Terminating SWA

[apprentice87]

Hi all, Advice needed!! Proper newbie type question!! I absolutely hate terminating SWA, not because it is "difficult" as such, but because i end up really struggling to get the glands to fit so as that i am "happy" with them.

My question is, are there "good" glands, and makes to be avoided at all costs?? Reason i ask is today i have been struggling to fit glands to cable!! Yes they are the right size glands, but the diameter of the fat end of the conical part, plus the steel wires, is about the size of the major diameter of the thread on the gland, or if you like, larger than the minor diameter of the thread on the nut.

This means that unless you are happy with only about 1/4 of an inch of wire trapped in the gland, you cannot get the nut on...

The cable in question was 6mm 4 core in BW20 glands.

I had an old gland lying around [bw20s] that i tried on some equally old 4 core 2.5mm and that flew on!! The make by the way was BICC

Soooooo, am i doing something wrong, or are loads of glands too tight for the armour wires, or have some cables just got extra thick armour wires??

Please help before i burst a blood vessel!!

john...

 

[Sidewinder]

What BS was the cable?

I don't have a gland chart here, I'm eating my dinner!

It should be on a gland pack.

IIRC there is a difference between PVC/PVC & XLPE/PVC.

Could that be it?

 

[Andy™]

much easier with a jubilee clip.... just its not always practical

 

[wozz]

As sides said PVC / XLPE can change the gland size, sometimes wholesalers get this wrong, or it can catch you out when connecting up to a old SWA which may not be xlpe like most are now.

I nearly always use outdoor glands, just habit now they always feel better to me.

 

[steptoe]

sometimes to have to pull the SWA back a fraction to start the thread, then 'hump it home' so to speak while you tighten the gland up,

especially if its at either end of the gland size.

 

[matt.leung]

i always use the exterior type, as you get an extra olive ring, that helps to keep the strands stay in place when screwing the out nut onto the gland. also the extra cable nut holds the cable in place.

 

[kerching]

sometimes to have to pull the SWA back a fraction to start the thread, then 'hump it home' so to speak while you tighten the gland up,especially if its at either end of the gland size.

I too was 'humping it home' this morning.

My weapon of choice is the 'Earthing Nut'....had to use the Banjo coz' it was a Dorman board and the lip is Humungeous. There is a guy on ebay who sells .locknut sockets'....brilliant bit of kit BUT it wont fit earthing nut! Why is my life thwarted at every opportunity? Looks like it could be a long week............ :coat

 

[steptoe]

bush babies??????

 

[kerching]

Que?

How is a small , cute, large eyed monkey [ish] type critter going to aid me in my quest? or have I missed the point yet again:coat

 

[steptoe]

:C

can some of you more educated peeps do my good friend a link to some bush babies of the electrical kind?

do they still exist?

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 23:27 ---------- Previous post was made at 23:26 ----------

Bush Spanner

OK,

so thats a king, but you get the idea

 

[batty]

Try a 25mm one if its that tight.

 

[kerching]

its this one

ebay Item number: 350406808678

I don't have the full set, just the 20 and 25 locknut set. Saves a lot of time and 'barked' knuckles........... :coat

 

[Evans Electric]

Cable glands fit a range of cable sizes , I think if you are using the biggest size that the gland takes , then they can be a bit tight . Also some makes of SWA differ in wire size .

Some applications the gland will indeed , only grip the ends of the SWAs. If you're struggling to get the thread started , pull the armour wires back a bit until it starts, it will hold , don't worry.

 

[steptoe]

Cable glands fit a range of cable sizes , I think if you are using the biggest size that the gland takes , then they can be a bit tight . Also some makes of SWA differ in wire size . Some applications the gland will indeed , only grip the ends of the SWAs. If you're struggling to get the thread started , pull the armour wires back a bit until it starts, it will hold , don't worry.

didnt I say that?

withdraw a little until she takes,

then hump it home for all you can while tightening the nuts!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Evans Electric]

didnt I say that?withdraw a little until she takes,

then hump it home for all you can while tightening the nuts!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes ........I thought you were talking about something else TBH

 

[steptoe]

Oh yes ........I thought you were talking about something else TBH

moi?

would I?

I dont see any issue with this earth, you sure it needs rodding?!

 

[apprentice87]

Hi, thanks all, yes i think the pull it back and start the nut, and then shove it in technique seems to work the best. Just a bit stressed is all as i like to do things properly, does not seem right to me unless the wires are the full length of the cone shaped part though..

john..

 

[revjames]

you will get the hang of it. I prefer the 5 piece brass bands (sorry glands ) to the 2 piece ones (ie no dust seal and no olive) takes practice. I always make the gland off on the cable before fitting the completed gland to the work. Not always possible for example if theres a tapped hole.

 

[sellers]

all it is, is practice. Make sure your cuts straight on the armourings. Pop some tape round as a guide if you struggle lining up your cut around. If you have a bend into some equipment, get the bend done and cable lined up before you cut.

As steps says, don't be affraid to give it a wiggle and a push while tightening.

 

[Evans Electric]

Good one Sellers, I always mark the armour cut with tape too , saves any clock -ups .

The firm I did my time with had their own jointer and picked that up when helping him .