FTZ crimp settings for #4 power lug

Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
@marchem
Here is a link to FTZ specs, for what its worth.
http://www.genuinedealz.com/media/catalog/product/pdf/Heavy_Duty_Power_Lugs.pdf
They are selling NSPA lugs at this time. They told me that if someone specifically wanted FTZ lugs, they needed to call to specify as they did not always carry the FTZ. They said they did have customers that would only use FTZ and bought them in larger quantities.

My new FTZ crimper and FTZ lugs are scheduled to arrive on Monday. I'm anxious to see if they crimp better than the lugs I returned.

Will send PM.
 
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Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
@marchem
I received a few of my new FTZ power lugs. To my eye they look to be made better.
There isn't a seam on the edge of the pad, the ink printing is sharper and the metal stamping for wire size and die letter & color is sharper. Photo below.

Since the lugs I crimped seemed to be over crimped and the 2/0 dies made a nicer crimp but seemed to be not tight enough, I had measured three of the NSPA lugs to compare to the link above.
The specs above for the 1/0 lug are:
Barrel OD .595 +/- .010
Barrel ID .445 +/- .020
Pad Thickness .135 +/- .010

The NSPA lugs I measured were:
OD .605 +/- .001
ID .445 +/- .002
Pad .146 +/- .002

I just measured three of the FTZ lugs I received yesterday:
OD .570 +/- .002
ID .440 +/- .003
Pad .133 +/- .001

It looks to me that the NSPA lugs are made of a thicker wall tubing which would explain why they didn't crimp well with the 1/0 EA Black die set and looked much better but not tight enough, with the 2/0 AC Orange die set.

I'll see how they crimp on Monday when my crimper arrives.

IMG_1443.jpg IMG_1445.jpg
 
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jssailem

jssailem

.
Oct 22, 2014
21,110
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Ward... Great info. Love the detail. Concur with the observation and conclusion about the NSPA lugs. Maybe they have a specific crimping tool they use to match the variance in the lug manufacture as compared to the FTZ .
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,674
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
It does not look like you are rotating your crimps....

For slightly over-sized lugs:

Crimp, but not fully, rotate 90, crimp but not fully, rotate now crimp all the way......... This will reduce the OD without flagging...
 
Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
jssailem said:
Maybe they have a specific crimping tool they use to match the variance in the lug manufacture as compared to the FTZ .
Click to expand
They told me they use a bench mounted version of the FTZ crimper. Probably much easier to eyeball the crimp as they go as the handle is over the crimp dies.

Maine Sail said:
It does not look like you are rotating your crimps....
Click to expand
I was trying to rotate them 90 deg. These were the first couple I did.
Trying to keep the wire in the lug and the lug in the crimper at the right mark and keeping it all there while squeezing both handles isn't as easy as it sounds, at least for me.
I just need some more practice, which I will get next week.

Thanks
 
marchem

marchem

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Nov 16, 2012
1,047
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
I talked to the place I bought my FTZ crimper (Bay Marine Supply). They said they're an authorized FTZ distributor and only sell the real thing. So I'm pretty sure I ended up with some non-FTZ lugs, especially when I started having problems with the 1/0 lugs. I'll measure the ones I've got left and see if that explains my problems. It ended up working out ok, as long as I was real careful with the crimps. Still deciding on putting covers on all of the posts-there's a wood cover and a seat that go over all of this (but I think I know what the recommendation will be!).
Final Battery.jpeg
 
marchem

marchem

.
Nov 16, 2012
1,047
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
Ward H said:
I was trying to rotate them 90 deg. These were the first couple I did.
Trying to keep the wire in the lug and the lug in the crimper at the right mark and keeping it all there while squeezing both handles isn't as easy as it sounds, at least for me.
I just need some more practice, which I will get next week.

Thanks
Click to expand
I was lucky, my wife was a great help and became an expert at holding the cable and lug while I squeezed, grunted, and tried to not shake!!
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,674
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Ward H said:
They told me they use a bench mounted version of the FTZ crimper. Probably much easier to eyeball the crimp as they go as the handle is over the crimp dies.



I was trying to rotate them 90 deg. These were the first couple I did.
Trying to keep the wire in the lug and the lug in the crimper at the right mark and keeping it all there while squeezing both handles isn't as easy as it sounds, at least for me.
I just need some more practice, which I will get next week.

Thanks
Click to expand
Put one handle on the floor (on scrap plywood) and brace it with your foot, now you have one hand for the wire/lug and one for the upper handle... Simple...
 
Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Maine Sail said:
Put one handle on the floor (on scrap plywood) and brace it with your foot, now you have one hand for the wire/lug and one for the upper handle... Simple...
Click to expand
Leave it to me to do it the hard way first. Luckily the only crimping I've done so far was practice crimps on scrap cable.

For some reason I was thinking I would run the cable (8' - 16' lengths) from compartment to compartment, cut it to length, then crimp the lugs to the ends of the cable in the compartments.

Thinking about the process, I guess I should crimp the lug to one end of the cable, pull it through to its destination, measure and cut other end, then pull the cable back enough so I can crimp the lug with the cable end on the floor, then pull the cable back into position.

I would have figured it out sooner than later.

Brown truck just delivered my cable.

Thanks
 
Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
marchem said:
Still deciding on putting covers on all of the posts-there's a wood cover and a seat that go over all of this
Click to expand
My understanding from talking to Maine Sail that as long as nothing is stored in the compartment covers are not required. Store just one metal wrench in there and they are.
 
Ward H

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,651
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
My FTZ Crimper and FTZ Lugs arrived today.
Huge difference in ease of crimping and quality of crimps with the FTZ lugs.
Going up into the high 60s for the next two days. Should be able to finish this project.
 
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marchem

marchem

.
Nov 16, 2012
1,047
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
Ward H said:
My FTZ Crimper and FTZ Lugs arrived today.
Huge difference in ease of crimping and quality of crimps with the FTZ lugs.
Going up into the high 60s for the next two days. Should be able to finish this project.
Click to expand
Both of those are good to hear. Post pictures!
 
marchem

marchem

.
Nov 16, 2012
1,047
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
After looking at the spec sheets from both FTZ (http://www.ftzind.com/store/main.aspx?p=ItemDetailAttributeGrid&item=91767) and NSPA (http://www.nspa.com/documents/NSPA1097-LugFlyer.pdf) I can also confirm that the heavy duty lugs I got from GenuineDealz were NSPA lugs. Even though the NSPA spec sheet shows the same die settings as FTZ (except for the #4 5/16 and 3/8 that say H-H, instead of J-H) they've got different dimensions and don't crimp as nicely as the FTZ. Lesson learned: buy FTZ lugs next time!!
 
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