How do you stablize a wire connection?

Thread Starter

seattleswitcher

Joined Aug 5, 2016
6
I have a home-made momentary switch box. The wires at the other end connect via adapter with little gates(guillotine style) that screw down against the wires. (see picture)

I plug the adapter in and out about twice a month, and the little wires always pull out, snap, break, etc.

I know this is probably a super basic question, but how can I secure the wires so they are sturdy, and can withstand normal use? I've thought about connecting them and then filling it with hot glue, but I'm guessing that's a bad idea. Are there some sort of wire tips I can install on the ends and then plug that into the adapter gates? Or maybe this adapter is standard and there are other options for inserting wire? Any ideas are helpful and welcome.

Here are a couple other pictures if helpful:

 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
It's about mechanical flexing. First guess: Zip-tie the outer insulation to the green connector, then make service loops in each wire before it goes under the screw. I think hot-glue would work better than, or in addition to, the zip-tie. Maybe lay the cable long-wise to the connector and run a line of hot glue.

Second Idea: Add a pull strap while you have the glue hot so people have something to pull on besides the cable and that tiny connector.
 
Last edited:

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,212
How does the wire go inside the switch box? Through a simple hole on one side? Does it go through a grommet or gland? Can you post a pic of that?
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Try a hot melt glue, or if your insulation won't stand that temperature, try "Goop" (aka E6000 from Eclectic Chemical company). It is wonderful stuff, and smells great too (to a chemist).

I have used Goop/E6000 for more than 20 years. It goes on like toothpaste and cures to a thin, extremely flexible and adherent rubber with a very high peel strength. In fact, you cannot peel it off unlike silicone. A non-acid curing silicone would be my my forth or fifth choice.

John
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
How does the wire go inside the switch box?
I'll bet you a Corona that the cable doesn't go inside the switch box. That's what connectors are for, to avoid unscrewing the cover of the box.
Little girl connector bolted to the wall of the box, little boy connector approaches from the side.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,788
I plug the adapter in and out about twice a month, and the little wires always pull out, snap, break, etc.
I suspect you're not removing by grasping the connector and are instead tugging on the wires?

I use a similar connector on my thermostat which I change twice a year. I grasp the connector to remove it from the mating part.

One way to avoid breaking wires is to solder some solid wire pig tails on the ends of the stranded wires. Another is to use a zip tie to bundle the wires together so they share the stress.

Best way is to avoid pulling on the wires in the first place.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,212
I'll bet you a Corona that the cable doesn't go inside the switch box. That's what connectors are for, to avoid unscrewing the cover of the box.
Little girl connector bolted to the wall of the box, little boy connector approaches from the side.
o_O If you win... would you actually drink the Corona? :p
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
o_O If you win... would you actually drink the Corona? :p
Actually...no.
Alcohol does bad things to me. Red face, hot flush, flaccid muscles.
Worst of all, it stops me from getting up and doing anything, and I have enough difficulty walking when I'm sober!
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I've got the professional tool just for crimp ferrules but just about any cheap crimping tool works with a little practice.
That's a lot better price than I expected. I have a "Contact East" catalog with entries like:
AMP crimp tool frame, $101.00
RJ-22 4 position die only, $50.00

Paladin all-in-one telephone tool, $116.00

Excellite Ergocrimp Plus, Frame = $70.10
Hex die (to fit crimper frame), $64.85

GMP Modular Plug Presser, Standard kit, $689.00

But, yeah, I've installed a lot of .250 spade terminals with my wire cutters, carefully handled.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,212
Actually...no.
Alcohol does bad things to me. Red face, hot flush, flaccid muscles.
Worst of all, it stops me from getting up and doing anything, and I have enough difficulty walking when I'm sober!
That's very, very strange.. in my case, alcohol makes me:
  • healthier
  • wiser
  • more handsome
  • smarter
  • more agile
  • bravier
  • funnier
  • interesting-er
  • giblissh-errr
  • als(sl&1ls-errrr
  • and lazt, vut nut liezzzt ... belllutnsithim-errrrrrr!!! **** burp ***!

cheers! :p
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,618
I concur with Paul in post #8. You have the wrong type of connector. What you have is an interconnect between modules, designed for a secure and sturdy connection to allow dismantling for servicing a few times in its lifetime.

Depending on your situation, i.e. where is the mating end of that connector shown, you can replace the pair.
Or you can keep what you have and add another pair of connectors that are designed for repeated connect/disconnect, example DE-9P and DE-9S.

Sample photo:

 
I really like these: http://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/cpc-and-cmc-series-1/7534 for a connector that's easily removable. You have to buy all of the parts though and it's not intuitive to figure it out.

The pin removal tool is cake to use, so the housings are reuseable. You'll need a crimper for the pins.

What you can do is crimp a modular connector (Ethernet/Phone) on what you have with a modular crimper and then use a modular to D adapters: http://www.cablesandconnectors.com/06900-06.HTM

You can also buy connector savers: http://www.l-com.com/d-sub-slimline-socket-saver-db25-male-female
which become sacrificial. When the surfaces don't reliably mate anymore, you can change the connector saver.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,263
One way to avoid breaking wires is to solder some solid wire pig tails on the ends of the stranded wires.
That's what I do. Then the non-soldered end of the pig-tail is spirally wrapped around the cable sheath as a mechanical strain-relief. A heat-shrink sleeve completes the job. Not as neat as the pukka ferrules, but ok if there are only a few terminations to make.
 

Thread Starter

seattleswitcher

Joined Aug 5, 2016
6
How does the wire go inside the switch box? Through a simple hole on one side? Does it go through a grommet or gland? Can you post a pic of that?
The wire goes inside the black box with silver buttons through a simple hole in the side. I knotted the cable inside the hole to prevent pulling. But, I'm not having any problems with that aspect, just keeping the wires secure in the little green connector, which in turn plugs into a third party device.
 

Thread Starter

seattleswitcher

Joined Aug 5, 2016
6
I suspect you're not removing by grasping the connector and are instead tugging on the wires?

I use a similar connector on my thermostat which I change twice a year. I grasp the connector to remove it from the mating part.

One way to avoid breaking wires is to solder some solid wire pig tails on the ends of the stranded wires. Another is to use a zip tie to bundle the wires together so they share the stress.

Best way is to avoid pulling on the wires in the first place.
I know how fragile the wires are, so I never pull the cable directly... I grasp the little green connector and give it a little back and forth wiggle to pull it off. It seems like the wires at the connection always break/pull loose when it gets packed away, transported, stored, and then reverse order until I set it up at the next location.

Thanks for the suggestion of soldering wire pig tails... I'll need to google that and get a better idea of what that looks like.
 
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