[sdiy] Quick ribbon cable question

Oren Leavitt oleavitt at proton.me
Sun Jan 26 03:31:08 CET 2025


My buddy, Fred Flintstone does his IDCs with an old tortoise.

On 1/25/25 8:20 PM, Peter Pearson via Synth-diy wrote:
> Maybe you're right.  Might as well just bite down on the connectors with 
> your molars to crimp them.  You grew your teeth for free.
> 
> On Sat, Jan 25, 2025 at 9:18 PM Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com 
> <mailto:quincas at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     I’ve done many by placing them between two boards and stepping on them
> 
> 
>     	
>     Quincas Moreira
>     Director | QMA
>     mobile: 5534988825 <tel:5534988825>
>     site: quincasmoreira.com <http://quincasmoreira.com/>
>     email: quincas at gmail.com <mailto:quincas at gmail.com>
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     On Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 7:17 p.m. Peter Pearson via Synth-diy <synth-
>     diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
> 
>         Sorry, not trying to be mean here, but I don't understand this
>         attitude of like "Can't you just use a heavy can of tomatoes to
>         crimp your cables?! I don't want to spend money on my nice
>         synthesizer!"  The good tool that does the job well is cheap! 
>         Here's what looks to be an unused hand crimper for $1 with no
>         bids and cheap shipping on ebay:
> 
>         https://www.ebay.com/itm/306054243851 <https://www.ebay.com/
>         itm/306054243851>
> 
>         And I only spent like 20 seconds of time to find it.  I'm sure
>         there are loads more similar auctions up currently.
> 
>         It's the same with Molex crimp terminals.  Just buy the tool
>         that does the job well.  It's so worth it.  They aren't
>         expensive and they make life better.
> 
>         I guess if you'd rather spend 20 hours of bench time to figure
>         out that your crap attempt at making a cable is the reason that
>         your thing doesn't work, that's you doing you.  Have fun.
> 
>         On Sat, Jan 25, 2025 at 7:55 PM Shawn Rakestraw via Synth-diy
>         <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
> 
>             I second the Channel Lock pliers method. I have a very small
>             pair that I used masking tape over the "teeth" so that it
>             won't mar the plastic. I'm usually making eurorack power
>             cables, so the size of the connectors is relatively small.
> 
>             - Shawn
> 
>             On Sat, Jan 25, 2025 at 4:38 PM Terry Bowman via Synth-diy
>             <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
>             wrote:
> 
> 
>>                 On Jan 25, 2025, at 4:25 PM, Oren Leavitt via Synth-
>>                 diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-
>>                 diy.org>> wrote:
>>
>>                 In the past, I've used an arbor press with the IDC
>>                 between two pieces of
>>                 0.125/3mm thick aluminum or blocks of wood. 
> 
>                 Yeah, you can use a drill press as well. It has more
>                 "feel" than a bench vise which will make it more
>                 difficult to screw up.
> 
> 
>>                 Never hammer IDCs! I've
>>                 learnt that the hard way years ago. The key is evenly
>>                 distributed,
>>                 controlled pressure.
> 
>                 Ditto. When everything is lined up right it only takes a
>                 second.
> 
> 
>>                 Nowadays, since I do so many of those ribbon IDCs, I
>>                 have one of these:
>>                 https://www.rapidonline.com/anvil-av-idcct-idc-
>>                 connector-crimping-tool-86-0527 <https://
>>                 www.rapidonline.com/anvil-av-idcct-idc-connector-
>>                 crimping-tool-86-0527>
> 
>                 That's the one I have.
> 
>                 And don't put the connector on the ribbon cable
>                 backwards/upside-down. I've done that multiple times but
>                 caught it before I fried anything.
> 
> 
>                 Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
>                 "The Mac Doctor"
> 
>                 https://www.astarcloseup.com <https://www.astarcloseup.com>
> 
>                 Q: Should car stereo speakers be pointed to the rear for
>                 more thrust or up for more traction?
> 
>                 A. On long trips, the 20- to 30% improvement in gas
>                 mileage you might get with speakers pointing to the rear
>                 is certainly worthwhile. On the other hand, if you drive
>                 on snow or ice, the extra traction of speakers pointing
>                 upward gives you added control.
> 
>                 Don Lancaster
> 
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