Ranco terminal screws

[thelawlost]

Anyone else have any trouble turning the screws in the terminal strip on the Ranco? I've bent one screwdriver and broken the tip off another, but haven't made the screws budge yet. What am I doing wrong??

 

[riverbeer]

Have you tried turning both ways ? Are they frozen tight or loose ?

 

[day_trippr]

I have two ETC 11100 units, and iirc, I had to "open" the terminals by screwing them anti-clockwise before inserting the wires then clamping them tight by screwing clockwise...

Cheers!

 

[thelawlost]

Tried both. I actually got one to move finally, so I know which way to go - counterclockwise to tighten. Anyway, that was my last screwdriver head that fit...and then that one bent trying the next screw. WTF? This is getting to be an expensive project!

 

[riverbeer]

I have never seen a terminal strip with left hand threads.
Should be clockwise to tighten.

 

[day_trippr]

I have never seen a terminal strip with left hand threads. Should be clockwise to tighten.

Agreed. The screws turn a nut on the under side that captures the wire ends when run tight. Trying to pinch the wire ends under that nut probably doesn't work all that well...

Cheers!

 

[thelawlost]

Yeah it's strange to me too. As you turn counterclockwise, it is pushing the connector bar down. But the screw head stays in place. So not your normal screws, I guess.

I was able to get them all moving, but had to shave out plastic to make a wider opening in order to get a bigger flathead in there. Now I just need to connect everything correctly!

At least a dozen homebrew DIY projects, and turning 4 screws is the hardest of them all!

 

[day_trippr]

In case you're not getting this, the wire ends go above the "connector bar", so when you tighten (clockwise) and the bar rises up it pinches the wires tight to the underside of the terminal header...

Cheers!

 

[thelawlost]

Yep, I see that now. Thanks!