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Offline tommysus  
#1 Posted : 26 February 2019 20:16:24(UTC)
tommysus

United States   
Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC)
Posts: 21
Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
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
Offline Minok  
#2 Posted : 26 February 2019 21:24:46(UTC)
Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,310
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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.
Toys of tin and wood rule!
---
My Layout Thread on marklin-users.net: InterCity 1-3-4
My YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@intercity134
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Offline michelvr  
#3 Posted : 26 February 2019 21:37:45(UTC)
michelvr

Canada   
Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,287
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 Cursing but after doing a couple of hundred sockets I have it down pat!

All the best!

Michel
Offline tommysus  
#4 Posted : 26 February 2019 21:44:45(UTC)
tommysus

United States   
Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC)
Posts: 21
Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
I was pretty sure that the only way was the screw. I did try soldering but....you can guess what happened.
Thank you!!
Tommy
Offline David Dewar  
#5 Posted : 26 February 2019 21:48:10(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,333
Location: Scotland
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.
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Offline tommysus  
#6 Posted : 26 February 2019 22:06:02(UTC)
tommysus

United States   
Joined: 01/02/2019(UTC)
Posts: 21
Location: Virginia, Charlottesville
I am pretty ‘ham handed’ so it’s a task.
Thanks
Offline skeeterbuck  
#7 Posted : 27 February 2019 12:46:34(UTC)
skeeterbuck

United States   
Joined: 15/12/2015(UTC)
Posts: 523
Location: Maryland, Baltimore
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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Offline analogmike  
#8 Posted : 27 February 2019 13:36:10(UTC)
analogmike

United States   
Joined: 02/08/2014(UTC)
Posts: 737
Location: NEW JERSEY, USA
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 .
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Offline dickinsonj  
#9 Posted : 28 February 2019 01:05:05(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
Originally Posted by: analogmike Go to Quoted Post
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.
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Offline PJMärklin  
#10 Posted : 28 February 2019 09:54:19(UTC)
PJMärklin

Australia   
Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC)
Posts: 2,206
Location: Hobart, Australia
Originally Posted by: analogmike Go to Quoted Post
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 Go to Quoted Post

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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Offline mbarreto  
#11 Posted : 28 February 2019 11:00:31(UTC)
mbarreto

Portugal   
Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,257
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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Offline Purellum  
#12 Posted : 28 February 2019 21:57:11(UTC)
Purellum

Denmark   
Joined: 08/11/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,498
Location: Mullerup, 4200 Slagelse
Cool

You could be tightening too much. Blink

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 BigGrin

Cool

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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Offline PMPeter  
#13 Posted : 01 March 2019 15:52:28(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
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.
Offline mbarreto  
#14 Posted : 01 March 2019 16:31:06(UTC)
mbarreto

Portugal   
Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,257
Originally Posted by: Purellum Go to Quoted Post
Cool
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.


Offline TEEWolf  
#15 Posted : 01 March 2019 22:24:20(UTC)
TEEWolf


Joined: 01/06/2016(UTC)
Posts: 2,465
Originally Posted by: tommysus Go to Quoted Post
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


You received plenty of tips already. Here are some Märklin's publications of their technical tips. Only available via the German website from Märklin.

https://www.maerklin.de/...agen/maerklin-allgemein/

https://www.maerklin.de/...faq/Technik-Tipp-103.pdf

https://www.maerklin.de/...faq/Technik-Tipp-102.pdf

https://www.maerklin.de/...faq/Technik-Tipp-104.pdf

As so often unfortunately only in German. But perhaps the pictures help already or you may use a translating software, like this one:

https://www.deepl.com/translator

As you see others have similar problems, Märklin are aware about it, but does help only German speaking people. Sorry for that.

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