Hobby Double up terminations in plug??

[shocksl]

Hey guys

Should you double up a stranded cable inside a plug when terminating then ?

Using a 1.5mm heavy duty orange rubber flexible cable. And a heavy duty masterplug.

Thanks

 

[James]

The terminals are designed for a single conductor only.
By this I mean, a single conductor not a number of them or one folded back on itself.
This would include stranded conductors

 

[shocksl]

The terminals are designed for a single conductor only.

So just twist the stranded cable to make it sold and insert in plug.

I thought doubling up would increase the csa of the wire

 

[Avo Mk8]

I always used to double up. Ferrules are the thing, but apparently GSH think doubling up is a good thing to do in the absence of a ferrule! (Sorry, the relevant bit is 8 minutes in!)

View: https://youtu.be/maFAKU1r_Jw?si=fL0vtxpdlVJ7aSbf

 

[littlespark]

Depends on the size of conductor vs hole in terminal.

For very small, such as table lamps or the “figure 8” leads for radios etc, I’d twist and bend…. Larger cable, just twist….

But ferrules would be better in both cases

 

[westward10]

I've always folded even 1.5.

 

[Marvo]

I'm an old school folder as well. It always used to work well in the days when there was actually real copper in the wire and real brass in the terminations but all too often nowadays the screw is steel and it cuts the fine strands of the wire as it's tightened. I guess it's up to the sparky to compensate for bad manufacture and corner cutting by using ferrules.

 

[littlespark]

Gone are the days of a 13A plug with wraparound screw terminals. Didn’t matter how much you bared off… just wrap it around the screw under the washer and tighten.

 

[James]

Gone are the days of a 13A plug with wraparound screw terminals. Didn’t matter how much you bared off… just wrap it around the screw under the washer and tighten.

good old mk plugs, had a captive washer to keep everything in place as well.

 

[Avo Mk8]

good old mk plugs, had a captive washer to keep everything in place as well.

They still do them, and I keep buying them!
But the nylon 'spring' cable clamp is a pain for v. large (and v small) dia. flex.
Perhaps not as robust as the original brick shape, but nicer looking?

 

[littlespark]

They still do them, and I keep buying them!
But the nylon 'spring' cable clamp is a pain for v. large (and v small) dia. flex.
Perhaps not as robust as the original brick shape, but nicer looking?

View attachment 122414

Colour coded nowadays, I see.

Idiot proof, you might think

 

[James]

They still do them, and I keep buying them!
But the nylon 'spring' cable clamp is a pain for v. large (and v small) dia. flex.
Perhaps not as robust as the original brick shape, but nicer looking?

View attachment 122414

that brings back some memories.
when i was 7, i lost my dad suddenly in an unexpected accident.

we were living in Saudi Arabia at the time.
as you might imagine, the country has little to offer a single mother with no man to support her and we were swiftly deported.

shortly after returning to the uk, my mum's friend gave me several boxes of them, a screwdriver and a pair of wire cutters.
he taught me how to wire them, showed me what happens if you put the wire the wrong way round the screw stud.
explained why its best to leave a little slack in the earth wire and leave almost none on the live wire.

he explained the reasons behind fuse selection and left me a box of 3,5,10 and 13A fuses.
it gave me a challenge and a distraction from everything else going on around a boy grieving the loss of his dad.

I think it is probably the reason that i got into the field of electricity at a young age and why i still do so 40 years later.

to begin with i did stupid things, like try out a neon screwdriver in a socket, didn't fit, use a double socket adapter, did fit but blade joined live on one side and N on other side when i pushed it in. bang, flash, hide the screwdriver under the sofa and pretend it wasn't me!
or try to make an electro-magnet using a screwdriver and a coil of wire, smoke coming off the bed sheets because the wire was much to thick.

although now i do it for a living and rarely cause a bang or set fire to something!!

 

[Avo Mk8]

Mention of neon screwdriver reminds me, in my young childhood, discovering that if I stood (Dad's) Neon screwdriver blade in the top of the 15A round pin socket in my bedroom (the type where the switch occupied the front and the socket was on top) and left the socket switched on, it glowed dimly without any physical connection at the top. Pleased to find when I was put to bed, I had a night light at the other side of the room

 

[7029 dave]

Depends on the size of conductor vs hole in terminal.

For very small, such as table lamps or the “figure 8” leads for radios etc, I’d twist and bend…. Larger cable, just twist….

But ferrules would be better in both cases

Same as me