Crimping pins and making harnesses - a tutorial

[awbacon1]

Pin Crimping and Harness Building

Part of my series on building and wiring custom fight sticks. There was never a great video on YouTube (IMO) so I decided to make one. Feedback always welcome but figured you guys would enjoy it on here!

 

[Frank_fjs]

Nice one, well done. Everyone should learn this basic skill.

 

[twistedsymphony]

It's a good video that shows the basic process and the right type of tools HOWEVER you really should be encouraging people to use proper quick disconnects. the Partially or fully insulated ones have a pretty sloppy crimp and don't hold up in the long run.

you should be using fully un-insulated quick disconnects like these so that they can be crimped securely with a proper die:


and then use a separate insulator like these (installed before you crimp):


Or if you want the ultimate in OEM you can get the official Sanwa insulators that are used on the original harnesses in Japan:


not only will that provide a better crimp but also prevent any accidental shorts since they'll be fully insulated.

 

[awbacon1]

It's a good video that shows the basic process and the right type of tools HOWEVER you really should be encouraging people to use proper quick disconnects. the Partially or fully insulated ones have a pretty sloppy crimp and don't hold up in the long run.

you should be using fully un-insulated quick disconnects like these so that they can be crimped securely with a proper die:


and then use a separate insulator like these (installed before you crimp):


Or if you want the ultimate in OEM you can get the official Sanwa insulators that are used on the original harnesses in Japan:


not only will that provide a better crimp but also prevent any accidental shorts since they'll be fully insulated.

It's a good video that shows the basic process and the right type of tools HOWEVER you really should be encouraging people to use proper quick disconnects. the Partially or fully insulated ones have a pretty sloppy crimp and don't hold up in the long run.

you should be using fully un-insulated quick disconnects like these so that they can be crimped securely with a proper die:


and then use a separate insulator like these (installed before you crimp):


Or if you want the ultimate in OEM you can get the official Sanwa insulators that are used on the original harnesses in Japan:


not only will that provide a better crimp but also prevent any accidental shorts since they'll be fully insulated.

honestly I’ve never had issues with the disconnects I use, and if they are in a space sensitive environment I’ll heat shrink them for added protection.

I’ve put those disconnects under some serious strain and the cold weld has never slipped or broken.

I’ll take your feedback into mind if I ever revise the video as a second suggestion but I’ve never had anything but good luck with those disconnects and I’ve used hundreds of them with no issues

 

[twistedsymphony]

honestly I’ve never had issues with the disconnects I use

You're also coming from a home use background, which doesn't see as much abuse as a public arcade. I worked as a tech for a number of years and those kind of crimps would fail often. You have to use as much force as you can muster to get the crimp to hold properly since you're just crushing the metal as opposed to properly forming it, and even if you do get a good crimp it doesn't have a strain relief so the wires will often snap right at the base of the crimp after a time. This is particularly problematic with thinner gauge wires in something that sees a lot of vibration (like a control panel) I've seen literally 100s of them fail this way.

I'm sure if you did this in your home arcade it will last 5-10 years without any issue, but in a heavy use environment like an arcade the life span of those thing is closer to 8-months to a year.

 

[awbacon1]

Lol I guess it’s a use case scenario then. My tutorials are designed for people using superguns and home building items so they learn the skills. I can’t promise anything will hold up to a bunch of drunk people at arcades...or sticky children!

But I’ve has those disconnects in a stick for a few years, with multiple rounds of friends over, beer drinking SF and KOF tournaments, and they’ve held up for me. So at least for home use I don’t mind recommending them

 

[awbacon1]

But yeah I see your point about arcade use. I just work on the assumption arcade techs won’t be watching my videos to fix their stuff. At least I hope they know how to do this already lol

 

[twistedsymphony]

The people who run most new arcades these days are the ones who started with arcades at home, and they're learning from videos like this; there's no "School" for arcade techs (at least none that I know of). When I learned I just had some basic electronics knowledge and learned from the older techs who'd been been around longer than me. Also keep in mind when I worked I saw hundreds of them because other techs who had "fixed" those machines before me used whatever was cheap and easy to find as opposed to sourcing the right equipment (pre-insulated quick disconnects can be found at your local shops, the proper ones with separate pin and insulation need to be special ordered).

Personally when I look at building things like custom harnesses and PCBs, if I'm unsure I look at what the OEMs did because these things were designed by real electrical engineers and they're going to balance quality with cost. There might be an objectively "better" way to do it but you rarely go wrong by following what the OEMs use.

 

[awbacon1]

Well if I touch on the topic again I’ll mention the other connectors, or leave a link in the subject for the other version if it’s for commercial use. I’ve used both, but Amazon Prime ships me 100 of the type I used in the video for $4 so they get used for sure when I need to make items for my sticks / machines.

Then again I don’t abuse stuff like arcade equipment gets abused. It’s like people become monsters in arcades. Go all Hulk strong on stuff

 

[DarthMig]

You guys have any suggestion on wire crimpers.

 

[awbacon1]

Crimpers

That’s exactly what I used in the video. $22. I’ve used precision pin crimpers made in Germany that run well in excess of $100, and these are basically Chinese copies.

I recommend them. They work nicely and the price is right.

 

[twistedsymphony]

Then again I don’t abuse stuff like arcade equipment gets abused. It’s like people become monsters in arcades. Go all Hulk strong on stuff

it has more to do with cold working the wires... like when you wiggle a wire back and forth a number of times until it snaps.

In an arcade the machine is running for 16 hours a days, when it gets played, even with normal play, every button hit causes vibrations in those wires which cold works them if they don't have a strain relief. Even if the machine isn't getting played, the noises and vibrations from people walking by the machine and from nearby machines have a similar effect. You can bet that the bass and people jumping on the DDR machine down the way are causing the wires to vibrate. So even if everyone is polite and doesn't abuse your machine those little vibrations add up over time.. 16 hours a day for 6 months that's about 3000 hours of your "friends over, beer drinking SF and KOF tournaments"... it adds up fast.

That's also why all of the wires all throughout the cab are strapped down in wire holders (particularly in Japanese cabs which are designed to last a lot longer than USA cabs), they want as little opportunity for cold working the wires as possible.

 

[awbacon1]

Lol I’m talking about the “barcades” in Chicago where people just get weird

 

[digitron]

Crimpers

That’s exactly what I used in the video. $22. I’ve used precision pin crimpers made in Germany that run well in excess of $100, and these are basically Chinese copies.

I recommend them. They work nicely and the price is right.

Thanks for this, they have an updated version btw - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4L8QMW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I picked these up.

 

[djsheep]

I have these IWISS ones and they have done everything big or small that I've thrown at them fine:
https://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Crimping-AWG28-20-Terminals-Connectors/dp/B078WNZ9FW/

 

[digitron]

I have these IWISS ones and they have done everything big or small that I've thrown at them fine:
https://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Crimping-AWG28-20-Terminals-Connectors/dp/B078WNZ9FW/

You Aussie's are stronger than us lazy-ratcheting Americans

 

[awbacon1]

My FIL owns the German version and I've used them...the chinese knock off is like 99% the quality. This time the Chinese didn't toss out a crap product!

 

[clam_wattson]

It's a good video that shows the basic process and the right type of tools HOWEVER you really should be encouraging people to use proper quick disconnects. the Partially or fully insulated ones have a pretty sloppy crimp and don't hold up in the long run.

///image

you should be using fully un-insulated quick disconnects like these so that they can be crimped securely with a proper die:
///image

and then use a separate insulator like these (installed before you crimp):
///image

Or if you want the ultimate in OEM you can get the official Sanwa insulators that are used on the original harnesses in Japan:
///image

not only will that provide a better crimp but also prevent any accidental shorts since they'll be fully insulated.

do you have any recommendations for crimping your preferred style of QDC connectors? I have the Hozan P706 and a cheapo IWISS for the knockoff 'duPont' connectors. I think the Hozan might handle them but wondering if there any any other unofficial tools for the job.

 

[twistedsymphony]

I've heard good things about the Hozan crimper from people I trust in this space. I personally Use the Engineer PA-21: https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-PA-21-Universal-Crimping-Pliers/dp/B002L6HJ8W/

I don't get the impression that one is really any better than the other.

 

[KaPH33n]

I am a fan of the Hozan P706. I haven't tried the Engineer tool? I do highly prefer the Hozan over the Iwiss one I also have. Ratcheting is not really a requirement in my mind, and possibly a detriment?