I made a little box

[Chuey]

This box is made to hold the fuses, which I will transfer from the headlight bucket, and the socket for my heated jacket.


Another picture from a different angle.


My tankbag has a cord with a switch that goes to the socket. I plug the jacket into the left side of the tank bag. It's a good set-up because there is no strain on anything and it is easy for me to plug it in and unplug it.


This is one of the fuse holders. I'd like to ask some of the more savvy about the lugs. They look as if they are meant to be soldered to instead of having a push on connector, right? Any advice appreciated.


Well, this was a fun project. It's not quite finished yet, but the jacket socket is functional.

Chuey

[Deleted User 287]

The connectors can be used with a push-on connector - of the correct size. The come in different widths.

But there is nothing wrong with soldering the wires on, and using heat-shrink for an insulator. Your choice, really.


That is a cool little box, BTW. If I were going to keep my bike (doubtful, considering the cost of used cylinders, what I already have invested and my pending unemployment) I would ask you to make me one of these cool catch tanks for the crankcase breather:

[Motorhead]

Push lugs work, but solder is better

you never replyed, so I didn't spend no time in looking for you when camping in San Clemente........ I wanted a person to person talk about recent events....

[Major Softie]

ACTUALLY, those are designed for the connectors Rob showed you. While you could solder to them, since they were designed for push-on connectors, there is no reason to expect that the plastic connector body is resistant to the heat of soldering. Since there are designed for spade connectors, they are rather thick for soldering, and thus will take more heat. So, while those posts can certainly be soldered to, it may well ruin the device. Only trying it will tell.

I would use spade connectors and dielectric grease. Not as dependable a connection as soldering directly to the device, but avoids the heat worries, and makes it a whole lot easier to replace components.

[Deleted User 287]

ACTUALLY, those are designed for the connectors Rob showed you. While you could solder to them, since they were designed for push-on connectors, there is no reason to expect that the plastic connector body is resistant to the heat of soldering. Since there are designed for spade connectors, they are rather thick for soldering, and thus will take more heat. So, while those posts can certainly be soldered to, it may well ruin the device. Only trying it will tell.

I would use spade connectors and dielectric grease. Not as dependable a connection as soldering directly to the device, but avoids the heat worries, and makes it a whole lot easier to replace components.

And the fuse holders are not that expensive, should you ruin one in an attempt to solder.
But it looks like your box is easily opened for an occasional reapplication of grease.

If I were doing it, though, I would have used spade-type fuse holders, although they wouldn't have had the same cool factor.

And MS is very correct about the temps needed to solder on spade connectors. I've tried it and came up with some cold solder joints as a result.

[Sunbeem]

I think the little hole in the spade is there for a reason Chuey. It will reduce the amount of heat that gets conducted down to the plastic.
I'd tin the spade, tin the wire, put it through the hole, and twist it round itself. Then solder only the very end of the spade, hot and quick. If risky, I'd use a thermal shunt lower down the spade.
I'd also want to stop any vibration in the wire, with a clamp of some sort.
Spade connectors, in my opinion, put ease of use above reliability, I've done thousands of soldered joints on aircraft wiring looms, but I don't remember ever seeing a spade connector.

That box deserves the best.

Sunbeem.

[ME 109]

Don't some female spade connectors have a little dick that locates in the male terminals hole to prevent accidental dicsconnection?
Ooh, btw, nice box Chuey. I like an ideas man.

[dougie]

Very tidy little unit Chuey.

[Chuey]

The metal connector parts from the fuse bottles seem thinner than what I'm used to seeing for spade connectors. The bottles themselves seem to be made of a material more like Bakelite than like plastic. That makes me think that they could be soldered without melting them.

Thanks for the help and compliments.

I didn't weld the box. It is JB "welded". I wish I'd have used a smaller screw size.

Chuey

[Chuey]

Push lugs work, but solder is better

you never replyed, so I didn't spend no time in looking for you when camping in San Clemente........ I wanted a person to person talk about recent events....

Hi Lyman, I had replied to your email that you were camping in my neck of the woods. Just within the last few days, I was buying some VW parts from a private party and out of the five emails I sent him, he replied back on two, that I had sent him "empty emails". Problem is, I don't know how to fix that. Sorry I missed you.

Chuey