
Can these ferrules be used for solid cables
Yes, but that won't achieve anything.
Hello,
Is this crimping tool do both insulated and non insulated crimps?
What make is crimping tool?
I wish to buy wire crimping tool for various sizes and can do insulated and non insulated crimps.
Many thanks
The tool in the video is only for insulated crimps, non insulated needs a different type of tool. The tool has to match the crimps exactly, so there isn't a single tool that does all types.
The style of tool in the video does do uninsulated bootlace ferrules too. The only difference is there wouldn't be the small PVC shroud at the start of the ferrule. The principle of crimping the two is exactly the same, no matter what style of bootlace crimping tool you use.
I have an insulated type crimper (CK-30021) which I used extensively on a 12v system whilst fitting out a boat. (ie using the red, blue, green plastic sleeved crimps). I notice that here you use a non-insulated crimper (ie like the CK-30025). As I intend to start crimping my 240v domestic connections when possible should I now consider getting a non-insulated crimper or will the CK-30021 be OK? Thanks for your very helpful videos.
I know this was a long time ago, but the crimp tool required for bootlace ferrules is different from the crimp tool used on non-insulated terminals and the crimp tool used on insulated (Red-Yellow-Blue) terminals. CK make dedicated bootlace ferrule crimpers and they are CK 30018, 30029 and 30022. Always make sure the crimper you are buying is for bootlace ferrules and not for regular non-insulated terminals. The exact crimper shown in this video is available here: www.switchelectronics.co.uk/tools-equipment/tools/crimping-tools.
Could I crimp a ferrule onto a wire to be used inside of one of those chocblock connectors, or a ceiling rose maybe?
And "Yes, you can" is the answer to my question. I should really watch the entire video before posting questions.
@@alpachino468 And perhaps edit the comments instead of replying to yourself :D
@@benbaselet2026 Oh watch out folks, we have the comments police on here...!
@@alpachino468 I'll let you off with a warning. For now.
Some of these comments 😂😂😂
I have some crimp terminals where I've been crimping the insulated bit rather than the metal bit. I'm wandering wether I've been doing it wrong or wether they are different ?
Depends on the style - some insulated terminals are designed to be crimped over the insulation, others are not.
I really enjoy your video's
Mike bkk
Could you tin it with solder instead? Would that meet the regs?
Solder is very soft, and when used under a screw can flow and result in a loose connection, so it is not recommended.
just what I wanted
Thanks for sharing, I myself tend to solder fine stranded cable ends to prevent them fraying, as its a given I wont be able to put my hands on any ferules when needed but I can always lay my hands on a soldering iron ;)
DO NOT SOLDER if they're going under a screw. The solder will creep over time, leading to a bad joint and if there's substantial current flow, a potential fire hazard.
This isn't theoretical either. I've seen a number of fires caused by this kind of practice.
Finally someone who did, too. Thanks.
Another great video, what is you thoughts on extending a cooker cable 6mm to 6mm using insulated yellow crimp.
Either that or connector block or Wago. Thanks
Crimps are fine if done properly. Unfortunately many crimp tools are useless and even the good ones still need to be used properly..
The Wago connectors are reliable and don't need any special tools, so would recommend those rather than crimps. They do need to be put inside a suitable box or enclosure.
@@jwflame Thanks for the fast reply.
out of curiosity, would soldering the strands of the cable be acceptable?
+Nathan Lucas No, solder is very soft and will flow under a screw terminal resulting in a loose connection. Also see the other comments on this video.
thank you very much. شكرا
what about using ferrules on 7 stranded wire like bs6231 wire?
... what about what? If you would like to use them, then do so. If you don't want to use them, then don't. Did you forget to actually watch the video, perhaps noting what is said around 10:05 ?? The only time that ferrules might be a bit silly is when you are using solid (1 strand) cables.
I actually missed that part... Thanks.
Just remember to keep that type of ratchet crimper away from the kids, especially the kids that love to know how something works, because they are certain to put their finger in the jaws and give it a light squeeze, just to see what it feels like. Child then quickly realises that maybe that was not such a good idea, finger gripped tight and that pesky crimper does not want to let go!
+100SteveB Just push the little lever between the handles (by the top of the green handle in the video) forward and it'll release without having to be closed completely. Works on the two I have (different brands).
+100SteveB Introduce them to cable ties first.
Been there done that😂
Tim Gomes
Same here, when i was a kid i found out how to hurt my finger really badly, before i learnt about the release mechanism. I really wish i had learned those two the other way around!
Is that crimp tool the one TLC do under DCER510?
+Graham Langley Yes, same one.
+John Ward Many thanks John.
Great video as usual John. One of my pet hates is when you have 2 spurs at the back of a socket where you have to get 3 cables into each terminal. Trying to get them all in and clamped up tightly is a pain in my experience. I am always concerned about lose cables because they can cause problems. It has never occured to me to crimp the 3 cables together using a ferrule before inserting them into the back of the socket. Anyone see any problem with this? I figure a 6mm ferrule or bootlace ferrule would take the 3 cables comfortably and also fit inside the socket terminal port easily. Any thoughts people?
2 things - most crimps are not designed for 3 wires, and crimping them together will make subsequent testing or alterations far more difficult.
Cheers.
You can get special two-wire ferrules. I would not be inclined to shove three wires together and shove them into the device. US wiring generally uses a wire nut and a pigtail for situations like that, although US wiring also still puts hooked (solid) wires directly under terminal screws 😔. I don't know what the UK codes require in that situation.
I was going to ask a similar question, but for using a crimp on the odd occasions where there would be 5 or so 1 mmsq earth wires in the back of a box. Wagos take up to much space and chocbloc's always look a bit ruff to me.
So, if a 6 mmsq cable has 7 stands - each approx 1 mmsq - and it works well with a ferrule, I'm guessing there would be no problem using a crimp on a bunch of 1 mmsq earth wires? I think I'll do some testing.
For the second part, testing should be ok, though yes, anyone working on it afterwards is unlikely to be a happy bunny.
@@HeathenGeek The problem with that is that the entry to the crimp area is funnel-shaped to avoid causing the wires to abraid on the edge. Three wires coming into a crimp designed for one are going to have a lot of insulation in the way, so it might not fit it all, or the crimp would not crimp on to the insulation just the wire, which is not a good situation.
What about crimping solid core wires? - This is often required for extending cables (e.g. in a replacement consumer unit installation). I find that care is needed to avoid the crimp "rotating" on the solid core after crimping - not good for contacts over heating/cooling cycles.
Klauke has special crimps (SV series) for solid wires that go with hexagon crimp dies. Unfortunately the crimp tool is quite expensive (roughly ten times the price of a more affordable ratchet crimp tool for ferrules) so I haven't bought one yet. The SV splices are bare so you need to cover them with heatshrink tubing afterwards.
You wouldn't need to crimp inside a consumer unit, as you have maintenance access, other means of extending can be used.
Good point - but I was more thinking about extending cables outside the CU when they are too short to reach the terminals inside the new CU. Such exterior joins may be inaccessible after installation (plastered over etc.)
Just wondering how a hexagonal crimp would make the join more secure on a round copper core...
More even pressure and thus a better connection. Copper is malleable remember :)
@JohnWard can one insert three stranded cables (let's say 4 sqmm each) into one ferrule (eg 10 or 12 sq mm)?
Only if the ferrule is designed for 3 separate wires. Most are not.
@@jwflame thanks a lot
@@jwflame Bit confused by the crimper you used. Every crimper I see for ferrules specifically are a square of hexagonal shape, whereas your tool looks like the tool I use for crimping standard crimp connectors?
NM. Answer was in another comment below. :-) There is a third crimper design I've not seen. Maybe a difference between the UK and North American markets.
@@TheDrew2022 I have the square opening crimper that came with an assortment of ferrules. I think it's a better design, the crimp is applied all around the ferrule end. Also, note when John stripped the first wire, he cut off about 7 strands of the wire, so be careful when stripping so as not to cut off the strands.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PJK2VNT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Can someone recommend a good make
Knipex or C.K are generally regarded as high quality but I’ve heard that the generic ones on Amazon do a pretty good job too.
I have an sn28b crimp tool for crmping dupont connectors, would it be suitable for crimping these as well?
Why are these things made with stranded wire, let alone such fine ones? I mean, after all, the only movement there should be on it is during installation, and a solid wire should cope with that, surely?
It is very hard to bend the solid wire at tight spaces (pipes in control cabinets etc)
Well, yes, in pipes, but these are wires for installation inside distribution boxes. Very good access.
Well, in distribution boxes at homes, usually solid wire is used up to 2.5-4mm2, but beyond that it is very hard to bend the wire again. For example 6mm2 EPH conductors are all stranded. It is also easier to roll up stranded wire when the distribution box is being modified/disassembled.
I always like the old style distribution boxes where the wire is carefully bent into shapes like busbars.
Yeah, old things had style.
Did you twist the litz wire itself and is it a good idea before crimping the connector? I've learned to twist only by soldering (+Strider9655 doesn't support this method, see comment far below).
The voice volume goes loud and soft all the time. It is hard to hear it properly.
You could use a software or hardware audio compressor to fix that, if you like
Where did you get that crimping tool?
I want one.
At least one.
>
Greenlee (Paladin) and Knipex both make excellent ratcheting crimpers of that sort with interchangable dies. You can also get dedicated square crimpers that don't require selecting the correct nest for a given ferrule.
Amazon carries both in the US. I assume Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de so as well.
How about tinning the end of wires? I'm actually more into electronics, but occasionally I'm also working with some electrical stuff, so I figured it's not really worth investing into some high end crimping tools, and I know cheap tools are pain in the ass, so I figured, I just put solder on it instead those tubes... It obviously worked for me, but Is there a problem with that in long term? (other then being less durable to mechanical wear by mounting on and off...)
Solder will tend to flow under pressure (such as when in a screw terminal), so can lead to loose connections over time.
Oh ok.
Worse yet solder can melt causing shorts in high current applications.
I've never worked with really high current applications, I've only done the wiring at our house(the newly built part), and also done some repairs at my aunts house. And I put only as much solder as necessary, even if it melts, I don't think there's enough to drip and short something... I would be more concerned about loose connections.
Never put solde3r on screw connections. The solder "cold flows" and causes a bad joint. It's OK to tin the ends of stranded cables going into spring terminals (eg: on ballasts) as they maintain a continuous pressure which accommodates the solder flow..
I just lower the volume as I sense the end of a SENTENCE ARRIVE, and that seems to do the TRICK
Quiet, quiet, quiet, loud. Quiet, quiet, quiet, loud. :D
Use a proper hexagonal bootlace ferrule crimping tool. AU$25 from eBay. Your crimps are so distorted that they won't fit into most round screw terminal holes.
Consider becoming a comic my brother.
(1:35) - Oops!
>
All those loose strands that fell on the side of the RCD?
OUI JE m'en fous de t'as vidéo je veux du nouveaux hi du NOUVEAUX OKKKK
where are you from? your accent is very hard...almost impossible to understand.
+LINO SOUZA PEREIRA Standard Southern English - it's the cadence that's probably throwing you.
LINO SOUZA PEREIRA
Have you even heard Scottish, Irish or Welsh accents? This is so easily understandable.
I don't know what you mean by CADENCE , is there is special cadence used in the south of ENGLAND
+mdesm2005 I meant it's JW's individual cadence and other speech mannerisms that's throwing you.
I know, I was being facetious
The way you did it is also not correct at all. Twisting the wire before introducing it into the ferrule is wrong 😑
There's nothing wrong with twisting the wire. If you prefer to struggle with the strands peeling off as you insert it, I'm not your mom, but don't go talking like you know what you're saying
Why?
@@ericlyus The reason is that crimps are designed to crimp down to a certain circular area (the area occupied by the bare wire; not the same as the cross-sectional area), and twisting the wire slightly increases that area - leading to over-crimping crushing & damaging the conductors & weakening the joint.
@@allinoner
Can you point us to a research that deals with this issue? I'd like to see how much strength the connection loses if strands are twisted.
@@aleksandarsrdanov1171 I only have the DIN VDE book in German 🤷🏻♂️. But it’s too expensive to buy just to read the norms. I have it from work
you are using the crimpers wrong. Hold the crimper in right hand with movable lever underneath which you squeeze. Insert the crimp from the left side and squeeze lightly to hold the crimp. Then insert wire from left side into crimp. Finally squeeze to closed. You do not turn the crimper upside down. That is WRONG
Don't twist cables 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤫😂😂