Making a battery cable

[500/600]

Everybody probably already owns one of these, but I had never seen one before.

As I work to move the battery to my trunk I had 1/0 welding cable and copper ends. I tried my hand at soldering, but didn't trust my work. I found this neat crimping anvil on eBay for less than 20 bucks. It works perfectly and the connection is rock solid and looks like a factory made crimp.

 

[ssn696]

Black silicone and heat-shrink tubing, and that will be durable as well as sano.

Made in USA cable. Bravo.

 

[Injectedcutty]

I always wanted to buy one of them anvils, but always forget until when I need one. Soooo, I resort to a hammer and flathead screwdriver, then some marine grade heat shrink on some USA made Southwire welding cable.

 

[jlcustomz]

Never had one either, but recently pulled out some various HD stereo supply 0 to 4 ga ends I bought surplus. Some had allen screws, so that was easy. Others had a split mark in one side, so I was able to crimp 1 side at a time over with end cutter type pliars & then squeeze together.

 

[565bbchevy]

I bought mine from Temco Industrial many years ago and I use it to make new cables for everything, I just put my piece of heat shrink sleeve on before crimping and then slide it over when I am done.
Most of what I do is 1/0 so it works really well for that. many times I get my cable and ends from them also.

 

[Jorge1958]

Ive used that tool for years. Makes really nice cables

 

[RICKDIZZLE]

Those work amazing! That is how I do all the battery cables for the hydraulic setups I work on. I also add the nice thick heat shrink with the glue on the inside. Slide it over, hit it with a heat gun and boom! Beautiful long lasting cables.

 

[axisg]

Good job. I can never seem to find my heavy crimpers when I need them. Depending on the application I have also resorted to putting the clamp end in the vice and filling the end with solder. Break out the torch and dunk the cable in the mixture. Then heat shrink the whole deal

 

[Bonnewagon]

" putting the clamp end in the vice and filling the end with solder."

That is what I do. I make cables for marine use and I don't trust clamping. By using a blowtorch I fill the open end of the fitting with solder and then dunk the pre-heated cable end. I also like to make sure solder some travels up the cable a bit by capillary action just like sweating copper pipes. That makes the last inch or so of cable very stiff. Then I seal with liquid electic tape, cover with shrink wrap, then finish with more liquid tape. I have never had a cable fail or even get cruddy with this method and boats sit in salt water for 6 months at a time.

 

[melloelky]

that's pretty cool,custom cables and you get to hit stuff with a hammer..i feel better already.