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the correct way to repair welding lead?

metalmagpie

Titanium
Joined
May 22, 2006
Location
Seattle
I was fortunate to recently purchase a couple hundred feet of 2/0 and 3/0
welding lead at a very reasonable price (considering). However, it had
clearly seen hard use probably in a shipyard since in several places the
insulation was cut and the copper had arced through.

There are two scenarios here: one where only the insulation is cut, and one
where maybe 10% of the copper strands are also cut.

I got some black heatshrink tubing and put that over the insulation cuts, but
it looks wimpy.

I would like to cut out a couple of sections and replace them with some kind
of splice joint, hopefully not much larger in diameter than the cable itself.
Does such an item exist?

Thanks,

Grant Erwin
Kirkland, Washington
 
They do have different grades of heat shrink, some are fairly heavy although it's intended purpose was likely not the rigors and abuse that welding leads will encounter.

Why not just go with cable connectors, provided you don't need a half dozen per lead, that way you could just shorten things up for shop work and add extensions as needed? I've never liked multiple connectors as opposed to a solid length but unless your runnin 300amps + all the time your cable is heavy even with some broken strands.......and you salvage what you have on hand.
 
They do have different grades of heat shrink, some are fairly heavy although it's intended purpose was likely not the rigors and abuse that welding leads will encounter.

Why not just go with cable connectors, provided you don't need a half dozen per lead, that way you could just shorten things up for shop work and add extensions as needed? I've never liked multiple connectors as opposed to a solid length but unless your runnin 300amps + all the time your cable is heavy even with some broken strands.......and you salvage what you have on hand.

Well, one of the nicks is about five feet from the end, and a 5' piece of welding cable seems outlandish to me.

I see that both Tweco and Lenco make both bolt-on and crimp-on butt splicing units, so now my question is more
'how to fix cuts in the insulation where it hasn't affected the wire'. I don't like electrical tape, but of course it is commonly used. I'd like to find some really beefy heat shrink.

Grant
 
what we use for underwater welding/burning splices is, skotchcote, rubber electrical tape, and electrical tape. first skotchcote, then rubber tape, then skotchcote, rubber tape... each time extend the rubber tape about an inch past the preceeding layer. after three layers, cover it with electrical tape for abrasion resistance.

when joining two completely severed ends we usually use a crimp on splice, then cover it with the above concoction.
 
To repair a nicks in power cords or welding leads, I've used what's called "self fusing tape" which I found at McMaster-Carr. There is no adhesive, but when you wrap it on, the tape fuses itself together at the overlaps, forming a permanent seal and one solid wrap. You can wrap several layers until it's stout enough for you. At the ends you'll have to temporarily hold it with masking tape until it cures onto itself. Very expensive stuff, but sealing high voltage leads is what it's designed for.

Jeff
 
If you can stand havng a stiff spot use the heat shrink with the melting goo on the inside. Works good. Also where the cut into the wire is is a good spot for a connector. The problem with cuts, especially in a shipyard is getting contaminants in the wire and start corroding stuff.
 
Well, one of the nicks is about five feet from the end, and a 5' piece of welding cable seems outlandish to me.

I see that both Tweco and Lenco make both bolt-on and crimp-on butt splicing units, so now my question is more
'how to fix cuts in the insulation where it hasn't affected the wire'. I don't like electrical tape, but of course it is commonly used. I'd like to find some really beefy heat shrink.

Grant


Of course this is where judgement and a hacksaw and enough material come into play and it's time to say bye:D
 
When I was in the Navy, I dressed all connectors on the co-ax for my radios like "rustripple", using the tape "mendoje1" talks of.

I have seen welding leads repaired the same way and the repair is quite durable and very waterproof.
Much better than any heatshrink I've seen, even the inner-mastic type.

Z
 








 
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