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Crimping Stainless Steel Wire Rope


Seagoon

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Hey people,

Id really appreciate any help or advice with techniques for crimping stainless steel wire rope at home. Im redoing the winch rope cause the metal loop support thing was rusted, and im on an anti-rust campain at the moment!!! Anyhow, got a nickel plated thing from bias, which was probably a dumb thing to buy given that im on an anit-rust campain... anyhow, crimped it in a vice pretty damn hard, and you guessed it, the bastard thing slipped out with the first bit of tension on it...

Are there any tricks, or a special set of crimping tools you need? Thanks in advance...

Cheers.

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Ok, googled some stuff... i need a swaging tool apparently, but stuffed if ill buy one for one crimp!!! The swage i was using is ok for corrosion resistance cause its nickel plated copper, so the worse thing that can happen is that it turns green in places...

And that "thing" is called a thimble??? Have no idea - must be a pommy thing!!! ;-)

I guess the thing to do is get kitted up and take the rope to somewhere that will crimp it for me. Im not suprise that the vice crimp failed - the automatic press that i googled somehow had a 20 tonne rating!!!

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Hey people,

Id really appreciate any help or advice with techniques for crimping stainless steel wire rope at home. Im redoing the winch rope cause the metal loop support thing was rusted, and im on an anti-rust campain at the moment!!! Anyhow, got a nickel plated thing from bias, which was probably a dumb thing to buy given that im on an anit-rust campain... anyhow, crimped it in a vice pretty damn hard, and you guessed it, the bastard thing slipped out with the first bit of tension on it...

Are there any tricks, or a special set of crimping tools you need? Thanks in advance...

Cheers.

Mate, you need a wire crimper.. hire one from Bunnings or another hire place.

Tell them the gauge of wire and they'll sort you out.

Good luck!

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Hey people,

Id really appreciate any help or advice with techniques for crimping stainless steel wire rope at home. Im redoing the winch rope cause the metal loop support thing was rusted, and im on an anti-rust campain at the moment!!! Anyhow, got a nickel plated thing from bias, which was probably a dumb thing to buy given that im on an anit-rust campain... anyhow, crimped it in a vice pretty damn hard, and you guessed it, the bastard thing slipped out with the first bit of tension on it...

Are there any tricks, or a special set of crimping tools you need? Thanks in advance...

Cheers.

Honestly...dont go through the exercise toss it in the bin and go and get your self

some spectra...

it,s anti rust friendly also, handles easy,sit's on the winch neatly a dream to handle and more importantly...

won't decapitate your head if that swage your thinking of getting done and decides to let go

Cheers Warnie...

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Thanks for your collective advice people. Yes, the spectra looks like the go - just easier, and i love going to bias on sundays!!! I go stay the whole day if i took a packed lunch. Thanks for your concern Ross - yeah im quite careful and always test stuff before i use it - i just *knew* it was gonna pull through...!

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Hi Paint_Stripper,

My dad is a fitter and turner and showed me how to fix this very problem.

I cut a 2cm piece of 12mm copper water pipe and used that as a swage (crimp). Rig it together as you already have press it together in the vice and then using a blow torch fill it with solder.

Fixed the winch cable about 4 years ago and its still going strong. Has not slipped one bit.

Apparently thats how he used to make lifting wires when he was an apprentice many moons ago.

Evets

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Right, interesting Evets - sounds really solid. Unfortunately i live in a unit and am not really set up that well for these sort of jobs and i have to make do where i can. What sort of solder did you use? Silver or just tin/lead?

In the end i have just come back from Bias with spectra rope in hand. I had to ask for assistance as i "couldnt find it"... and my jaw nearly hit the floor when the dude pulled some nylon rope thing off a hanger... But he highly recommended it too. From the photo i thought it was coated SS rope :-)

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The boat shops and the stainless shops generally have a swaging tool in their shop and don't charge much if you use it yourself as they also rent them out to people doing balistrades. Most won't do it for you due to the insurance in case you lose your boat etc etc as they don't have the testing gear there. Use the correct Die if it is a hydraulic one and if a manual ( like bolt cutters) use the correct notch and crimp to the correct mark / pressure. Like alll swages beware if they are not tested as they can fail.

Spectra is the core of the rope and not the pretty cover you see and has a very high working load but often a breaking load not much above that with little stretch. You get no warning when spectra breaks. The inner core can get UV affected and fail so keep that in mind and always use the chain and shackle on up and down ramps. Low quality Spectra although it is as strong as steel can just snap even when it looks totally undamaged so make sure that no one can be hurt. With spectra it may be a good idea to every year or two so to cut off the part that wears the most and gets the most sun damage. It may be a good idea to take the extreme weight of a spectra rope when trailiering as trailer flex can load up a solid winch ( after tieing down boat let it off one on the rachet) cable beyond it's working strain which reduces it's life and safety margin.

The other thing with the rope on a winch is that due to the thinness of the rope unless you load up the winch with some backing you end up spinning that winch handle a lot on the older winches with thin spindles on them.

You can also use wire rope clamps on wire cable and they work well but don't look to pretty. Simple ubolt with a cast fish plate which compresses the wire like a swage and if the cable slips or breaks you just undo and redo them. We use them on the farm as it means we don't break expensive cables rather it slips through the fittings before we break anything.

Pel

Have sent PM about swaging tool.

Edited by pelican
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I had to cut and join my winch cable about 6mths ago as it had snapped.

This is how I did it, all bits baught at B#nn#ngs.

I trimmed the cable with wire cutters, then looped it around a new rope

thimble then put the cable end into a new swage. I then put this swage with

cable through it onto my garage floor and hit it with a heavy hammer till

it was squashed onto the wire rope.

It has not slipped in 6mths of use, and is used to winch a 5mtr quintrex and 75hp

four stroke motor onto a trailer.

Penguin

post-1664-1200796565_thumb.jpg

post-1664-1200796585_thumb.jpg

Edited by penguin
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Penguin- well mate how can I put this--good job and ...........hope your not a professional rigger and ........................... ................please never fix anything on my boat or trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pel

I'll lend you a swaging tool next time. On that size rope you can use a swaging tool which is just a two half die which bolts together. Tighten the bolt until it's seated and viola your swage is done your neighbours aren't awake , your garage floor doesn't have dings and you still have all your fingers.

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Hey guys

I know Paint Stripper has fixed his probes, but I can't help myself. I know bugger all about fishing & am usually the one to ask the questions, but I actually know a little about this subject (Read...A little!)

We use wire rope alot in our work. I regularly hand splice 7 strand wire rope (Like your last pic Penguin) Its actually surprsingly easy once yo've done it once.

Trim ends neatly (We actually cut the rope with a hammer, find a sharp metal edge, like a solid anvil edge lay the rope over it and strike it hard. If you got a good edge & a reasonably hammer it will cut right through first go fairly neatly)

Pull the wire apart into 4 strands & 3 strands (Keep the 4 & 3 together so you have two pieces)

Make a loop the desired size with the two ends, as if you were about to tie a granny knot. (Bigger is better but you can do it smaller with practice so you can fit it around an eyelet) The loose ends should be long enough to go back to the start of the seperation once you have made the loop.

Then at the point where they both cross take one end & twist it arount the inside of the loop once, if you've gone the way the wire will start to mesh back into itself. Continue the twisting (IE wrap the loose end around the loop end) You will start to see it mesh back together. If it isn't meshing the take it apart & twist it the other way.

Do both ends the same.

Oh, I forget for those wanting to put a metal swage on it to neaten it up, you should of course put that on before you make the loop, push it up the rope out of the way until needed.

If done correctly you should have a neat looking eye splice that you can then insert an eyelet into, push the swage down onto & close with a vice. The sage doesn't need to be super fitted, its basically for apearances. The splice is pretty strong on ts own.

We put ALOT of weight on a 5mm wire rope spliced like this & they never fail. The winces fitted with this rope have a load rating of over 6 tonne (Hydraulic) and we regularly put 4 tonne or more on them.

I'll post some pics shortly for those that may be interested.

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OK, here's the pics. (I have edited this post since its now in the Workshop section, just to tidy up theinfo & pic sequence)

I used a vice for ease of taking the pics but its just as easy without (Probably easier)

Also, the "Swage" you see in the last pic is actually a spring pin just to see how it would look. We don't swage ours as the wire needs to be thin enough to go through winch guides etc, but if you were to swage it then I think a standard single swage (A double swage like the one in Penguins pic would not be suitable as it is for use when doubling up the wire as in his pic. With my splice you can use a single holed swage) would do but you certainly wouldn't need to fit it as securly as you would with a swage alone & no splice. You would add it just to neaten it up & make it look cool.

Finally, Its a good idea to wear gloves when doing this.

I hope this helps all you budding riggers. You never know, you may just find it comes in handly when you snap a rope & have no rope clamps to get you out of trouble at the ramp one day. With practice it takes about 2-5 minutes to do from start to finish. I did this one pretty quick considering I had to downsize pics and bath the kids half way through etc.

Split the rope into two seperate strands, one with 3 strands & one with four. The one with four will have a straight strand in it compared to the twisted ones in the other strands. To keep it neat its best to start the splice with this 4 strand leg. Try not to unwrap the individual strands from each other. Its best to just seperate the two groups then carefully unravel from each other keeping the groups twisted around each other. This will give you a much better finish. If they unravel from each other you have to start twisting individual strands & it gets messy.

post-3284-1200816463_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816484_thumb.jpg

Make a loop. Try to get the strands the same length as the loop legs (If that makes sense) shorter is better then you have no ends to trim.

post-3284-1200816726_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816752_thumb.jpg

Next start to wind the 4 strand leg back through the loop. If you've gone the right way (Follow the same direction as the loop wraps) then it will simply lock itself back into the loop strand like it was never split. If it doesn't match up then try wrapping it the opposite way around the leg.

post-3284-1200816821_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816832_thumb.jpg

Then, once the first leg is wrapped to the end & looks neat start with the other 3 strand leg. It will wrap in the opposite direction.

post-3284-1200816893_thumb.jpg

If it looks untidy carefully unwrap & using your fingers, roll the strand around as you twist it around. It should lock itself into place in the loop leg if done correctly. You can also use pliers to coax the strands to lock in but if you have to do this it may be getting a bit messy. Remember to ensure the strand is in one group not 3 seperated strands.

post-3284-1200816903_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816912_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816932_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816952_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816973_thumb.jpg

The finished product.

The swage is just for show. Even if you were to end up with the loop splice not going all the way to the bottom of the loop split it will still be pretty strong as anywhere along the loop it is always 7 strands thick as it was when it was a straight piece.

Fitting an eyelette is a simple matter of putting it into the loop, then pushing the swage fitting up so that it locks the eyelette into place. Then you can crimp the swage. One simple way to crimp it would be to lay it in a section of angle iron or similar then give it a few taps with a chisel. This is a backyard solution & as long as you don't belt it too hard (Just enough so it locks the eyelette) then things should be sweet. Remember, the splice is doing all the holding, the swage in this case is just holding your eyelette & for a neat finish. If your doing this as an emergency fix then I would make the loop larger, forget the eyelette & wrap some electrical tape around the terminated ends to stop fingers getting cut on the freyed ends.

END Boofheads Wire rope splicing 101

Final note: I am not a rigger, for any serious wire rope repairs & correct crimping advice always refer to your local rigging / winch dealer.

post-3284-1200816863_thumb.jpg

Edited by Boofhead
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Thanks Penguin

I forgot to mention. If you wanna put the eyelette in like your pic below, you should ensure the splice eye is slightly larger than the eyelette. When the splice is complete you would fit the eyelette & then use the swage fitting to close the splice eye around & lock it into the loop. In this case the swage fitting is a little more than for cosmetics.

post-1664-1200796585_thumb.jpg

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Brilliant boofhead - have tried and mine never look perfect like that and I spend more than 20 minutes. Will have to try the vice.

Penguin - Sorry if I have irritated you -next time I'll be blunt without humour- belting wire with a hammer fatigues it, hiding the damage point under a swage you have just belted means it is weakened and can corrode / fail without notice. It may suit your circumstance and last a day or 5 years but if someone else uses that method on a cable under high load it will fail.

If someone doesn't have access to a swage tool use wire rope clamps or if you have magic fingers like Boofhead go for the splice.

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  • 1 year later...

Hey people,

Id really appreciate any help or advice with techniques for crimping stainless steel wire rope at home. Im redoing the winch rope cause the metal loop support thing was rusted, and im on an anti-rust campain at the moment!!! Anyhow, got a nickel plated thing from bias, which was probably a dumb thing to buy given that im on an anit-rust campain... anyhow, crimped it in a vice pretty damn hard, and you guessed it, the bastard thing slipped out with the first bit of tension on it...

Are there any tricks, or a special set of crimping tools you need? Thanks in advance...

Cheers.

I see you have had a lot of replies but thought I might add my pennies worth.

Go to your yellow pages, search for "Wire & Synthetic Ropes and fittings" in your area.

I have worked in the Crane Industry for years and found the guys who supply slings and crane lifting gear to be very helpful. People who specialise in Marine gear can be rather expensive so just you normal wire rope supplier may be cheaper. A crimp on a wire rope will cost you only a couple of $'s most of the time they will do a small job while you wait.

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  • 1 year later...

Very good should work for stainless winch wire as well heh...sorry i am new here...how rude hi everyone.....broke mine recently...

OK, here's the pics. (I have edited this post since its now in the Workshop section, just to tidy up theinfo & pic sequence)

I used a vice for ease of taking the pics but its just as easy without (Probably easier)

Also, the "Swage" you see in the last pic is actually a spring pin just to see how it would look. We don't swage ours as the wire needs to be thin enough to go through winch guides etc, but if you were to swage it then I think a standard single swage (A double swage like the one in Penguins pic would not be suitable as it is for use when doubling up the wire as in his pic. With my splice you can use a single holed swage) would do but you certainly wouldn't need to fit it as securly as you would with a swage alone & no splice. You would add it just to neaten it up & make it look cool.

Finally, Its a good idea to wear gloves when doing this.

I hope this helps all you budding riggers. You never know, you may just find it comes in handly when you snap a rope & have no rope clamps to get you out of trouble at the ramp one day. With practice it takes about 2-5 minutes to do from start to finish. I did this one pretty quick considering I had to downsize pics and bath the kids half way through etc.

Split the rope into two seperate strands, one with 3 strands & one with four. The one with four will have a straight strand in it compared to the twisted ones in the other strands. To keep it neat its best to start the splice with this 4 strand leg. Try not to unwrap the individual strands from each other. Its best to just seperate the two groups then carefully unravel from each other keeping the groups twisted around each other. This will give you a much better finish. If they unravel from each other you have to start twisting individual strands & it gets messy.

post-3284-1200816463_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816484_thumb.jpg

Make a loop. Try to get the strands the same length as the loop legs (If that makes sense) shorter is better then you have no ends to trim.

post-3284-1200816726_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816752_thumb.jpg

Next start to wind the 4 strand leg back through the loop. If you've gone the right way (Follow the same direction as the loop wraps) then it will simply lock itself back into the loop strand like it was never split. If it doesn't match up then try wrapping it the opposite way around the leg.

post-3284-1200816821_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816832_thumb.jpg

Then, once the first leg is wrapped to the end & looks neat start with the other 3 strand leg. It will wrap in the opposite direction.

post-3284-1200816893_thumb.jpg

If it looks untidy carefully unwrap & using your fingers, roll the strand around as you twist it around. It should lock itself into place in the loop leg if done correctly. You can also use pliers to coax the strands to lock in but if you have to do this it may be getting a bit messy. Remember to ensure the strand is in one group not 3 seperated strands.

post-3284-1200816903_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816912_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816932_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816952_thumb.jpg

post-3284-1200816973_thumb.jpg

The finished product.

The swage is just for show. Even if you were to end up with the loop splice not going all the way to the bottom of the loop split it will still be pretty strong as anywhere along the loop it is always 7 strands thick as it was when it was a straight piece.

Fitting an eyelette is a simple matter of putting it into the loop, then pushing the swage fitting up so that it locks the eyelette into place. Then you can crimp the swage. One simple way to crimp it would be to lay it in a section of angle iron or similar then give it a few taps with a chisel. This is a backyard solution & as long as you don't belt it too hard (Just enough so it locks the eyelette) then things should be sweet. Remember, the splice is doing all the holding, the swage in this case is just holding your eyelette & for a neat finish. If your doing this as an emergency fix then I would make the loop larger, forget the eyelette & wrap some electrical tape around the terminated ends to stop fingers getting cut on the freyed ends.

END Boofheads Wire rope splicing 101

Final note: I am not a rigger, for any serious wire rope repairs & correct crimping advice always refer to your local rigging / winch dealer.

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My S/S winch rope broke a few years ago and i replaced it with this instead.

post-10441-127693036937_thumb.jpg

Much easier in my opinion, no slipping and rolls on nice and easy onto the winch and you don't get spiked in the fingers from the wire.

They have a pulling load of 550kg so plenty strong enough for my boat.

Just my 0.02c worth.

Jono

Edited by Mad Keen Jon
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