YQK crimping tool

[JiminDenver]

In another thread we were discussing crimping and I was to tell y'all about the YQK-120 12 ton crimping tool I bought off of ebay.

First thing is they sent me the YQK 240 16 ton tool. Instead of the #10-120 dies, it has #16-240. I have anything under the #16 covered so it's all good I guess.

This is what I ordered.
YQK-120A

This is what I got
YQK-240A

Second is I was right to order big. There is no way the #50 die will do a 1/0 sized crimp. The #120 that was the largest in the tool I ordered will if using the wire and it's coating as a size indicator is anything.

The #95 was just the right size to crimp a 1/2 inch brass tube nice and pretty and the #25 did a right nice job on a 4 gauge lug I had. It crushed both down effortlessly, even when I recrimped them with the next size smaller die. I'll have to order some 1/0 lugs to play with.

So for less than $40 I doubt I'll ever have a issue crimping anything ever again.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My neighbor disassembled his Subaru engine with a cold chisel and drilling hammer. The car is on it's way to China as I write this. Slop and glop workmanship is a good way to spend a romantic way to spend an evening by candlelight with the DW adjussting your forehead with a rolling pin.

[Naio]

tboss wrote:
a ball peen hammer,,a dull coal chisel and something hard to lay it on and line the chisel up with the center of the lug and wham jobs done wrap it in heat shrink and go camping ,,worked for me for years.

Took me a while to realise you meant 'cold' chisel. I've been watching too much Justified, was thinking you meant some kind of coal-mining tool... 'But wait, I don't have a coal chisel!'

[tboss]

a ball peen hammer,,a dull coal chisel and something hard to lay it on and line the chisel up with the center of the lug and wham jobs done wrap it in heat shrink and go camping ,,worked for me for years.

[CA_Traveler]

Not sure I understand your question. I made the copper adapter to have the minimum possible length from the battery bank to the negative cable and to support the shunt.

[JiminDenver]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Unh unh. A GREENLEE ratchet cutter costs 700 dollars. The image shows cutters that will slice 2/0 but dull after a hundred cuts. Need fairly strong hands. Let's see if I can find the ratchet cutter...

100 cuts are more than I'll need for install. I'll give em a shot for $5.

[Naio]

CA Traveler wrote:

Naio wrote:
CA Traveler, what am I looking at here? Are those blocks of WOOD, with layers of metal let into them? What's all that about? And what are the teeny wires in the housing? My eyes iz confused.

Nope that's brass. The entire unit is a 500A precision shunt which is used with a battery monitor, in my case a Trimetric. The small wires provide the voltage sense capability for the Trimetric to measure battery drain/charge, etc.

For 500A the shunt has a 50mV drop.

Thanks for the explanation 🙂

And you made the copper thang so you could have a cable that did not go through the shunt? I am surprised Trimetric folks do not include one.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Unh unh. A GREENLEE ratchet cutter costs 700 dollars. The image shows cutters that will slice 2/0 but dull after a hundred cuts. Need fairly strong hands. Let's see if I can find the ratchet cutter...

[CA_Traveler]

Naio wrote:
CA Traveler, what am I looking at here? Are those blocks of WOOD, with layers of metal let into them? What's all that about? And what are the teeny wires in the housing? My eyes iz confused.

Nope that's brass. The entire unit is a 500A precision shunt which is used with a battery monitor, in my case a Trimetric. The small wires provide the voltage sense capability for the Trimetric to measure battery drain/charge, etc.

For 500A the shunt has a 50mV drop.

[Naio]

Heh, I use these from HF:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-heavy-duty-end-nipper-38496.html

Because I already have them. Failing that, a hacksaw...

Are the blue ones better for wire?

[Vixen21]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
HF has a 10" length ratchet cutter that I have chopped 350 MCM wire with.

Is this the one you re talking about?
$4.80 after 20% coupon
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-cable-cutter-40507.html

[Naio]

CA Traveler, what am I looking at here? Are those blocks of WOOD, with layers of metal let into them? What's all that about? And what are the teeny wires in the housing? My eyes iz confused.

[CA_Traveler]

Flattened, double wall. No problem with the 2KW inverter.

[brulaz]

CA Traveler wrote:

brulaz wrote:
Do people here use flattened 1/2" copper pipe for bus bars and battery interconnects too?

How much current can it carry? Too much to worry about?

3/4" pipe. If you are concerned about current capacity use the heavier wall pipe. Or calculate the area and look up the amp capacity.



And those are AGM batteries so not concerned about fumes for the shunt.

Nice. Can't tell from the PIC but is that just flattened pipe (so double wall), or did you open it up before flattening (single wall)?

[CA_Traveler]

brulaz wrote:
Do people here use flattened 1/2" copper pipe for bus bars and battery interconnects too?

How much current can it carry? Too much to worry about?

3/4" pipe. If you are concerned about current capacity use the heavier wall pipe. Or calculate the area and look up the amp capacity.



And those are AGM batteries so not concerned about fumes for the shunt.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

HF has a 10" length ratchet cutter that I have chopped 350 MCM wire with. 140% the size of 4/0. Using ONE of my weak hands. Single handed - you read it right. 1000MCM wire will fit but that's way beyond my crippled hand ability. About six times the copper of 4/0.

I use a carbon probe to spot weld super thick copper around the tang. A circle of 12-zaps keeps the tang and pad from leaking and lead-free solder seals everything tight for later use of SN60. My entire battery bank uses extra-long tang 2-bolt lugs made of 1" copper pipe 1/4" thickness. Only the batteries have a single 1/2" bolt which is 316 grade stainless with the rest of the hardware. Bussbars are copper 3/4" X 5" with 1/2 threaded stainless studs.

Hard Knocks: the HF cutter works OK for awhile then dulls.

CRESCENT makes a pair of 8" dykes with compound cutters like used on bolt cutters. My choice for larger dykes. Unbelievable cutting strength. Blue & gray plastic grips. I've nipped my way through 2/0 cable with these. Takes patience but the wire is left in good shape.