technically speaking i believe brass is a good conductor so it probably would work. but you're going to want to put a fuse on each of the wires its distributing to. and maybe bolt the bolt to a piece of wood or something to keep it away from other metal

 

Yeah i have this little tupperware container I'm going to drill some holes in, and put it in there haha. Its under my passenger seat so I'm not to concerned about its looks. And I'm constantly changing stuff around so this might not be to bad for me.

 

lol tupperware and power distribution sounds like a bad idea to me.

If anything I think something like this with ring terminals would be safer:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bss-hmeg?seid=srese1&gclid=CIncgbDL_70CFbFFMgod-gIAOA

but I don't know if it is safer than a real distribution block.

 

just buy a proper distribution block.

 

I knew that was coming.:laugh:

I have one but its only good for one 0g input and two 4g output, I need more.

 

Brass is fine (but on the soft side of metal though, and requires occasional check/tightening).
Zinc plated regular steel is very good too.
(If the terminals are apart and connected, do not use stainless steel bolts.)

 

yeah im not sure about the tupperware thing, might have a possibility of melting if the brass is touching it especially if there's alot of current going through it. you could probably bolt the brass through a piece of wood to keep the bolt from touching the tupperware then put it in the tupperware

 

Yeah melting had crossed my mind. I just didn't think it would get hot. I guess anything is possible.

 

If it loosens it will get hot fast.

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk

 

I've used these before in an install because you can mount them to anything: JB3816-2 - COOPER BUSSMANN JB3816-2 - JUNCTION BLOCK, STUD TYPE, 1POS | Newark element14 US

I've also used bolts, and HDPE extensively. Your Tupperware idea isn't terrible, but make sure it's thick tupperware and fused. Personally, I would use a thick plastic cutting board (HDPE), mount the two screws above to it, and use ring terminals.

 

^^^ You get to see the look on peoples faces when you say you have a "Cooper" distribution block. :laugh:

I think any of these ideas are completely legit. You guys would have a heart attack if you saw my wiring.

 

Can't go wrong with bussmann. Love their fuses, the quality is industrial. Fuses get pretty darn hot, so anything near it will also get hot as heat is dissipated through the fuse.

I suggest as others, get a proper power distributor block.

 

Is it a cost thing? Can't get much cheaper than something like this...

0/2 GAUGE TO 8 X 8 GAUGE POWER/GROUND DISTRIBUTION BLOCK CAR AUDIO SKPD 15-in Other Connectors & Terminals from Electrical Equipment & Supplies on Aliexpress.com

 

I don't know about AliExpress man, "free shipping to united states via china post air mail" ??? For a distro block???

 

better than a random piece of brass enclosed by a tupperware lol

 

Brass won't present too much a problem. If you didn't know, a lot of the "quality" distribution blocks are made of, yup you guessed it, brass. The chrome plating is just for show. But brass is definitely a better conductor than steel.

As for it backing out. I've had steel on steel contacts back out more than steel and brass.

 

Exactly. That's what happens when you live in a communist/ socialist country. People are poor, life sucks, and you can make insanely cheap stuff

 

This thread puts a smile my face. When OP brought the subject of Tupperware into the picture, then it made me think of the creativity behind the notion. You get bonus points for that one. The conductivity of the brass is not the problem, nor is the use of Tupperware. The issue is: what if something goes wrong and things get loose and start to melt... if its in a location that you cant see, then its in area you cant get quick access to. And your going to regret the decisions youve made. Safety and longevity needs to be a thought when designing and building a system. Creativity is one thing...but potential heartache is another.

 

I use 1/4 solid copper bolts for my speaker terminals. They work great.

 

While it is nothing that I would want to do in my truck, there is nothing inherently wrong with using a brass bolt for a distribution block as long as SOMEWHERE the main supply line is protected with the correctly sized fuse and then each individual line out is protected with the correctly sized fuse and then the whole thing is WELL protected from loosening (use lock washers) AND grounding out (ie shorting to any part of the frame). If you meet those simple criteria, then you have essentially built your own fused and power distribution "block". Many people do this very tihng with a bolt through the frame for multiple ground connections, though that IS inhernetly safer becuase you do not have to worry at all about it shorting out or being fused. Mounting the contraption safely is another question, and it REALLY should be mounted so that it can't move around, as movement increases the likeliehood of the loose connections and/or shorting.

All in all, NOTHING wrong with creativity and safety combined, though you may find by the time you have SAFELY installed your creation, it may have been MUCH easier and timley, certainly better looking,and also much easier to connect/disconnect wires for future servicing or changes, but in fact LESS creative and unique, to simply have purchased a dist block that fit your needs.

My .02 for what its worth.

 

then the whole thing is WELL protected from loosening (use lock washers)

Most of what is said in this post is excellent input, but I would not recommend using lock washers. They don't carry high current as well as solid bolt-to-nut connections. Use a serrated flange nut if you want, but the OEM I work for puts lock washers on nothing related to electricity. Use other methods to keep it from loosening.

 

Where are you getting your info on their wages?

 

Not hard to look up online. And not too difficult to cross reference because a couple of the companies I used to work for and still have friends that I still talk with have contracts with manufacturing plants in China. A motorcycle accessory company and a small electronics importer. So don't believe all the rosy pictures the Chinese media puts out as press releases, remember Chinese media is entirely state controlled. Some of the business trips were positively depressing. Literally with my former companies engineer guy taking the tour he could tell the plant brought in workers just for the day to look busy for his appearance even though anyone could see they weren't actually doing any work. And the business ethics are horrendous. 4 days of going out partying and drinking and any time he tried to bring up work issues, the terrible tradition of "guanxi" took precedence which just meant more partying. No business gets done and anytime you ask for a business update, you hear whatever you want. Business is great, workers are happy, everything is up to quality. Come back and your production samples are in even worse quality than before your trip with inferior substitutions on components and shoddy workmanship. Guanxi means connections in China, here you would call it corruption.

Beneath the smog and smiles the Chinese economy isn't booming and growing at double digit rates, it's merely treading water hoping for its tech sector to finally become fully mature and self sufficient and not rely on all foreign company investment and engineering. Until they get rid of the tradition of "guanxi" it'll never mature until they themselves get serious about doing business and not just ripping people off for the quick buck. Does this style of business seem somehow more and more familiar?

 

terminal hardware will determine how successful this approach is, since terminal contact is going to be terminal to terminal instead of terminal to block.

the normal crimp connectors with smooth and flash gold plating, are pretty good and if you go heavy gauge with pure copper lug terminals, that would be okay too, but the way you bolt these things together would count too.

I'd put one 4 gauge on the bolt, then the 1/0, then the battery feed 1/0, then the other 1/0, then the 4 gauge, where your main is in direct contact with the two current hogs, and the outer terminals are used for less load capacity.

it doesn't matter if the bolt is steel, plastic or brass, the contact between terminals is where all your energy transfer should be taking place.

you can use a lock washer under the nut, as well since it's not a part of the circuit.

a good way to mount this, would be in a phenolic block but since those are expensive, you might be okay with simply covering the whole thing in half a roll of electrical tape and zip-tied to a plastic panel. And later on, when you want a better presentation or more function with fuses, you can get a block that has terminal bolts instead of hex key screw compression, and just switch the terminals over.

 

Use a fused power distribution block from a GM truck or for RV's (go to the RV sites).

 

nice job. I didn't even think of tuperware. I did the same exact thing but used thick corrugated tubing and electrical tape to hold it in place and its been like this for about months with no problems with a 1200 and 800 watt amp hooked together. I would think as soon as the plastic started to get hot or melt you would smell it and be able to take care of it quickly since its in the cab. I might use a black heavy plastic box in the future to make it look better. too much hard work to leave it looking ammature.

 

Decided to step up my game a lil bit. Decided the bolt idea, wasn't the best idea lol.

2 cutting boards, 3 dollars
A pizza bun, 70 cents
A power distribution block made from kitchen supplies, priceless.

 

2 cutting boards, 3 dollars
A pizza bun, 70 cents
A power distribution block made from kitchen supplies, priceless.

Where are you getting cutting boards for $1.5/per part? I want access to that stash.
Your copper bar cost more than all that other stuff put together though, unless that is a scrap of copper pipe you had laying around.

 

...it would be 0 gauge distributing to a couple 4 gauge and 8 gauge wires.

Yeah i have this little tupperware container I'm going to drill some holes in, and put it in there haha. Its under my passenger seat so I'm not to concerned about its looks. And I'm constantly changing stuff around so this might not be to bad for me.

I just hope you or anyone else isn't in the car when the Tupperware distro block goes China Syndrome. The resulting Wrongful Death Lawsuit would suck.

Or, you could just…CLICKY HERE!

Remember to fuse accordingly.

 

I just hope you or anyone else isn't in the car when the Tupperware distro block goes China Syndrome. The resulting Wrongful Death Lawsuit would suck.

Or, you could just…CLICKY HERE!

Remember to fuse accordingly.

That would work, but would also be at least $80 by the time it got to me.

I decided to not use the tupperware. I now fully trust that my distro block will be 100% safe! And yes I will be fusing accordingly.