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Powered crimping tool equivalent to COPALUM tool

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Powered crimping tool equivalent to COPALUM tool Harry Muscle 08-10-2005
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Posted by Harry Muscle on August 10, 2005, 12:21 pm


Newsgroups: alt.engineering.electrical, alt.building.construction,
alt.home.repair, misc.consumers.house

Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 19:09:50 GMT
Local: Wed, Aug 10 2005 3:09 pm
Subject: Re: Powered crimping tool equivalent to COPALUM tool

See
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/electrical/article/0,16417,56...


*****

Thanks. I know about those, however, even though they are UL approved
the CPSC has apparently shown in tests that they do in fact fail under
normal conditions ... hence they do not approve of them. Therefore I
was hoping to find a solution that both testing agencies approve of ...
the only one I'm aware of is the COPALUM tool. They don't seem to have
as negative a view of CO/ALR approved devices (even though they do say
that they also have failed in tests). But since not everything is
available as CO/ALR compatible you're back to having to use pigtails,
at least for some things.

Harry



PexSupply Save 10 468x60
Posted by Duane Bozarth on August 10, 2005, 2:33 pm


Harry Muscle wrote:
>
> Newsgroups: alt.engineering.electrical, alt.building.construction,
> alt.home.repair, misc.consumers.house
>
> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 19:09:50 GMT
> Local: Wed, Aug 10 2005 3:09 pm
> Subject: Re: Powered crimping tool equivalent to COPALUM tool
>
> See
> http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/electrical/article/0,16417,56...
>
> *****
>
> Thanks. I know about those, however, even though they are UL approved
> the CPSC has apparently shown in tests that they do in fact fail under
> normal conditions ... hence they do not approve of them. Therefore I
> was hoping to find a solution that both testing agencies approve of ...
> the only one I'm aware of is the COPALUM tool. They don't seem to have
> as negative a view of CO/ALR approved devices (even though they do say
> that they also have failed in tests). But since not everything is
> available as CO/ALR compatible you're back to having to use pigtails,
> at least for some things.
>
> Harry

As I say, I'd start w/ Nicopress. www.nicopress.com


Posted by Bud on August 10, 2005, 5:33 pm


Harry Muscle wrote:
If you use crimp/compression connections the crimper has to be one that
the manufacurer says can be used.

My experience is that solid wire does not work in a crimp (#14-#10
range) - partly because too much torque can be applied from the wire the
crimp connection. Looking at a panduit catalog I didn't see any
limitation on solid wire. Make sure crimp connectors are listed for
solid wire if that is what you have (small gauge stranded aluminum wire
probably does not exist).

My suggestion would be to use copper/aluminum rated wire nuts; crimp in
small wire sounds like a pain. In general I look for wire nuts with a
'live spring' - the spring deforms over the wires making a tighter
connection.

In the trivia department, in compression connections on larger wire, the
sleeve is compressed so tight there is a cold weld between the sleeve
and wire.

Bud--



>
> See
> http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/electrical/article/0,16417,56...
>
(link doesn't work)

>
> *****
>
> Thanks. I know about those, however, even though they are UL approved
> the CPSC has apparently shown in tests that they do in fact fail under
> normal conditions ... hence they do not approve of them. Therefore I
> was hoping to find a solution that both testing agencies approve of ...
> the only one I'm aware of is the COPALUM tool. They don't seem to have
> as negative a view of CO/ALR approved devices (even though they do say
> that they also have failed in tests). But since not everything is
> available as CO/ALR compatible you're back to having to use pigtails,
> at least for some things.
>
> Harry
>


Posted by Harry Muscle on August 11, 2005, 6:00 am


Apparently the COPALUM tool I mentioned in the original post does in
fact create a cold weld to the aluminum and copper. Which means the
equivalent tool I'm trying to find would also have to be able to create
enough pressure to do the same ... am I correct in assuming that that
rules out hand operated crimping tools and only leaves powered ones?

Thanks,
Harry

P.S. According to some of the information available on the COPALUM
tool, it creates 10,000 pounds of pressure.



Posted by PipeDown on August 11, 2005, 7:58 pm



> Apparently the COPALUM tool I mentioned in the original post does in
> fact create a cold weld to the aluminum and copper. Which means the
> equivalent tool I'm trying to find would also have to be able to create
> enough pressure to do the same ... am I correct in assuming that that
> rules out hand operated crimping tools and only leaves powered ones?
>
> Thanks,
> Harry
>
> P.S. According to some of the information available on the COPALUM
> tool, it creates 10,000 pounds of pressure.
>

At least it would need to be as big as a pair of bolt cutters if it did
exist.

Any luck finding approved wire nuts?




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