stranded wire & screws

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Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
That is just untrue.

What is shown in post 11 is bad workmanship and that can happen with any termination.
Yes, I suppose that's true. But less likely, I would suggest, with a crimped lug. And, with equal levels of craftsmanship, I think the crimped terminal is going to look neater.

You have some idea of what I'm involved in. Our customers would not accept wiring or cabling that did not have appropriate lugs. Even those going into clamp type terminals have to have pin crimps. Quite often there are written specifications on this but it's what we would do anyway.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Yes, I suppose that's true. But less likely, I would suggest, with a crimped lug. And, with equal levels of craftsmanship, I think the crimped terminal is going to look neater.

If you use craftsmanship it is very easy to connect a stranded wire to a screw.

The only real problem is that is does not have the sex appeal many folks find important.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
If you use craftsmanship it is very easy to connect a stranded wire to a screw.
But even easier, I think, with a crimped terminal.
I have some basis for that comment.
We used to terminate using stranded wire and screws as you do, so I have some experience of both methods.
 

klillemo

Member
Location
Twin Cities, MN
Factory wire twist is both CW and CCW

Factory wire twist is both CW and CCW

True, but the factory twist of stranded wire is CW.

The factory twist on a stranded conductor is CW and CCW. Just cut a short length and you will find one end CW and one end CCW.

This is also why the plug goes at one specific end of a three conductor cable and the cap goes at the other. If you find yourself twisting the conductors inside the back shell you are at the wrong end of the cable. Unfortunately, molded cord ends use this extra twist as a strain relief and repairs with new cord ends often means replacing both ends, or accepting the twisted conductors inside the backshell.

Not such a problem with three conductors but a real pain when you have four or more conductors.
 
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Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
The factory twist on a stranded conductor is CW and CCW. Just cut a short length and you will find one end CW and one end CCW. ...
This is entirely incorrect. Stranded conductors, at least those we are concerned with for this discussion, have a CW twist looking at either end.

This is also why the plug goes at one specific end of a three conductor cable and the cap goes at the other.

If you find yourself twisting the conductors inside the back shell you are at the wrong end of the cable. Unfortunately, molded cord ends use this extra twist as a strain relief and repairs with new cord ends often means replacing both ends, or accepting the twisted conductors inside the backshell.

Not such a problem with three conductors but a real pain when you have four or more conductors.
While this may be true, it has nothing to do with the twist of wire stranding, or for that matter the twist of conductors in the cable. Some cables even have an alternating twist of the conductors. What you are talking about here stems from the relative position of the conductors within the cable.
 
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