Making Battery Cables
 

Can anyone point me in a direction to find some nice battery cable for a custom installation? I've seen a few pictures on here and some look great. Have heard 0 GA welding cable works well? Have two batteries with selector switch so will need at least two lengths. Will also need the connectors to finish the job. Would like to purchase online if possible??

Thanks for the help!

Mcmaster Carr has a good selection on page 698
http://www.mcmaster.com/
Do a search in Mcmaster Carr for Battery Cable they offer several different types including Marine.
P.S. I buy from them weekly at work.

Rob

I would go to a local Heavy Truck (semi) parts house. They make custom cables all the time for big rigs. They should be able to help you select the proper size wire and connectors. If you do it yourself you will need a special crimper to install the connectors.

I made mine out of car stereo monstercable with the gold and brass terminals ,battery connectors.

NAPA sells the ends you need for the cable. Drop several chunks of solder into the hole and heat with a torch. Slide a chunk of heat shrink tubing on the cable a foot up. Flux the cable and insert into ferrule when it is molten. Hold till cools. Slide shrink tube over connection and heat with a heat gun or hair dryer.

Use good cable, standard types of cable will often turn green so get the marine grade or tinned type.

Thanks everyone! Looks like McMaster-Carr will have all I need. Any idea how to crimp 1/0 gauge connector? Was also wondering what size stud is on the battery? I have two interstate marine batteries. I like the idea of using the heat-shrink tubing to make a nice looking connection.

Thanks for the help.

Dave,
If you size the cable and connector (lug style) you should not need to crimp it. Just fill it up 1/2 way with molten solder and shove it in.

hey baddog
 

is this also your boat name??

DAVE give me a call. (978) 985-0639. I will make some up for you. You want to make them with 0ga wire and the wire HAS to be tin coated for the boats otherwise they will corrode up and you will have horrible power transfer. I just need to know what size ends you need and the exact length and I will make you what ever you want.

Jon

Here is some on the Camaro

MAD enterprises has the cable that you want. It's very expensive welding cable. Very, very nice stuff. It's more flexible than a rubber fuel line. The stuff you get from NAPA and McMaster is way too stiff. You can also get the necessary crimp ends and the crimper from him. Screw soldering the connections. With the crimper you strip the cable, slip the end in the crimper and give it a wack with the hammer. DONE! I like to finish my ends up with colored shrink tubing from NAPA.

http://www.madelectrical.com/index.shtml

Napa even sell solder pellets that you drop in the ends. Positive terminal is 3/8'' negative is 5/16''

If you are willing to use regular welding cable (which is as flexible as a piece of rope), I have about 2000' of various sizes (all black) I bought at an auction. Will sell for 1/2 of Mc Masters price. Been meaning to put it on Ebay but have not got around to it yet.

Jon, as you say the tinned cable is really great but from a practical standpoint I have never had a problem with the straight copper cable soldered and heat shrunk, even after many years if saltwater use.

Marc I agree you can run what ever you want to. I just figure if you are going to go through the effort of Pulling out the old stuff and putting in the new you may as well do it with the best stuff you can :D:D

Jon

FLUX in the fitting and all over the conductor is you're gonna solder it...

I'd be interested....

Bad Girl,
Yes that is my boat name as well. Long story years ago, something about mad cats and Bad Dogs. Just kind of stuck.

Don't use solder the cable ends. Go to your local Speed Shop, or Truck shop and get screw together ends for the cables. They work based on compression. You can get them through MOROSO, or Accel.

Very Simple cut the cable to length, strip 3/4" of the sheathing, install it in the end of the terminal, and tighten. Once you have done that, get some shrink rap covering, from your local auto parts store, or West Marine and cover the assembly.

Cord, I will get a list of the available sizes up as soon as I get back to the shop, probably not till Monday though.

Go to www.delcity.net. They have real good prices on all of your electrical needs. Copper cable and copper ends are good. Don't use the tin coated ends because they will rust away in a few years. They sell a crimp tool for the ends, don't use solder because it melts when batteries are low and high current is being drawn through the cables to the starter.

I have #1, 2, 3, 4 and 3/0 cable, this is 600V welding cable, good insulation, very fine strand. Anyone interested in full spools? It turns out I have over 10 full 500' spools.

No, 1-0 cable?

nope, figures

Go with a good quality marine grade tinned cable. Don't use regular welding cable. If you are using the cable ends that crimp, Crimp Them, then add the solder. Nothing beats a good mechanical connection. Also, slide a peice of heat shrink with the hot melt glue in it over the end to help seal it. Soldered joints can react with salt water. I believe Anchor makes battery clamps out of a different alloy than regular car ones. I never saw them in a store, but I saw them in a boating Mag.

Liberator, yes absolutely crimp and solder, solder is never meant to replace a good mechanical connection. Also the heat/melt shrink is additional insurance.

Guys, I do agree that tinned cable is the best, but I can say that I had welding cable on my boat for 20 years, lots of saltwater with no problem. I think the battery acid is more of an issue than salt water. From a practical standpoint has has anybody actually had a failure using welldng cable that has been properly connected?

Dave, I gotta go with Liberator 21 on his recomendation. You can get everything he mentioned at Boat U.S. from their catalogue or at one of their stores. I just did it last spring and you definitely want to crimp and solder!! Cable is sold by the foot and it's not cheap, check your measurements twice. If you ever get to Milwaukee, the S. 76th Street store had everything. Don't forget the stainless steel cushion clamps to secure the cable in the engine compartment. I have the crimping tool if you want to borrow it. Steve

I have been making custom cables for auto HD truck and marine apps for about twenty years. We use welding cable only, tin plated solid copper ends, crimp only, no solder, use shrinks with the sticky stuff inside.
We sell these day in day out, no problems. If you crimp them right you can tow a car with them! I don't like solder because of the extra labor cost with no benefit.

Take some measurements and go to a auto electrical shop. They can probably make them while you wait. We do. Oh, make sure thay use red shrinks on pos and black on neg since most welding cable is black.

Steve H

You have to be carefull with what solder you use. Flux is acidic and it can cause corrosion if you use the wrong stuff. Silver Solder is the best.

Jon

Hey Dave I tried to PM ya but your mailbox is full.

Jon

battery cables
 

I have manufactured and sold and designed cable assemblies of all types for over thirty years. There are several factors to consider when choosing how to make the heavy duty connections discussed here.

I would always choose a tin plated, swedged ( crimp ) style connection for high amperage loads. You will need a very heavy duty tool for this if using #2 through 2/0. I would also use color coded ( black/red ) HD thick wall glue type heatshrink for easy reference on all terminals. Where possible I would like to use tinned conductors. That is, tin plated strands of high strand wire. Welding cable is high strand count but is not my choice for marine applications. Welding cable outer covering is not considered extreme duty. Tin plating will resist corrosion ten times better than non tinned wire. The cable I use for ultimate severe duty is ENT, as in entertainment cable or sometimes called "stage cable". The covering on ENT is substantially more resistive to a harsh environment and cutting and retains it's elasticity better when old.

For the ultimate cables use ENT and heavy duty tin plated crimp connections with all terminals covered with HD heatshrink. Welding cable is not bad but is not as good as ENT.

My .02 worth.

Jon,

Try me again on PM...sorry about that!