I finally started labeling my crimp tool dies with actual wire gauge numbers.

For years I just kept them loose in a tray and guessed by eye, which worked fine until I mixed up a 22 and a 24 gauge job on a King Air's comm panel. That cost me an hour of rework. Now I used a paint marker to write the AWG on each die and keep them in a foam block. Has anyone else found a better system for keeping those tiny parts sorted?

4 comments

4 Comments

wilson.joseph19d ago

Also color coded mine with nail polish after that exact King Air mistake made me feel like a total idiot.

thomas_torres3mo agoMost Upvoted

Remember my buddy who swore he could tell the difference by weight? He crimped a whole harness for a sim rig with the wrong die and had to redo every single connector. Your paint marker idea is way smarter than trusting memory.

hollyl253mo ago

Been there... learned to color code the dies with nail polish after mixing them up twice.

kelly3853mo ago

Ever try storing them in those tiny magnetic parts trays? The dies stick right to the bottom so they can't get jumbled.