tinned lugs vs bare copper?

[SomebodyInGNV]

Are there conditions under which ring terminal lugs should be tinned vs bare copper? My project is in a travel trailer. Almost all connections will be protected from the weather. The wire used is standard welding cable, not tinned marine-grade wire. A couple of chassis ground connections will be under the floor, bolted to the frame, but even those will not be exposed directly to the elements. Coroplast is used as an underbelly, enclosing those connections in a dry space.

 

[MichaelK]

Those tinned lugs sure are fancy, aren't they! They might give you and advantage of better connections over lengths of time without corrosion. Me, I slapped on home-made lugs made out of 1/2" copper pipe that I soldered on 4/0 copper wire. I shined them up with a wire wheel when I first hooked them up. I've just left them there for years now, and they are as tight as new.

If the tinned lugs gives you peace of mind, then go ahead. Me being a cheap bast****, I try to get away with what I can make myself.

 

[WYtreasure]

Those tinned lugs sure are fancy, aren't they! They might give you and advantage of better connections over lengths of time without corrosion. Me, I slapped on home-made lugs made out of 1/2" copper pipe that I soldered on 4/0 copper wire. I shined them up with a wire wheel when I first hooked them up. I've just left them there for years now, and they are as tight as new.

If the tinned lugs gives you peace of mind, then go ahead. Me being a cheap bast****, I try to get away with what I can make myself.

I have lots of old copper pipe, 8 hammers, a few drills and numerous wire wheels.
Always looking for new ways to be a "cheap bast****" too.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Upton O'Good]

Could one just tin them yourself using some flux, a torch and the pewter from a recycled beer mug? Pewter is 90 mumble % tin and a bit of a few other mostly conductive metals, including copper. I reload and cast (edited) and use a bit of pewter to get a little better fill out as needed. Certainly a proper solder would work?

(edit) I need to do my own homework: https://diysolarforum.com/resources/tin-plating-nickle-plating-or-solder-plating-bus-bars.163/

 

[MurphyGuy]

Tinning is for corrosive environments.. It is advantageous for marine applications, maybe even an RV if the system is exposed to environmental weathering.

For a standard home setup, its a waste of money. A little dielectric grease and you're all set. Of course, this assumes you're not living next to the ocean... a salt mining company, an active volcano, or something like that.

 

[Upton O'Good]

Its the active volcano I worry about

 

[MichaelK]

Could one just tin them yourself using some flux, a torch and the pewter from a recycled beer mug? Pewter is 90 mumble % tin and a bit of a few other mostly conductive metals, including copper. I reload and cast (edited) and use a bit of pewter to get a little better fill out as needed. Certainly a proper solder would work?

Got a stash of Selangor Pewter that I brought back from Malaysia. Their pewter is 97% tin, 3% antimony. I brought home a 10lb brillow pad of pewter turnings (I wasn't stopped?) that I melted down into 1lb ingots. Works great for 1:19 wheel-weigh alloy. Acts like Lyman #2 alloy.

 

[Upton O'Good]

Got a stash of Selangor Pewter that I brought back from Malaysia. Their pewter is 97% tin, 3% antimony. I brought home a 10lb brillow pad of pewter turnings (I wasn't stopped?) that I melted down into 1lb ingots. Works great for 1:19 wheel-weigh alloy. Acts like Lyman #2 alloy.

eggs-Zachary! nice find.

 

[MichaelK]

Its the active volcano I worry about

I used to live in Washington back in the 80's. I've already done the volcano thing.

 

[Upton O'Good]

I remember hearing about that one.....

 

[MurphyGuy]

Its the active volcano I worry about

I included that because its funny, but very true.

Volcanoes emit sulfur dioxides that rust everything. Of course, where you find volcanoes, you usually find the ocean nearby...

 

[Upton O'Good]

Thanks, it came to mind when our friend in Wyoming posted in this thread with Yellowstone so close by

 

[Sback]

For me if it's copper it gets a copper lug. If it's aluminum I will nickel plate the lug. So basically copper on copper and silver on silver. If it's for a marine application I will nickel everything. Probably doesn't matter, it's just what I do..

 

[HRTKD]

Tinning is for corrosive environments.. It is advantageous for marine applications, maybe even an RV if the system is exposed to environmental weathering.

Or my cooking. Very nasty stuff.

 

[MurphyGuy]

Thanks, it came to mind when our friend in Wyoming posted in this thread with Yellowstone so close by

LOL. I've been to yellowstone.. Unless your off grid system is sitting next to something emitting sulfur for years on end, its not going to be an issue.
And if the volcano blows its top, I'm pretty confident battery corrosion won't be an issue..

 

[eXodus]

Are there conditions under which ring terminal lugs should be tinned vs bare copper? My project is in a travel trailer. Almost all connections will be protected from the weather. The wire used is standard welding cable, not tinned marine-grade wire. A couple of chassis ground connections will be under the floor, bolted to the frame, but even those will not be exposed directly to the elements. Coroplast is used as an underbelly, enclosing those connections in a dry space.

definitely for the ground connection to the frame. Everything inside I wouldn't worry.

But there are various grades of cooper lugs. Pure cooper should be preferred.

They might give you and advantage of better connections over lengths of time without corrosion

Tinned is slightly worse in the beginning. Depending on how thick the coating is - you loose up to 10% in conductivity (but this ins not necessary 1:1 translating into resistance) Cooper is a far better conductor then tin.

Conductivity Of Metals Sorted By Resistivity | Eddy Current Technology

A list of the conductivity of metals sorted by resistivity from silver to graphite.

eddy-current.com

 

[AE4KR]

Some of the ham guys advocate painting over a finished frame-bond connection to keep out moisture. The concern is dissimilar metals and moisture, but it may also help keep the bolt locked.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Are there conditions under which ring terminal lugs should be tinned vs bare copper? My project is in a travel trailer. Almost all connections will be protected from the weather. The wire used is standard welding cable, not tinned marine-grade wire

Sometimes I use what’s available for battery terminal ends/lugs but I ALWAYS waterproof/heat shrink them.
But most of the time I don’t do battery cable ends unless they are tinned.

For everything not connected directly to a battery I NEVER use any other terminal end that isn’t tinned in boats, jeeps, utility trailers, and RVs. Unless maybe it’s an emergency on the side of the road but I generally have enough parts in inventory to not have to hit tracter shupply or HF for junk terminal ends.
Good tinned terminals in bulk are wicked cheap even on Amazon if you look around so I can’t see a reason to not use tinned crimps.

That’s my take.

 

[WYtreasure]

Alrighty then, To Tin or Not To Tin, LOL ? Can we get one of these little heads that spins? It would be my favorite.

Seriously though, ya'll are cracking me up.
Yes we have a volcano, if it blows you won't hear from me again.
We do have really big hot springs in Thermopolis, halfway to Jellystone, but that's on the other side of The Big Horn mountain range.

Typical humidity runs 15 to 35%, no salt, no corrosive atmospheric phenomena and no children spilling soda.
We do have some very large, open pit coal mines. They have been deemed a source of "Green Energy" by ... never-mind

For me if it's copper it gets a copper lug. If it's aluminum I will nickel plate the lug. So basically copper on copper and silver on silver. If it's for a marine application I will nickel everything. Probably doesn't matter, it's just what I do..

This makes cents to me and doesn't make my head spin.

Glad I hit this thread.