08-30-2007, 03:40 Pm
I snuck out and made another couple of test lugs & connections with more judicious use of the heat as suggested.
Revised process:
- cut & trim cable
- flux & tin cable bottom 1 cm
- while cable cools, make lug: cut copper pipe, heat & flare open end, flatten the other end
- flux & fill open end of lug about half way up with molten solder
- briefly heat tinned cable end, add a bit more heat to lug & insert cable in molten solder
The solder that gets pushed up out of the lug when I insert the cable isn't making a good join (cold joint) up high around the "collar" of the lug, but I dissected my last attempt and it looks OK deeper in the lug.
But I'm waiting to hear back from the forklift place. Which way we'll go from here depends on how much money they want to sell us "proper" lugs (and if they'll lend us their crimper).
I'll post some pics of my lug attempts later.
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