Source for fuse wire in the U.S.?

APD · Jan 24, 2017

Im looking for a roll of 5 amp fuse wire and tried mouser, digikey, jameco, mcmaster to no avail. Google gets me a few hits in the UK and india. Why not available in the U.S.?

edit: found some at Allied electronics, but not the 5 amp that I need, and very expensive. Its 98% lead, possibly why its so expensive. Any ideas? Any materials other than lead?

Bill D · Jan 24, 2017

you might try car parts stores. my 1977 Datsun used some fuseable links.
Bill D.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2017

APD said:
Im looking for a roll of 5 amp fuse wire and tried mouser, digikey, jameco, mcmaster to no avail. Google gets me a few hits in the UK and india. Why not available in the U.S.?

edit: found some at Allied electronics, but not the 5 amp that I need, and very expensive. Its 98% lead, possibly why its so expensive. Any ideas? Any materials other than lead?

All conductive metals have fusing points. Copper is common in wire form.

I'd say "read my book" were it not fifty years out of print.

There are tables that list the fusing point of individual strands of copper wire. That table in "The Electronics Bench Manual" was a lift from public-domain info, early 1970's, and already old-hat, so the info is out there.

Basically look it up, find the strand size for the fusing current wanted, go strip a bit of lamp or extension cord, pick out a strand or three to match the table, and attach to it.

NB: tinned, plated, or lead materials were - among other things - to reduce alteration of fusing-point by corrosion. Copper might simply want varnished.

Unless you are terribly pressed for space, I'd suggest splicing in an appropriately-rated fuse HOLDER, "inline" if need be.

Thereafter, just use the correct stock fuses.

Bill

APD · Jan 24, 2017

Monarchist said:
I'd say "read my book" were it not fifty years out of print.

There are tables that list the fusing point of individual strands of copper wire. That table in "The Electronics Bench Manual" was a lift from public-domain info, early 1970's, and already old-hat, so the info is out there.

Basically look it up, find the strand size, go strip a bit of lamp or extension cord, pick out a strand or three, and attach to it.

Unless you are terribly pressed for space, I'd suggest splicing in an appropriately-rated fuse HOLDER, "inline" if need be.

Thereafter, just use the correct stock fuses.

Bill

Yes, using small strands of copper was going to be my next option, I just thought it would be cheaper to buy a roll of something with a known amp rating, rather than experiment on my own. Its a confined space with hundreds of individual fuse wires, so standard automotive fuses/holder would not work.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2017

APD said:
Yes, using small strands of copper was going to be my next option, I just thought it would be cheaper to buy a roll of something with a known amp rating, rather than experiment on my own. Its a confined space with hundreds of individual fuse wires, so standard automotive fuses/holder would not work.

Hear yah.

Plan A:

Take that 'close but no cigar' wire you did find, backtrack to where Allied (who don't "make" anything) buys it.

That maker will have more than one choice, even if Allied didn't see fit to list but the one.

Be not surprised if it has to come from some country where environmental regs are looser than ours are. Making it is messier than using it.

Plan B:

Find a decent bulk price on 5A glass fuses, get a bit of rubber matting and apply pliers or a vise.

Bill

APD · Jan 24, 2017

Its made by Eaton, but now that I've discovered its lead and $90 for a half pound roll, my scrap wire bin looks more promising.

JST · Jan 24, 2017

"Fuse wire" does not HAVE an "amp rating" anyhow.

A LOT depends on the way the wire is terminated, how long the piece is between terminations, etc. There isn't "AN" answer, there are a lot of answers, depending on the outside factors. So even if the wire is rated at "X" amps, you can probably count on that changing if the mounting is not EXACTLY what is specified in the rating.

Then also, what is the amp interrupting current needed, and what will the wire allow? The exact composition of the wire, the volatility of the component metals, the size of the holder, and whether or not it is filled with sand or other materials, etc all affect that.

Finally, there is the "energy rating", the I^2T rating, which depends on all of the above.

It's not just glass, wire, and solder that you are paying for when you buy a fuse, you get the know-how, and the various "secret sauce" materials, not to mention the UL rating.

DDoug · Jan 24, 2017

I remember visiting the underground bunker for the long distance phone lines
nearby, they had rolling ladders, and a roll of "fuse wire" where they would
cut off a piece, and wrap it on the exposed terminals.

See if a phone supply place would still carry it.

APD · Jan 24, 2017

JST said:
"Fuse wire" does not HAVE an "amp rating" anyhow.

Well, Im going to trust the datasheet from the manufacturer, which has a column titled "AMP RATING".
There is no sand, glass, or holder. It is just wire designed to melt at a certain amperage.
I understand that there are always variables to any type of rating, but its a good starting point.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2017

APD said:
Its made by Eaton, but now that I've discovered its lead and $90 for a half pound roll, my scrap wire bin looks more promising.

Corrosion is the concern on Copper.

JST is technically correct. As usual. But... well let's just say 'background educational' for your actual tasking.

KISS

All you need is to confirm the data with a few tests, insure that metal splatter from a blown fusible link does not create collateral damage issues, and you are good to go.

Doug's memory is indeed what distribution frames once looked like, but.. that was before the Lenkurt Analog mux, (1960's), then Time Division, then Frame relay and Cell relay, then Packet switching, then...

The only thing I would count on to still be readily available from that era might be 'punchdown' blocks and associated tools. Krone, Siemon, or bisexual basically.

"I (still) got mine" as they are good for CAT5 & RJ-45, but the Telco pension is far more highly valued!

Bill

DDoug · Jan 24, 2017

Bill,
As I had visited this relay/switching building in the mid 1970's even if they
had changed over to solid state switching, would the fuse wire still be used
for fusing the lines going out to customers ?

IIRC that was what I was told it was for.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2017

digger doug said:
Bill,
As I had visited this relay/switching building in the mid 1970's even if they
had changed over to solid state switching, would the fuse wire still be used
for fusing the lines going out to customers ?

IIRC that was what I was told it was for.

IIRC I was last on the 'tip and ring' around early 1980's, and even then only put on a toolbelt when we had an emergency and not enough craft warm-bodies. Or the Loma Prieta quake, when I sent all the locals home to see to their families and single-handed the site meself for a day or so..

Protective devices - subscriber loop, or any other plant - were already modern, modular, snapped in as blocks, did a great deal more in the way of useful 'stuff' than a bit of fusible wire could even dream of. Mind - I was with a Telco many called "Gold Plated". Cable & Wireless.

The site you recall wudda been already over-age-in-grade with those legacy systems even for "extract the last erg of value from every penny of plant" Ma Bell & chillin's.

As they were THEN, anyway.

Was it one of the NON Bell Local Exchange Carriers, perchance?

Bell system only ever did hold around 50% of the industry. GTE had the next biggest single chunk, and within a decade or so of Carterphone Big Bang, we had over 800 long-distance "players".

Only a few were 'facilities' based. Held actual wire, fibre, microwave, satellite - physical transport resources, IOW.

The rest were just reselling carriage over networks of the majors and of each other.

Bill

DDoug · Jan 24, 2017

Monarchist said:
The site you recall wudda been already over-age-in-grade with those legacy systems even for "extract the last erg of value from every penny of plant" Ma Bell & chillin's.

As they were THEN, anyway.

Was it one of the NON Bell Local Exchange Carriers, perchance?

Bell system only ever did hold around 50% of the industry. GTE had the next biggest single chunk, and within a decade or so of Carterphone Big Bang, we had over 800 long-distance "players".

Only a few were 'facilities' based. Held actual wire, fibre, microwave, satellite - physical transport resources, IOW.

The rest were just reselling carriage over networks of the majors and of each other.

Bill

IIRC it was ma bell,, located in southern Erie county, my friend has since
purchased it, and dug out one side of it, changed it to a machine shop.

Inside, I saw a map of the line going across the country, along with the switching stations, next one was Linesville pa.

It appears it was
taken off line around 1993.

Interesting (spooky actually) when you descend the stairs, the large door
marked "close during nuclear fallout" not "if". and everything was mounted
on springs.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2017

digger doug said:
IIRC it was ma bell,, located in southern Erie county, my friend has since
purchased it, and dug out one side of it, changed it to a machine shop.

Inside, I saw a map of the line going across the country, along with the switching stations, next one was Linesville pa.

It appears it was
taken off line around 1993.

Interesting (spooky actually) when you descend the stairs, the large door
marked "close during nuclear fallout" not "if". and everything was mounted
on springs.

Sounds like a facility of the division we called "AT&T Long Lines".

FWIW - as with more formally 'government department' PTT's the world over, a fair sized chunk of Cold War costs were paid on phone bills rather than tax bills.

AT&T was not really ripping us off as their detractors thought they were.

Ancient history now...

EPAIII · Jan 24, 2017

Fuses come in a wide variety of packages. Yes, the tubular glass ones are common and also the newer automotive ones, which take up less space. But you can get them in other forms. Some look like resistors with axial leads and are soldered onto circuit boards in the same manner. And they even make them in surface mount versions.

Surface Mount Fuses | PV Fuses - Littelfuse

I would strongly recommend that you use one of these alternate forms of fuse which are relatively easily available and inexpensive instead of fuse wire which you have already found is hard to find and possibly expensive.

A good source for buying them:

http://www.digikey.com/products/en/...t=0&page=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=25

The first page of results shows only surface mount fuses, but my search yielded over 9000 results and you can use the Package/Case parameter to find the ones with wire leads (axial) or other styles.

This VAST variety of ready made fuses is why fuse wire is no longer common. I mean you can't find many new horse drawn carriages today either. Or butter churns. Or carbon steel lathe tools. Or - well the list is endless.

tdmidget · Jan 25, 2017

Don;t where they get it but my employers in the power generation biz always have it. It is the original "plastigage". We assemble bearings with it and then disassemble and measure it to determine clearance. Does not seem to be a shortage. Next job I will try to get you a brand name

projectnut · Jan 25, 2017

If you Google "fusible link" you'll find nearly every auto supply store has some. Dorman makes it in a variety of gauges and colors

blacksmith99 · Jan 25, 2017

Hi,

Search for "Pico Fuse", very small, solder in line with your wire and cover with heat shrink.

Regards

Scottl · Jan 25, 2017

blacksmith99 said:
Hi,

Search for "Pico Fuse", very small, solder in line with your wire and cover with heat shrink.

Regards

Both of which will severely shorten their life. A heat sink must be used when soldering or the heat will damage them, the heat gun used to shrink the tubing will do the same.

FWIW fusible links are usually just copper strands in a heat resistant jacket that won't melt or catch fire. A single 19 gauge strand is good for fusing about 2 amperes.

Source for fuse wire in the U.S.?

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