Dri-Splice Style Waterproof Connectors

thingiverse

I designed these things to keep underground low voltage wire splices dry and clean. There are many different products available to do this job, but most of them are either messy, difficult to use, or unreliable. I modeled the general design of these connectors after Spears brand Dri-Splice connectors (http://parts.spearsmfg.com/sourcebook/TURFTECH_TURF_IRRIGA_T_TURF_DIR_T.pdf). Most of the good professional landscape light and outdoor audio companies in my area prefer Dri-Splices as they are very durable, easy to use, and there is no greasy mess that gets all over the place. Heck, I even know some well guys that prefer them, which says a lot! Instead of attempting to copy a design that was intended for mass production molds, I designed these from scratch, including improvements that leverage the fact that we can print rather complex shapes as easily as simple shapes. I minimized the overall size using variants to fit different wiring needs. This reduces the amount of grease required to fill them up by a huge amount, and also makes them a bit easier to bury. Perhaps with less room for the connection to wobble around inside, these may actually end up being even more reliable than the originals. ;) *BOM:* Prints: You have to first decide which parts to print based on the wires you will be connecting. I uploaded an assortment of variants to choose from, to fit a variety of needs. The filenames indicate the number and size of wires; Nx fits N bigger wires, and N+1 fits N bigger wires, and 1 small wire. Each variant requires printing a "body" and "cup" with the same variant number. So for example if you want to connect say 2@ 14awg wires with an 18awg fixture wire, you would need to print a 2+1 and a 2+1cup. If you can print nylon, that's really the best for durability against shovels and such. The original Dri-Splices are molded in nylon. However I did some research and found out that really any filament will work here, even PLA won't biodegrade when buried in the soil. Again the main concern here are shovels and lawn maintenance tools, as well as ground frost if you live in such an area. I used PLA for the ones I used on my landscape lights. Crimp Connectors: These things are intended to be used with copper crimp connectors; the kind electricians use to tie ground wires together behind outlets and switches. These are very cheap and readily available (check your local hardware store, these are common): https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-10-311C-Electrical-Connector/dp/B005EAF5JW/ref=pd_bxgy_2/137-0987139-5431305?pd_rd_w=kB1uZ&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=HWWFG77472RHR9FV1M24&pd_rd_r=5d70a82c-1dd7-4959-ac7e-57ef4b116df1&pd_rd_wg=SbHGm&pd_rd_i=B005EAF5JW&psc=1 Crimping Tool: A lot of you guys who work on home wiring stuff may already have the necessary lineman's pliers in your toolbox, which has the proper crimp die built in. If not, here is a good pair you can buy (local hardware store is the best option): https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-3610-10-5-Inch-Leverage-Linemen/dp/B0096PEC90/ref=sxin_15_ac_d_mf_br?ac_md=4-3-Q2hhbm5lbGxvY2s%3D-ac_d_mf_br_br&cv_ct_cx=lineman+plier&dchild=1&keywords=lineman+plier&pd_rd_i=B0096PEC90&pd_rd_r=243f0a9e-791b-4207-b064-32c039d5d97d&pd_rd_w=LatKp&pd_rd_wg=lkSqq&pf_rd_p=b0c493d8-5fdd-4188-b852-c552a4a3abdb&pf_rd_r=1Y19VABQHZ56MKF3KAG5&psc=1&qid=1633636481&sr=1-4-ed8a42d3-65f1-4884-a3a2-0dd6e83b6876 Dielectric Grease: Lots of tinkerers already have this in their sundries box, but if you don't you'll need some (also often available at your local auto parts store): https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Technician-Grade-Electric-Grease/dp/B01DOEJZTK/ref=pd_sbs_3/137-0987139-5431305?pd_rd_w=ZOBDp&pf_rd_p=80c0d3b7-327a-454b-88c8-6e53987776ab&pf_rd_r=YQ6PW3EQ6AVMZ46D1N87&pd_rd_r=a6ad1369-f260-41cd-b263-9ef9cc9a3340&pd_rd_wg=eIW2N&pd_rd_i=B01DOEJZTK&psc=1 Zipties: If you don't have these already or can't source them, I'm confiscating your maker card right now. ;) *Assembly:* Strip wires back about 3/4", and push them through the holes far enough so you can crimp them together. Twist the wire ends separately, then twist them together. Slip on a crimp connector, crimp tight with lineman pliers, and pull on each wire to verify they don't slip out of the crimp. Next, pull the wires back into the body, such that the connector is inside above the rim. Now fill the cup about 1/2 way full with grease, and push the cup into the body until the edge seats flush with the face of the body. Finally, tighten a ziptie up against the connector to secure the wires from being pulled apart. Lastly, some die hard folks may still want to wrap the wire end of the connector with electrical tape (this is totally optional... they'll probably be fine for decades even without tape). Notes: Try your best to fill the cup from the bottom up, so there's no large air bubbles in the grease. Some grease should squirt out of the holes where the wires go through. If no grease squeezes out during assembly, push the cup off with the wires and add more grease. As you work on your wiring with different connectors, you can fine tune how much grease you use so it just squirts out without much wasting. Enjoy! *Please post a comment to let me know if you need different size holes. It would take me just a couple minutes of work to generate and upload stl's with modified hole sizes.The larger holes on these parts is 6.5mm diameter, which is a snug fit on the 12awg direct burial landscaping wire I have been using. The smaller holes are all 1/8" diameter, which fits the leads on all the light fixtures I have. *