[Milsurplus] Wire size

[Facility 406]

On 10/17/2024 13:57, Jim Whartenby wrote:
> Well, that kind of ruins the main braid wire selling point!  <grin>
> Jim

In the late 80's, I found a crate of electrical panel and equipment 
braid pieces used for some industrial application, about 18" long, about 
1" wide, with crimped flat lugs on the ends.  They were fairly heavy, 
about 3/16" thick, but very flexible, like canvas cloth.

I used them to bond everything in a vehicle with multiple radios. 
Engine, frame, body panels, hood, doors, everything I could think of, 
and could bond.

Seemed to work well, AM and FM radio, and 6m to UHF, no noise problems 
at all.  Ignition noise I had previously, had disappeared, with no mods 
to the ignition system, it just need to be within a "sealed" box.

I eventually sold the vehicle to a neighbor, who sold it to another 
neighbor, who dropped by one day.  He wasn't aware I used to own the 
vehicle.

I asked to look it over, and when I popped the hood, the entire engine 
was covered in metal bits, as if someone chopped the bristles off of a 
bunch of wire brushes, then poured the bristles all over everything.

It was a freakin' mess, far too much to practically clean up.

I could see all the flat lugs bolted to everything, the braids had 
literally shattered, and exploded in the engine compartment.

Other braids were somewhat hidden, but I suspect the same thing happened 
to all of them.

I figure that engine and road vibration has set up standing waves within 
the braids, work hardening them, then causing them to shatter like 
glass.  It took a while, I drove the vehicle with them from '97-2001, no 
issues, then it sat for a couple years, sold, then driven for another 
year or so, sold, and a few months after that when I discovered the 
problem.  The first fellow I sold it to was meticulous in his overhaul, 
so if they had shattered before, or during his possession, I would have 
heard about it.  That would suggest the problem happened suddenly when 
the third owner had it.

Outside of that, thinking back, I've seen a few instances, not many, 
2-3, of braid put into a lug for round wire, and crimped, and due to 
vibration, the braid had sheared at the crimp, very smoothly, as if cut 
with a knife.  I also ran into this in an '86 Toyota pickup, the 
negative lead for the battery looked like it had been cut perfectly at 
the lug with a laser, absolutely smooth as glass, due to vibration.

Vibration seems to be the real killer, but exposed braid can go 
EVERYWHERE in a mobile application, like setting off a stick of dynamite 
in a box of steel wool!

Kurt