Brazing Stainless Steel

[Beltzington]

I need to attach a terminal lug to the end of a new 1/2" winch cable and the end result should be as pictured. Any concerns with brazing the lug on with a brass rod? Can I just use my cutting torch (sans blast) to heat it up without damaging the cable? It has been 35 years since I last brazed so I won't be insulted with the basics. Thanks.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Why not just crimp it on like in the photo. Depending on the amount of force being exerted on it, that should work. I think if I were to try brazing, I would use silver solder to do it rather than brass. I think it would adhere better to the SS cable.

 

[Beltzington]

Why not just crimp it on like in the photo. Depending on the amount of force being exerted on it, that should work. I think if I were to try brazing, I would use silver solder to do it rather than brass. I think it would adhere better to the SS cable.

Crimpers for this size lugs AWG 4/0 run over $100, based on my research simply crushing the lug with a vise or hammer does not provide a reliable connection.

 

[Shield Arc]

I've been involved in putting eyes on wire rope. But the wire rope was 3-inches in diameter. We slide the eye on the wire rope. Unwrapped the strands of the wire rope. Had a mold that went around the wire rope. Then we poured an epoxy resin in the mold. This was for the anchor wires on floating bridges.

 

[Rock knocker]

I need to attach a terminal lug to the end of a new 1/2" winch cable and the end result should be as pictured. Any concerns with brazing the lug on with a brass rod? Can I just use my cutting torch (sans blast) to heat it up without damaging the cable? It has been 35 years since I last brazed so I won't be insulted with the basics. Thanks.

That lug looks to be an electrical fitting. Why do you need it?

 

[Rock knocker]

Had a mold that went around the wire rope. Then we poured an epoxy resin in the mold.

I'm sure you know those are called spelter sockets, and can be zinc, babbit or epoxy. I grabbed one that Ben at Sunnen Crane in Tacoma had just poured, you don't want to do that.

 

[Beltzington]

That lug looks to be an electrical fitting. Why do you need it?

Used to attach the cable to the spool to start first wrap, the tension of the cable over the first wrap keeps the cable on the spool during a pull not the lug. Even so, I believe it will take a good connection to get that first wrap tight on the spool, it is 1/2" wire rope we are talking about.

 

[Shield Arc]

the tension of the cable over the first wrap keeps the cable on the spool during a pull not the lug.

The marine construction company I worked for, had a policy of leaving no less than 5 wraps of wire rope on the drum.

 

[Gordon Gould]

There must be a threaded bolt hole to attach the lug. Could you just make ( or buy) a cable clamp that bolts into the same hole to do the same thing ?? Or stick the cable thru the hole and put a clamp around it on the inside of the drum. That is how it is often done.

gg

 

[Rock knocker]

Used to attach the cable to the spool to start first wrap, the tension of the cable over the first wrap keeps the cable on the spool during a pull not the lug. Even so, I believe it will take a good connection to get that first wrap tight on the spool, it is 1/2" wire rope we are talking about.

I get that. But I doubt that that lug is the correct one. In fact, I doubt that the end connection is even simply bolted. My money is that there is a socket and a couple of set screws. Have a pic of the drum?

 

[Rock knocker]

The marine construction company I worked for, had a policy of leaving no less than 5 wraps of wire rope on the drum.

Even little RTs require at least three wraps. What the OP wants to do doesn't sound right.

 

[Beltzington]

I get that. But I doubt that that lug is the correct one. In fact, I doubt that the end connection is even simply bolted. My money is that there is a socket and a couple of set screws. Have a pic of the drum?

The cable pictured is stock WARN engineering, I believe they have been in business long enough to have developed a suitable solution. The cable I have is aftermarket and did not come with eyelet, I was hoping for some advise on an alternate solution to crimping an eye on the cable.

Rock Knocker, you good for a keg of beer?

 

[rswyan]

Crimpers for this size lugs AWG 4/0 run over $100, based on my research simply crushing the lug with a vise or hammer does not provide a reliable connection.

There's a (relatively) cheap ($14) type of crimper that can be used for large lugs like that, available from Fastenal, which I used to crimp some large cables (2/0) for the aux power system in my van:

Welding Cable Lug Crimper Hammer Style

 

[Gary Fowler]

Crimpers for this size lugs AWG 4/0 run over $100, based on my research simply crushing the lug with a vise or hammer does not provide a reliable connection.

I would think this would be cheaply done by a cable supply business or maybe even a hydraulic hose maker could do it for around $5. I sure wouldn't suggest someone buy a hydraulic crimper for a one time use.

 

[Reverser]

There's a (relatively) cheap ($14) type of crimper that can be used for large lugs like that, available from Fastenal, which I used to crimp some large cables (2/0) for the aux power system in my van:

Welding Cable Lug Crimper Hammer Style

I have one of those, and they're really handy for electrical connections.
But they're not really made to hold cables in tension. If, as was stated earlier, there was going to be 3 wraps of cable on the spool, it might be ok.

 

[muddstopper]

Your not going to braze it, not stainless. Silver solder your best bet. I wouldnt hesitate to crimp it if it was mine, your not going to winch anything with just the lug bolted to the drum. I have used winch drums where the cable had a UBolt to hold the first wrap and had it pull out under load. The number of wraps will determine how much you can winch, not the lug or how its attached.

 

[Beltzington]

I would think this would be cheaply done by a cable supply business or maybe even a hydraulic hose maker could do it for around $5. I sure wouldn't suggest someone buy a hydraulic crimper for a one time use.

Looks like the brazing idea a no-go. I did find a cable rigging company in my area but unsurprisingly they were not very motivated to do the work due to liability issues. They were nice folks and they said bring it over and let them look at it and they would say for sure.

The Fastenal hammer crimper seems worth trying but they are currently out of stock. All this to save $120.

Thanks for all your inputs.

 

[Reverser]

I bought this TEMCo., a while back. Well made and has good reviews.

TEMCo Hammer Lug Crimper Tool 5 Year Warranty - Battery Terminal Crimper - Amazon.com

 

[k0ua]

I was going to say I have had pretty good luck with using a dull cold chisel and a hammer to crimp a large lug. Use multiple hits spaced over the lug. But this was for large diameter electrical cable, not SS wire rope.