 Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC) Posts: 21 Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
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So......There has to be a better way to attach the sockets beside the tiny screw......NO????
Almost every one comes out...
Any ideas......(Aside from duct tape(??)
Tommy
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Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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which sockets are you referring too? How are you attaching them?
With stranded wire going into a hole that then as a screw come down to hold it there is a known effect of the wires 'collapsing/rearranging' over time, that loosens the join.
With larger wiring, this is solve by crimping or soldering on a ferrule onto the end of the wire making a solid end, that the screw then clamps to. That doesn't compress and the join stays solid.
Solder is not an answer as it is soft and will also deform over time. I think the best bet is to not twist the wires as they can unwind under pressure and thus again come loose, just feed them in straight and tighten the screw (not over tight as copper will deform as well. |
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 1 user liked this useful post by Minok
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 Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,316
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Hello Tommy, Best electrical wire practice is to strip the wire insulation approximately .25 inch (6mm) and push the wire into the socket and then tighten the screw into the bare wire. The issue you may have is that you are not tightening the screw enough. The way I test it is to pull on the wire and if it stays it's good, comes out not tight enough! I know it's a pain in the  but after doing a couple of hundred sockets I have it down pat! All the best! Michel
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Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC) Posts: 21 Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
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I was pretty sure that the only way was the screw. I did try soldering but....you can guess what happened.
Thank you!!
Tommy
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 Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,453 Location: Scotland
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If we are talking about Marklin plugs and sockets ( Brawa are the same) I have done hundreds as I use them for buildings lighting as well as Marklin rail.
They are a real pain as the screw comes out easily and at my age life is too short to get it back in again. They work ok but a star type screw would have been better. |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
1 user liked this useful post by David Dewar
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Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC) Posts: 21 Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
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I am pretty ‘ham handed’ so it’s a task.
Thanks
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Joined: 15/12/2015(UTC) Posts: 523 Location: Maryland, Baltimore
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I look inside the plug while I'm backing out the screw. Once it clears on the inside I stop. No need to go any further and risk the screw coming out completely.
When I attach the plug to a wire, I strip the insulation off the end about 5 mm. then just bend the bare wire over 180 degrees back onto the insulation. Then insert the end until it bottoms out and tighten the set screw compressing the bare wire and insulation inside. this makes for a snug and secure joint as well as good electrical contact. I've never had a joint come loose. Hope this helps and good luck!
Chuck
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1 user liked this useful post by skeeterbuck
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Joined: 02/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 783 Location: NEW JERSEY, USA
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I like to tin the end of the wire with a bit of solder. This increases the size of the wire and gives the set screw more material to bite onto.
Mikey |
I love the smell of smoke fluid in the morning . |
3 users liked this useful post by analogmike
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Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,801 Location: Crozet, Virginia
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Originally Posted by: analogmike  I like to tin the end of the wire with a bit of solder. This increases the size of the wire and gives the set screw more material to bite onto.
Mikey The sockets with set screws that I struggle with are the ones on the plugs for the boosters. I always solder over the wires and tighten them as much as possible but every time that I check them I can tighten the screws a little bit more. Just the other day I checked them and I was able to tighten all of them, which makes no sense to me since the soldered wire should not collapse and I doubt that they are unscrewing themselves. |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
1 user liked this useful post by dickinsonj
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 Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC) Posts: 2,261 Location: Hobart, Australia
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Originally Posted by: analogmike I like to tin the end of the wire with a bit of solder. This increases the size of the wire and gives the set screw more material to bite onto.
Mikey Originally Posted by: skeeterbuck
When I attach the plug to a wire, I strip the insulation off the end about 5 mm. then just bend the bare wire over 180 degrees back onto the insulation. Then insert the end until it bottoms out and tighten the set screw compressing the bare wire and insulation inside. this makes for a snug and secure joint as well as good electrical contact. I've never had a joint come loose. Hope this helps and good luck!
Chuck
Hi Mikey, Yes, that is what I used to do, however... It does make the wire brittle also, it tends to break at the solder/bare wire junction and does not make good contact in every case (although one would expect that it would). About that time (quite some years ago) I read advice from a very old Märklin repairman/dealer who described exactly what Chuck posted. At first I felt it strange but in fact it works well and is very reliable. Just my personal experience. Regards and Cheers, PJ
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3 users liked this useful post by PJMärklin
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 Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,334
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I do not use solder when the tip of the cable is attached with a screw, because with time the solder changes shape (it is not so hard) and will
not be so tightened as it should.
Edit: With solder if high current is passing, it maybe dangerous because of the heating of the connection on/off flapping. |
Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.
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1 user liked this useful post by mbarreto
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 Joined: 08/11/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,528 Location: Mullerup, 4200 Slagelse
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 You could be tightening too much.  Tighten the screw and give the wire a little pull, if it doesn't come out, it's tight enough. If it's solid wire, it's also important that the wire next to the plug doesn't move, so make sure your wires are secured close to the plugs. Soldering the tip of the wire was considered good practice 30 - 40 years ago, we usually don't do it anymore; but I can't see that it can harm in any way. Per. P.S: Orange wire is the best  |
If you can dream it, you can do it! I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.  |
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Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC) Posts: 1,291 Location: Port Moody, BC
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I always solder the ends of stranded wire mainly to keep the strands from breaking off. I'm sure we have all encountered plugs and sockets that have numerous broken strands inside of them when the wire is removed for whatever reason. Remember that the more strands that are broken off, technically if you reinsert the wire without stripping a new end, the smaller the wire's gauge becomes.
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Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,334
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Originally Posted by: Purellum Soldering the tip of the wire was considered good practice 30 - 40 years ago, Right. I was taught that when I was studying. Currently I think as I wrote on my previous post in this topic. |
Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.
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Joined: 01/06/2016(UTC)
Posts: 2,465
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