How to crimp using a hydraulic battery operated crimper

Summary

In this video, Kevin Clark from Wattmaster demonstrates how to crimp a copper lug onto a building wire using a 25 mil ELKO lug and a Clowka Mini Crimp hydraulic tool. The tool is versatile, suitable for crimping from 25 mil to 185 square mil. After selecting the appropriate die and prepping the cable, the lug is crimped in two stages. A clear heat shrink is applied for inspection, followed by a black heat shrink for insulation. The process showcases the use of Wattmaster's crimping tool, heat gun, and heat shrink kit for a secure and professional electrical connection.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ Kevin Clark from Wattmaster demonstrates crimping a copper lug onto a building wire.
• 🔌 The lug used is a 25 mil ELKO lug, available at Quality Wholesaler EU.
• ⚙️ A Clowka Mini Crimp hydraulic tool is used for crimping, suitable for sizes from 25 mil to 185 square mil.
• 🔩 The tool is fully hydraulic and automatic, reducing fatigue during crimping.
• 🔍 The correct crimper die is selected based on the lug size, in this case, a 25 mil square die.
• 🔌 The lug is identified by markings indicating its size and stud size.
• 👷‍♂️ Pre-stripping of the cable is mentioned for preparation before crimping.
• 🌡️ Alco heat shrink is used post-crimping for insulation, available in various colors including clear for inspection.
• 🔗 The crimping process is described in steps, emphasizing the ease of use of the tool.
• ✂️ A small amount of overflow is trimmed after crimping for a neat finish.
• 🔥 A heat shrink gun is used to apply heat and shrink the heat shrink tubing for a secure fit.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video?

The purpose of the video is to demonstrate how to crimp a copper lug onto a piece of building wire using a specific crimping tool and lug.

Which company does Kevin Clark represent in the video?

Kevin Clark represents Wattmaster in the video.

What type of lug is being used in the demonstration?

A 25 mil ELKO lug is being used.

Where can ELKO copper lugs be purchased according to the video?

ELKO copper lugs can be purchased at Quality Wholesaler EU.

What is the range of sizes the Clowka Mini Crimp Hydraulic tool can handle?

The Clowka Mini Crimp Hydraulic tool can handle sizes from 25 mil to 185 square mil.

What is the advantage of using a fully hydraulic and automatic crimping tool as mentioned in the video?

A fully hydraulic and automatic crimping tool reduces fatigue for the user.

What is the first step in the crimping process as shown in the video?

The first step is to select the right crimper by choosing the appropriate die for the lug size.

What does the '25' on the lug signify?

The '25' on the lug signifies that it is a 25mm lug.

What is the purpose of using clear heat shrink after crimping?

Clear heat shrink is used to inspect the joint after crimping.

What colors of heat shrink are available from Wattmaster?

Wattmaster offers heat shrink in red, white, blue, yellow, green, and black colors.

How does the video demonstrate the crimping process?

The video demonstrates the crimping process by placing the lug onto the conductor, using the mini crimp tool, and then applying heat shrink.

What is the final step shown in the video after crimping and applying heat shrink?

The final step is to use black heat shrink to fully insulate the joint up to the face of the lug.

Outlines

00:00

🔌 Crimping a Copper Lug

Kevin Clark from Wattmaster demonstrates how to crimp a copper lug onto a piece of building wire. The specific lug used is a 25 mil ELKO lug, available at Quality Wholesaler EU. The tool used for crimping is the Clowka Mini Crimp hydraulic tool, capable of crimping from 25 mil to 185 square mil. The process starts with selecting the correct crimping die, which is a 25 mil square die for this demonstration. The die is easily inserted into the crimper, and the cable is pre-stripped to protect it. After crimping, the joint is inspected using clear heat shrink from Wattmaster, which is available in various colors including yellow-green for earth and black for neutral, in addition to clear for inspection purposes. The final crimped lug is neatly fitted, with a slight overflow that can be trimmed. The use of heat shrink ensures a secure and insulated connection.

Keywords

💡Crimping

Crimping is a process used to join two pieces of metal or other conductive material by compressing them together using a specialized tool. In the context of the video, crimping is used to attach a copper lug onto a building wire. This is a critical step in electrical installations to ensure a secure and conductive connection. The video demonstrates how to crimp a lug using a hydraulic crimping tool, which is efficient and reduces fatigue.

💡Copper Lug

A copper lug is a terminal connector made of copper, used to join wires to other electrical components. In the video, a '25 mil ELKO lug' is specifically mentioned. This type of lug is used for connecting building wire and is crimped onto the wire to ensure a secure and conductive connection. The size of the lug (25 mil) corresponds to the size of the wire it's meant to connect.

💡Building Wire

Building wire refers to the electrical wire used in construction for various purposes such as power, lighting, and control circuits. The video mentions 'a piece of building wire' which is the wire that the copper lug will be crimped onto. This wire is essential for transmitting electrical power within a building's infrastructure.

💡ELKO

ELKO is a brand mentioned in the video, known for manufacturing electrical components like copper lugs. The '25 mil ELKO lug' is a specific product from this brand used in the demonstration. ELKO products are likely chosen for their quality and reliability in the electrical industry.

💡Clowka Mini Crimp Hydraulic

The Clowka Mini Crimp Hydraulic is a tool used for crimping lugs onto wires. It is highlighted in the video for its ability to handle lugs from 25 mil to 185 square mil, covering a wide range of crimping needs. The tool's hydraulic and automatic operation is emphasized for reducing user fatigue, which is beneficial for long-term use in electrical work.

💡25 mil

In the video, '25 mil' refers to the size of both the copper lug and the building wire. 'Mil' is a unit of measurement used to denote the thickness of wire or the size of a lug. A 25 mil lug is designed to fit a 25 mil wire, ensuring compatibility and proper connection. This specification is crucial for the crimping process to be successful.

💡Heat Shrink

Heat shrink is a type of plastic tubing that, when heated, shrinks to fit tightly over an object. In the video, heat shrink is used to insulate the crimped connection after the lug has been attached to the wire. The use of 'Alco heat shrink' and 'What Master heat shrink kit' is mentioned, with clear heat shrink being used for inspection purposes.

💡Insulation

Insulation is a material that prevents the flow of electrical current and protects against electrical shock. In the video, insulation is achieved by applying heat shrink over the crimped lug and wire connection. Proper insulation is essential for safety in electrical work, ensuring that the connection is protected from external elements and accidental contact.

💡Quality Wholesaler EU

Quality Wholesaler EU is mentioned as a source for ELKO copper lugs. This suggests that the video is not just a tutorial but also provides information on where to obtain the necessary materials for the task. Quality Wholesaler EU likely offers a range of electrical components, serving as a one-stop shop for professionals in the field.

💡Wattmaster

Wattmaster appears to be the company or brand associated with the video's presenter, Kevin Clark. The term is used to introduce the video and the presenter's expertise. Wattmaster might specialize in electrical tools and accessories, and the video serves to demonstrate the use of their products, such as the mini crimper and heat shrink gun.

💡Cable Stripping

Cable stripping is the process of removing the insulation from the end of a wire to expose the conductive core. In the video, it is mentioned that the cable has been pre-stripped. This step is necessary before crimping a lug onto a wire to ensure a solid connection without the interference of the wire's insulation.

Highlights

Kevin Clark from Wattmaster demonstrates crimping a copper lug onto a building wire.

The lug used is a 25 mil Elko lug, available at Quality Wholesaler EU.

Crimping tool used is the Clowka mini crimp hydraulic, suitable for 25 to 185 square mil.

The Clowka mini crimp hydraulic is fully hydraulic and automatic, reducing fatigue.

Selecting the right crimper is crucial, with the lug indicating a 25mm size and 8 mil stud.

The 25 mil square die is easily inserted into the crimper with spring-loaded catches.

A battery charger is used for the battery-operated crimping tool.

The cable is pre-stripped and protected before crimping with Alco heat shrink.

Clear heat shrink is used for inspection purposes post-crimping.

Heat shrinks are available in various colors including red, white, blue, yellow, green, and black.

The lug is placed onto the conductor, and the mini crimp tool is used to crimp half the lug.

The second pull on the trigger completes the crimping process.

A slight overflow is observed, which can be trimmed for a neat finish.

The crimped lug fits well, with 25 mil stamped for identification.

Heat shrink is slid onto the lug and shrunk using a heat gun for insulation.

Black heat shrink is used as a second layer for a tight fit, shrinking from 13mm to 6.5mm.

The final joint is fully insulated, with the heat shrink fitting tightly up to the face.

The demonstration showcases the Wattmaster mini crimper, heat gun, and heat shrink kit.

Transcripts

kevin clark from wattmaster we're going

to

crimp a

copper lug onto a

piece of building wire today

the lug we're using is the 25 mil elko

lug

the elko copper lugs available at

quality wholesaler eu and we're going to

be using the clowka mini crimp hydraulic

this can do from

25 mil to 185 square mil which is your

biggest size most where most your volume

for crimping is it's a lovely little

tool and

as it's

fully hydraulic

and automatic reduces your fatigue a lot

so first

thing we're going to do is uh select the

right crimper so on the lug you can see

we have 25 meaning it's a 25mm lug dash

8 with an 8 mil stud size that's the

hole to bolt it onto whatever you're

gonna bolt it onto picking the small 25

mil square

die

slips into our crimper quite easily just

there's some little spring-loaded

catches here just pull them back

poke your die in and that's how quick it

is and

have a battery charger here which you're

used to with your um battery tools

just uh

i've pre-stripped this cable and just

put that on there to protect it before

and i'm going to be using afterwards

some alco heat shrink i'm using clear

heat shrink just so i can

inspect the joint after

after crimping but uh the heat shrinks

available from what master in the major

phase colors red

white

blue

and we also have yellow green for earth

and black for neutral and we have clear

so placing the

lug onto the conductor

taking the mini crimp tool and pull the

trigger

then we have half the lug crimped move

it along again

and then we have the like 100 crimped

really nice with

a little bit of overflow on that one

but

nothing to nothing that we can't just

trim a little bit there

and there we have a very nice fit of the

lug that's

25 mil stamped on there so you know it's

25 mil cable 25 mil lug and we've used

the 25 mil die

now we take the heat shrink

just slide it on and i'm using clear

here just so i can inspect later i could

as i said before easily use black which

i have

and

blue

red yellow green or white and this is

the what master elko heat shrink kit

taking our

wet master heat shrink gun

and

just

getting hitting that with a bit of heat

and we have the

heat shrink

shrinking nicely there we have a nice

joint with the heat shrink there

so what we can do

is then take black

put the black there

straight from our kit

as our

now that black heat shrink we use there

shrinks from 13mm to 6.5 so that's

a very nice tight fit there you can see

i can still inspect the joint fully

insulated right up to the face that's an

example of the white master mini crimper

white master heat gun

and the wattmaster heat shrink kit