Terminating #8 SOOW Onto 30Amp Cord Connector?

[Ravenvalor]

Hello,

Yesterday I had to remove some of the strands on the conductors of a #8 SOOW cord in order to install them on a Pass & Seymour L14-30 Cord Connector. I was wondering if anyone on this forum has ever tried to first dip the end of the conductors into a solder pot before terminating them onto the connector? Or perhaps using a soldering iron to apply solder to the conductors? Another option might be putting terminal adapters onto the ends of the conductors if room will allow. Thanks for the great help over the years. This forum is indispensable.

 

[petersonra]

I don't think solder is your answer

 

[retirede]

You need to find a cord end that accepts #8. I haven’t looked, but I’d think they exist.

 

[Todd0x1]

Hubbell HBL series 30 amp twistlocks take #8.

NEVER EVER solder or tin the wires before inserting them in a connector's pressure plate style terminals. Don't use wire ferrules or crimp pins either. Solder cold flows under pressure and will leave a loose connection after tightening which will burn up. The pressure plate terminals in cord ends are designed for finely stranded wire only, anything else in that terminals will result in a poor connection.

When assembling the connector, put the backshell over the cable before stripping, strip the cable jacket and inner conductors to the exact length shown in the instructions and it will go together easily.

Source: have assembled thousands of these.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

Hubbell HBL series 30 amp twistlocks take #8.

NEVER EVER solder or tin the wires before inserting them in a connector's pressure plate style terminals. Don't use wire ferrules or crimp pins either. Solder cold flows under pressure and will leave a loose connection after tightening which will burn up. The pressure plate terminals in cord ends are designed for finely stranded wire only, anything else in that terminals will result in a poor connection.

When assembling the connector, put the backshell over the cable before stripping, strip the cable jacket and inner conductors to the exact length shown in the instructions and it will go together easily.

Source: have assembled thousands of these.

Sage advice, stripping AFTER you've passed the cord through the shell.

 

[LarryFine]

When assembling the connector, put the backshell over the cable before stripping . . .

Sage advice, stripping AFTER you've passed the cord through the shell.

Agreed! Keeps you from having to undo and redo your connections because you forgot the shell.

Same applies to heat-shrink splice and terminal coverings, electronic connectors, etc.

 

[Ravenvalor]

Thanks for the great help. I am looking at the box for the Pass&Seymour Cord Connector that I used and it says that it is actually suitable for #8. I will keep tinkering with it until I get it right.

Thanks again.

 

[LarryFine]

The best way to minimize the diameter of stranded wire is to match and maintain the lay of the strands smoothly, and avoid any overlapping strands.

 

[Frank DuVal]

NEVER EVER solder or tin the wires before inserting them in a connector's pressure plate style terminals.

Same for any crimp type terminal. This advice is also covered in the IPC soldering certification, funny, in that is is not soldering!

 

[VirutalElectrician]

The best way to minimize the diameter of stranded wire is to match and maintain the lay of the strands smoothly, and avoid any overlapping strands.

And if you mess it up, recovering from it is almost impossible. Need to cut your losses and start over most of the time.

 

[GeorgeB]

When assembling the connector, put the backshell over the cable before stripping, strip the cable jacket and inner conductors to the exact length shown in the instructions and it will go together easily.

Source: have assembled thousands of these.

In this regard, I am more a handyman; making extension cords I've noted that the lay of the insulated conductors makes one end fit much better either into the male or female connector without needing to curse. If the wire is pre-connected elsewhere, that's what you've got, but if it is loose, investigation of the 2 ends will make assembly easier. That backwards arrangement has made it more difficult to not disturb the copper stranding.