I bought me a crimper off eBay

[cooldan]

Hey fellas. After using IDCs for years I decided to take the plunge and bought one of these. I ordered it yesterday at 4pm, and my postman delivered it this morning at 8, which wasn't too shabby.



It came with two male and two female terminals plus a housing for each of them. I've been watching some YouTube vids and I'm sure it will be obvious when I actually start, but which way do I insert the crimped terminals into the housings, the end with the window (like the females on the left in the pic below) or the other end (males on the right)?



Sorry about making you crane your necks, I can't rotate the pics on my phone before upload on Tapatalk.

 

[Wizcat]

The square you insert the pins into usually has a little notch on one side. That lines up with the little sticky out bit on the pin (so on your photo, the top two pins have the sticky out bit on the left)

You really can't do it wrong, because if you do it wrong you'll be able to pull the cable (and pin) back out easily, then put it back in the right way.

When you put it in the right way you get a satisfying 'click' as the sticky out bit snaps into place. Once it's in the right way you need to prod that sticky out bit with a small screwdriver so that you can pull it back out again.

 

[replicas]

Love the technical talk, sticky out bit. . Class.
What's the quality like on the crimps Dan?

 

[RudeDogg1]

Same crimper ive got an essential tool for a pinball tool kit

 

[ronsplooter]

Good crimper that is

 

[Wizcat]

Yep, same as the one i have too. And i just discovered that 'locking tang' is the more correct technical term for 'sticky out bit'

 

[cooldan]

Ok then you can tell me the answer to this- I assumed that the two holes were for 0.1 and 0.156, the two sizes Andy sells. But looking at it close up they're for 24-30 and 18-22 gauge wire.



I also assumed that what I was sent as free gifts were the bigger 0.156 ones so I started by using the bigger hole. Unsurprisingly it didn't grab it properly so I tried it again in the smaller hole for a super tight crimp. So tight that I could hardly get it out of the crimper after.

So what have I got here, 0.1 or 0.156? Or is it one of each? And what gauge is my wire? I assumed I had males and females, did I get that wrong as well?



I've ordered a load of terminals and housings from Andy and can't wait to get crimping.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

Is that crimper not for boot lace ferrules?

 

[Carl Spiby]

I'm sure you've already worked this out, but they're stepped in the jaws, make sure you have the higher step crimping the cable clampy thing and not the wire clampy bit.

 

[cooldan]

I've worked out putting into the housing but still not which hole is best or which side to use.

This


Or this


also those teeth are pretty broad, how far along do I do it? A little bit?

Or a lot?


I read Clay's fantastic stuff online with examples of bad crimps that are too small or too loose or too banana or whatever, will go read that again. But any tips from you experienced chaps would be gratefully received.

I guess it's like rebuilding a flipper - the coil can be either way round but only one way is better. The sleeve too can easily be put in backwards. As can the EOS. The holding ring can be rotated wrong. The left pawl doesn't fit in the right flipper mech. Etc etc etc.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Second picture down is correct.

 

[ronsplooter]

@cooldan your correct that the bigger hole is for 0.156 and the smaller one is for 0.1, at least that's how I use mine I push the molex pin in from the side without the writing on until the bit you put the wire in is flush with the side of the writing side of the crimper. I then push the wire in from the writing side and crimp down....this is quite hard to explain in writing

 

[pinballmania]

The 0.156" and 0.1" refers to the header pin pitch,but 0.156" terminals are the bigger ones, and are available with both wire gauge tails and its this that determines which hole to use.

 

[cooldan]

So are all terminals the same shape then, and it's the housing shape that determines if male or female? Did I have headers in my photo that were all for the crimper's small hole?

Are the (majority of the) ones you're posting me on Friday good for the normal gauge wire that connects to driver board? Are they for the crimper's big hole?

 

[pinballmania]

The bit that you crimp is largely the same. The in crimped bit determined its use.

Headers are the bit that is attached to the circuit board. The pitch is the distance between pins.

I'll be sending the larger size for the larger hole. Once you get going this will all fall into place.

 

[cooldan]

Thanks matey

 

[ronnie63]

You should always ensure you enter the right hole! suppose it will be like riding a bike once you done it a few times