Supervisor told me my coax terminations looked like 'a toddler did them' so I finally slowed down and started checking each connector with a meter before leaving.

Had to redo 12 fittings on a Tuesday job in Oak Park after he called me back and now I strip slowly, torque by hand not gun, and sweep impedance on every drop before packing up - anyone else had a foreman roast their work into better habits?

4 comments

4 Comments

nancyn691mo ago

Oof, that's a tough way to learn but honestly sometimes you need that blunt feedback to really lock in the good habits. I had a senior guy tell me my crimps looked "like a raccoon did it" and it stung but it made me buy a better tool and actually pay attention. Your mileage may vary but taking the extra time now saves a ton of callback headaches later.

emmaclark1mo ago

Yeah, that raccoon comment is rough but I bet it stuck with you. What was the first thing you noticed was different with the better tool, just more consistent pressure or did it change how you prep the wire too?

the_simon1mo ago

What kind of crimper did you switch to after that? I've been using the same Klein ratcheting one for years and my joints look clean but I still get paranoid about cold welds on solid wire. Always second guessing if I squeezed hard enough.

spencer_park261mo ago

Wait you're still using a Klein ratcheting crimper on solid wire? Those things are notorious for not clamping down all the way on solid, the jaws just don't mate right sometimes. I'd be paranoid too if I were you, that's a legit concern not just you overthinking it.

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