Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:55 am Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi Bob,



I'm having a heck of a time finding either brass or copper sheet/straps to 

make the contactor-to-contactor buss bars.  The 'KS Engineering' 

(spelling?) display seems to have become quite rare in the likes of Lowes, 

Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.



Looking around the shop, I was thinking of taking some 1/2" annealed (ie. 

soft) copper tubing and flattening it out in a vise w/ smooth jaws to make 

some ~3/4" "bar" with a thinkness of around .098" (I think the wall 

thinkness is .049, IIRC).  I was then thinking of silver soldering brass 

washers though that that may be overkill.



If my math is right, this comes out to something around 93500 CM which is 

somewhere between 1 and 0 AWG.  While this may seem overkill, I chose 1/2" 

over 3/8" tubing to allow plenty of edge distance (a little over 1/4") 

around the 5/16" contactor bolts.



Do you have any concerns of using this method?



Thank you,

 	 /\/elson

JOE RONCO

Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 31
Location: CENTENNIAL COLORADO

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

DAVID: Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and search for Page 3610. There is a

large selection of copper bar stock.



Joe R



--

lists(at)stevet.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Try a hobby store.  They are most likely to have those products.

On Oct 6, 2008, at 11:54 AM, David E. Nelson wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 >

 Hi Bob,



 I'm having a heck of a time finding either brass or copper sheet/ 

 straps to make the contactor-to-contactor buss bars.  The 'KS  

 Engineering' (spelling?) display seems to have become quite rare in  

 the likes of Lowes, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.



 Looking around the shop, I was thinking of taking some 1/2" annealed  

 (ie. soft) copper tubing and flattening it out in a vise w/ smooth  

 jaws to make some ~3/4" "bar" with a thinkness of around .098" (I  

 think the wall thinkness is .049, IIRC).  I was then thinking of  

 silver soldering brass washers though that that may be overkill.



 If my math is right, this comes out to something around 93500 CM  

 which is somewhere between 1 and 0 AWG.  While this may seem  

 overkill, I chose 1/2" over 3/8" tubing to allow plenty of edge  

 distance (a little over 1/4") around the 5/16" contactor bolts.



 Do you have any concerns of using this method?



 Thank you,

 	 /\/elson

gyoung

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 211
Location: Republic of Texas

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:20 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

I found the K&S display at a hobby shop. They might also be at craft stores.

In lieu of that, the flattened tubing is an accepted, time-honored method in

the experimental world.



Regards,

Greg Young

 



[quote] --

JOHN TIPTON

Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 239
Location: Torquay - England

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:25 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Why complicate things:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pdf/2009Individual/Cat09466.pdf



John

---

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi All,



It appears that I've miscommunicated my intentions via the subject line as 

I should not have used the word 'buss-bar'.  Sorry about that.



What I was aiming for was the big copper jumpers between the master relay, 

starter contactor, and the ANL current limiter base that are mounted on 

the firewall of an RV-7A.



Regards,

 	 /\/elson



~~  Lately my memory seems to be like a steel trap .... without any spring.  ~~

nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

At 01:25 PM 10/6/2008 -0600, you wrote:

[quote]



DAVID: Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and search for Page 3610. There is a

large selection of copper bar stock.



Joe R



--

riggs_la(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:35 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Try here.

http://www.bandc.biz/cgi-bin/ez-catalog/cat_display.cgi?26X358218



 Lynn A. Riggs

http://home.comcast.net/~lariggs/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html



---

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi Joe,



Thanks for the lead.  Wow, McMaster just seems to have everything.  Wouldn't it 

be nice to be able to just stroll through the isles?



Anyways, looked at the available stock.  They seem to only stock "Temper: Hard 

(H04)" for the sizes that I'm interested in.  Just how "hard" is H04?  I need 

to be able to put either a 90 deg bend or a twist (depending on where I put the 

ANL current limiter block).



Thanks,



 	 /\/elson

On Mon, 6 Oct 2008, Joe Ronco wrote:



[quote] 



 DAVID: Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and search for Page 3610. There is a

 large selection of copper bar stock.



 Joe R



 --

mike109g6(at)insideconnec
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Nelson,

AircraftSpruce, Wag aero, Chief, Onlinemetals.com sell the copper bar that 

you need.

Mike H 9A/8A

---

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi Steve,



That was next on my list.  Honestly, I'm getting tired of driving around with 

zero results and dumb looks by clerks/staff.  While I could phone ahead to some 

of the places, getting somebody knowledgeable has, in the past, proven to be 

somewhat of an "experience".



The materials I listed I've in the garage and I could assemble them in little 

time.  I'm hoping that Bob will look favorably at my approach and maybe help 

somebody else that may be in the same situation as me.  If not, that's Ok, too. 

Then on to "Plan B" - whatever that might be. 



Thanks,

 	 /\/elson



On Mon, 6 Oct 2008, Steve Thomas wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Try a hobby store.  They are most likely to have those products.

 On Oct 6, 2008, at 11:54 AM, David E. Nelson wrote:



> 

> <david.nelson(at)pobox.com>

> 

> 

> Hi Bob,

> 

> I'm having a heck of a time finding either brass or copper sheet/straps to 

> make the contactor-to-contactor buss bars.  The 'KS Engineering' 

> (spelling?) display seems to have become quite rare in the likes of Lowes, 

> Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.

> 

> Looking around the shop, I was thinking of taking some 1/2" annealed (ie. 

> soft) copper tubing and flattening it out in a vise w/ smooth jaws to make 

> some ~3/4" "bar" with a thinkness of around .098" (I think the wall 

> thinkness is .049, IIRC).  I was then thinking of silver soldering brass 

> washers though that that may be overkill.

> 

> If my math is right, this comes out to something around 93500 CM which is 

> somewhere between 1 and 0 AWG.  While this may seem overkill, I chose 1/2" 

> over 3/8" tubing to allow plenty of edge distance (a little over 1/4") 

> around the 5/16" contactor bolts.

> 

> Do you have any concerns of using this method?

> 

> Thank you,

> 	 /\/elson

> 

> 

> 

>

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:03 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi Bob,

Thank you for replying.  From Joe's email, I was reviewing the selections. 

I'll either need to twist or bend a tab from the relay/contactor to the ANL 

current limiter block. My main concern here is the 'Hard (H04) Temper' 

characteristic. I have no idea how to relate to 'H04'.  Do you have any 

comparative annecdotes? 

Thank you,

 	 /\/elson

On Mon, 6 Oct 2008, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:

[quote] 

 <nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net>

 At 01:25 PM 10/6/2008 -0600, you wrote:

> 

> 

> DAVID: Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and search for Page 3610. There is a

> large selection of copper bar stock.

> 

> Joe R

> 

> --

david.nelson(at)pobox.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:06 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Hi Lynn,



I considered that part with my recent order from B&C.  However, from a previous 

email on this list (dated Sun, 18 May 2008 13:15:58 -0500), the .5" width was 

considered marginal for the edge distance even though it has performed well in 

the field.  I was looking for a better alternative.



Thanks,

 	 /\/elson



On Mon, 6 Oct 2008, Lynn Riggs wrote:



[quote] 



 Try here.

 http://www.bandc.biz/cgi-bin/ez-catalog/cat_display.cgi?26X358218



 Lynn A. Riggs

 http://home.comcast.net/~lariggs/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html



 ---

nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

At 06:49 PM 10/6/2008 -0500, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

Hi Steve,



That was next on my list.  Honestly, I'm getting tired of driving around 

with zero results and dumb looks by clerks/staff.  While I could phone 

ahead to some of the places, getting somebody knowledgeable has, in the 

past, proven to be somewhat of an "experience".



The materials I listed I've in the garage and I could assemble them in 

little time.  I'm hoping that Bob will look favorably at my approach and 

maybe help somebody else that may be in the same situation as me.  If not, 

that's Ok, too. Then on to "Plan B" - whatever that might be. 


	


    Many folks have done what you've proposed. I'm aware

    of no particular difficulties.



    Bob . . .

nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

At 07:06 PM 10/6/2008 -0500, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

Hi Lynn,



I considered that part with my recent order from B&C.  However, from a 

previous email on this list (dated Sun, 18 May 2008 13:15:58 -0500), the 

.5" width was considered marginal for the edge distance even though it has 

performed well in the field.  I was looking for a better alternative.


	


   That IS bus bar stock made from brass (several

   times higher resistance than copper) but narrow

   enough for use at the relatively low currents

   experienced at the breaker panel.



   For conductors in the cranking current path,

   real copper is much better.



   Bob. . .

nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

At 07:00 PM 10/6/2008 -0500, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

Hi Bob,



Thank you for replying.  From Joe's email, I was reviewing the selections. 

I'll either need to twist or bend a tab from the relay/contactor to the 

ANL current limiter block. My main concern here is the 'Hard (H04) Temper' 

characteristic. I have no idea how to relate to 'H04'.  Do you have any 

comparative annecdotes? 


	


   I don't think you're going to find copper in any

   harness that will make your task difficult.



   Bob . . .

dale.r(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject: Copper buss-bar from copper tubing

Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net>



 At 07:00 PM 10/6/2008 -0500, you wrote:

> 

> <david.nelson(at)pobox.com>

> Hi Bob,

>

> Thank you for replying.  From Joe's email, I was reviewing the 

> selections. I'll either need to twist or bend a tab from the 

> relay/contactor to the ANL current limiter block. My main concern 

> here is the 'Hard (H04) Temper' characteristic. I have no idea how to 

> relate to 'H04'.  Do you have any comparative annecdotes? 



   I don't think you're going to find copper in any

   harness that will make your task difficult.



   Bob . . .


	


And ... flattening the ends of copper tubing will work-harden it.  You 

may want to anneal it after you get the fit right.



Dale R.

COZY MkIV #0497

Ch. 13

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum