RF Lighting’s guide to terminating MICC cable.
You will need:
From left to right: Pot (this one has an earth tail), pot seal, gland, potting compound, joistripper, pot crimper, stub sleeving, pliers.
Step 1:
Cut the cable off square. This can be done with a junior hacksaw, a ringing tool or sharp cable shears.
If the MICC is old, cut 100mm - 200mm off the end. The magnesium oxide is hygroscopic, and will have absorbed moisture.
You will not be able to get a joistripper started if the cable has been cut with sidecutters or pliers.
Step 2:
Start to strip the cable by turning the joistripper clockwise down the cable.
Step 3:
When you have stripped the cable to the desired length, lightly grip the cable with your pliers. Run the joistripper upto the pliers. This will give you a nice clean square cut.
Step 4:
Put the gland top, olive and gland bottom onto the cable. Do not tighten it up yet.
Step 5:
Screw the pot onto the cable until the sheath of the cable is flush with the bottom of the pot.
Be very careful not to twist the cable whilst screwing the pot on.
Then pull the wires slightly apart, and test the wire ends for shorts with an insulation tester.
Step 6:
Slightly over-fill the pot with potting compound. You should work it in a bit at a time from either side of the pot.
Use the backing paper from the compound to push it into place, being careful not to touch the compound, as this could contaminate it with grease / dirt, which could cause the pot to not properly insulate the end.
Step 7:
Slide the pot seal into place, making sure the wires are not twisted.
Step 8:
Insert the pot assembly into your pot crimper, making sure the three prongs on the crimper are between where the wires come through the seal.
Step 9:
Crimp the pot.
You can see in the second picture what I mean about lining the prongs up on the crimper between where the wires come through the seal.
Step 10:
Sleeve the wires with stub sleeving, and then carry out another insulation test to ensure the cable is fault free. You will then need to carry out a continuity test to give the cable it’s polarity.
Step 11:
Slide the gland into place. You would normally tighten this up once the gland has been screwed into whatever the cable is being terminated into.
Step 12:
Go wash your hands. Magnesium oxide is poisonous, and must not be ingested.
:D