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What tool do you use for crimping ‘pull pull’ ferrules?


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As per the title! I’ve built quite a few models with ‘pull pull’ wires for rudder and elevator surfaces and have always used a pair of long nose pliers or wire cutters (used lightly) to crimp the ferrules to grip the (looped) control wires. I use ‘proper’ crimp tools for servo leads and the like and just wonder if there is a similar, open ended, tool for these ferrules? I know that for cable termination ferrules the ring type crimp tools are excellent but not sure if an open ended equivalent is available?

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I use a small pair of wide, flat nose pliers to crimp closed loop ferrules. The ferrule crimps flat, obviously, but I've never had a crimp failure or felt in anyway that the finished job was poor. Important to thread the wire through the ferrule correctly beforehand.

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28 minutes ago, Dad_flyer said:

I am watching with interest here, I have closed loop on a model that came to me built. I ought to re-do it, but I am shying away from it because of the crimping.

Don't worry. I've never had a failure in any closed loop crimp, but do thread the cable correctly through the ferrule as shown in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afut-_hztQ8 Fast forward to 10 minutes to see the crimp technique.

I've never bothered with the shrink covering, but it's an option. Just wide plain nosed pliers, not keen on the use of wire cutters for an 'extra' crimp - IMHO it's not necessary if the cable is double looped through the ferrule.  Whatever one is  happy with.

Edited by Cuban8
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The video is, more or less, the way that I carry out my installations but it’s the crimping of the ferrules that I would like to improve, as I’m not a fan of just flattening the ferrules. I like to have ‘cross tube’ crimps to give more security, hence why I use the cutters to create a couple of ‘cross tube’ indents but it doesn’t look very neat and you have to be careful with the amount of force exerted otherwise it’s easy to cut through the whole lot!

 

As I said above, circular crimp tools for cable termination ferrules are great but rely on threading the ferrules into the circular jaws and are generally a little on the large size for in model installations. I was hoping to find a pair, similar to servo cable crimps, that have open jaws but will still execute multiple crimp points.

 

Maybe I’m being too finicky?

Edited by Ron Gray
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So @Alan Hintongave me the idea, so I went out to the workshop and found an old pair of blunt side cutters. 5 minutes later with the cutting edges filed to form blunt edges, probably not that clear in the photo.

 

IMG_6865.thumb.jpeg.016389c6ddce167d189f07847e8122e0.jpeg

 

But using them on my smallest pull pull wire and ferrule

 

IMG_6866.thumb.jpeg.f60986a2f4419a67f96e72a63fd1a0a8.jpeg

 

IMG_6864.thumb.jpeg.e4715ac74d8eb9c435b8776c013c39cf.jpeg

 

Well that was a success, thanks Alan.

 

 

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I thread the wire back through the ferrule and then crimp it with a vice. 

After that, the wires get a dot of cyano to make sure they cannot creep. 

 

Leave enough room for adjustment. . . The wires stretch after a while so they will require being tightened up after they have settled down.  

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@Dad_flyer

 

Closed loop controls are the best. Crimping is easy to get the hang of.

 

@Martin Harris - Moderator

 

That looks like a proper job.

 

Myself, I use side cutters, careful not to go right through everything. I do three crimps, thread the thing back around - as per Ron's picture. Then finish with some CA in the ferrule and heatshrink outside for a neat job (if I have any handy).

 

18 hours ago, Ron Gray said:

IMG_6864.thumb.jpeg.e4715ac74d8eb9c435b8776c013c39cf.jpeg

 

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