Homex - and I am getting fed up
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@Reefwarrior said in Homex - and I am getting fed up:
@Phaedrux Cool thank you
Will have a look at it - I suspect the wire I was/am using is too thin - where I crimp it, sometimes it brakes off - and that means looking for trouble. The other wire I have is too thick - wonderful living in Africa!Your crimping technique or crimping tools are much more likely to cause the issue you are seeing. You should easily be able to crimp down to 30 ga but may have to bend over the exposed wire in order to get good holding. No matter what, the wire should never 'break off'. How are you stripping the insulation? I find that if you use a 'universal' tool or a stripper that electricians use, you are likely to nick strands which then results in a stress point that cause the wire to break. I use a tool that has different but calibrated cutter openings so the chance of nicking a wire is reduced a lot .... but you can still damage it with poor technique.
If you are over-crimping by using a universal crimp tool, you can easily kill the wire too.
'Engineer' brand hand tools for crimping and stripping are a good investment to reduce frustration! -
@Reefwarrior I'm glad you got it figured out!
It can get VERY frustrating, and when people make a bunch of suggestions that you've already tried, it gets even more frustrating.
But you kept looking and found it!
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@alankilian Yep
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@jens55 I suspect it is the quality of cable. The plastic surrounding the threads are not very pliable like silicone wire - it's a kind of hard plastic. I strip the wires using a sharp knife.
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I strip the wires using a sharp knife.
<shudder> ..... bad ju ju all around !
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@Reefwarrior said in Homex - and I am getting fed up:
I strip the wires using a sharp knife.
I suddenly am not sympathetic.
Frederick
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I met Ben Heck in person and he stripped some wire with his fingernails. Never meet your heroes.
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Fingernails won't nick your wire!
I can't help but wonder what @Reefwarrior uses to crimp the connectors ..... -
@Phaedrux said in Homex - and I am getting fed up:
stripped some wire with his fingernails.
silicone wire and some wirewrap wire (and probably other types) strips relatively easily with just fingernails - no big deal tbh
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@gaweyo said in Homex - and I am getting fed up:
no big deal tbh
I thought it badass to be honest. -
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@Reefwarrior said in Homex - and I am getting fed up:
To be honest, I was expecting a pair of pliers
If the jaws are machined then you are golden, if they are cast then you still have a problem. -
They look identical to what I use. For what it's worth I found that I had to do a slightly lighter than full squeeze on some cables to prevent it from pinching the wire. I've since upgraded to a nicer pair with interchangeable jaws that are much better formed and it works perfectly everytime.
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@Phaedrux Yeah waiting for my new one to arrive
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@jens55 Yep machined - not cast.
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@Reefwarrior
Copper quality can also vary and the cheaper ones can break easier than others.
For the record, I use a formerly sharp knife to cut the insulation or (*) sometimes my teeth
And I'm a big fan of soldering (after crimping with pliers or instead of)*) don't try this at home kids
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@o_lampe It is my professional opinion as a dentist that using your teeth to strip wires is a bad idea. This is a better option, and much cheaper than a single trip to the dentist to repair a chipped tooth: https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNIPEX-7-in-Automatic-Wire-Stripper-12-62-180/205333645
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@mrehorstdmd
I agree, but after opening a few beer with teeth they can stand it
Just kidding, I don't drink beer.
