molex insertion tool

[trancedental]

I don't mind wiring 2 or 3way molex cables / connectors & headers but any more & I'll buy them because life's too short!!!  ;D

http://www.musikding.de/PCB-Connectors

I'm sure other companies sell them as well!!!

 

[anjing]

This link is working.
I've just ordered one.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SN-28B-Pin-Crimping-Tool-2-54mm-3-96mm-28-18AWG-Crimper-0-1-1-0mm-For-Dupont-/121243171145?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3aa7f949&_uhb=1

Best,
Guy

  ... I wish I had seen this ten years a go. Good god the problems I would have avoided! If only you guys knew the personal hell I've gone through with all things 2.54mm molex.

Personal hell, mental torture, i remember feeling like destroying crimper might help ease the pain....

I don't mind wiring 2 or 3way molex cables / connectors & headers but any more & I'll buy them because life's too short!!!  ;D

http://www.musikding.de/PCB-Connectors

I'm sure other companies sell them as well!!!

That's really a good offer! The only problem is when you need shielded connection...like a mic or line connection, those are the ones who give me the most trouble. It seem i always get one pin shorter of misaligned.....thats were i figured the molex tool would be helpfull....after reading earlier posts i think diy is the most cost efficient way to go.

In the last few weeks I must've crimped thousands of Molex 2.54mm KK terminals...(and I still have the will to live - just about...). I have a generic ratchet crimper, just like the one in the link. However... I find huge variability in the quality of job it does...

Issues I've found are:

How far you insert the terminal laterally into the jaws has a profound effect, and there's no mechanism to ensure exact consistency in this regard.

Sometimes the contact flange gets 'rounded' when crimping... I'm not sure why - maybe it's to do with above?

Most annoyingly of all, getting the wire into the terminal by the right amount takes concentration... If you push in too far the insulation gets crimped twice, with the stripped wire not making a good contact. If you don't push in far enough, you don't grip the insulation and need to apply a dab of solder to ensure strength.

Does the Molex official tool that costs $$$$$ solve any of the above issues? I see mass-produced items with KK connectors in them. I figure they don't pay a guy to squint into the jaws of a crimping tool, judging whether the wire's in the right amount...do they?

Crimping thousands really sound like a nightmare! Sometimes i noticed that the pin gets warped when seperating them from the other pins before crimping, or if you put them too deep in the crimper. I'm also curious if anyone using knows if the real molex crimper helps with the issues you describe. Anyhow i don't think i can afford the real one!

Regards,

Pierre

 

[ruffrecords]

This the one I use, readily available in the UK:

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equipment/Ratchet-Action-Crimp-Tool-Ht225d-85-0262

The ratchet action is really useful. I squeeze the tool until it clicks once and then push in the crimp from the bottom. Another click usually holds the crimp but allows you to move it. I then set the crimp so it is flush with the top of the tool. Finally I push in the wire until the insulation just disappears and SQUEEZE. It is important to get the length of the cut wire correct but other than that it works very well. The only problem I have is with screened wire when doing the screen itself as there is no insulation to give you a guide as to when the wire is in far enough. I find if you push the screen in then look from underneath you can see the wire appear. I also find it helps to lightly tine the screen.

Cheers

Ian

 

[bruce0]

Well on the Molex 0.156 idc connectors I only came across them in old Altec mixers (and in one kit I bought from diypartsstore for the 51x psu, which I "threw out").  The connectors are tough, and well built but I could not use it, so I just put it in a drawer (if you saw my basement you would know that "putting it in a drawer" was my equivalent of throwing it away) and put real crimpable molex connectors on.

Here is a tool from the pinball folks that looks like it is designed for the punchdown molex http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1590 better than the $60 mentioned in the OP but I HAVE NOT USED THIS TOOL (apparently sometimes the wires bend up and don't displace the insulation (that's what I had with a screwdriver) and this tool solves this according to site comment among the pinball crowd. 

The main advantage of these is that they allow a "bus", they are inappropriate for PSU connections for so many reasons (hard to use, lower current, IDC questionable contact area, and crimp give great contact area).

Molex has a great document on crimping, a how-to... what happens if you over strip insulation, etc.

I used to tin the wire, crimp the connector, add flux liquid, and heat.  I always worried that the heat would change the spring characteristic of the contact, so I was careful but never had trouble.  But now, convinced by the crimping "how-to" document,  now I just crimp because I am getting better at it, and the document convinces you of the reliability. But the ratchet crimpers are nice (I used to use them on RJ45) because they don't allow you to crush it so much, I think I will get one (more tools!).  The key thing is the shape of the anvil and appropriate size.  (0.156" vs 0.1") anvil. 

Are the ones suggested below good for the 0.156 ot the 0.1" molex crimpable contacts?

Did a search on IDC wire insertion tool (who knew)  came up with these that look better too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cable-IDC-Punch-down-Stripper-Insertion-Tool-/290693823247?_trksid=p2054897.l4276

Convenient but looks a bit iffy and specifies 100 wire
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102881&CAWELAID=120125420000003408&catargetid=120125420000031799&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CL2tgciW27wCFWvxOgodTzgAGQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Here is a whole load of them, some have wire de-insertion hooks!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/360646664567?lpid=82

 

[bruce0]

These helped - the pictures are great, and it really helped me they show you a good crimp and a bad crimp and why.

They have names for all the parts of a crimp and connector, names like "bell mouth" and "cut off tab" "pulled strands" "irregular insulation cut"  "cut strands" "conductor brush" and "insulation crimp".

The whole thing is interesting but the good stuff for our conversation picks up on page 14 section 8.

These are available in spanish german thai and everything else, The documents are hard to find on the molex site but the keywords are "crimp quality"


8 1/2" by 11" version
http://rhu103.sma-promail.com/SQLImages/kelmscott/Molex/PDF_Images/63800-0029_64016-0065.pdf