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Stainless Steel Wiring WT?

F

Fatamus

Member
Can anyone tell me why my 1946 Adams w/TD-9 had stainless steel wiring? I did changed it out for copper. I believe its first home was Kasilof, a sea side city in Alaska.
The wiring was OEM; it was cloth and tar wrapped with real rubber ends, that fell apart when touched, and soldered connecters.
 
I'll bet that wire was fun to work with. Probably a tractor issued to the military. May be left over from the maintaining the Alaska highway, by the Army. Even though the road was finished in the early 40's. Tractors were still needed to maintain the road. Stan
 
(quoted from post at 16:01:14 12/03/14) Are you sure it's stainless?
Some wiring was lead coated copper.
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I will look closer now I know what to look for; I couldn't cut it with new wire strippers, didn't even leave a mark. It's not steel because there is NO rust on bare wire.
At that point I just assumed it was Stainless and removed from the system. Stainless and other metals have more resistance than copper and would make it more prone to electrical problems.

In the midst of that I rewired it with a Ford 65 amp alternator/regulator, it is what I had lying around, and put updated lighting and wired it for turn/stop/emergency singles.
 
I'd say it's most likely monel. I don't think stainless can be soldered. My guess is your grader was intended for the military.
 
Technically, silver soldering is brazing. Will typical electrical insulation hold up at the temperature needed to silver solder?

There's another reason I don't think it's stainless: Poor conductivity. Stainless steel conductors would have to be huge to avoid voltage drop; monel would only need to be a wire gauge or two larger.
 
There used to be a type of wire called "nickel-ply". It was a copper coating over a hi-tensile stainless steel core. The high strength core was to provide strength for long overhead spans, intended usage was in the telephone industry, where current carrying capacity was not an issue I think. But I've seen it used improperly in other applications.
 
(quoted from post at 20:07:56 12/03/14) Kasilof is just down the road from me. What was its history?
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Well at first it belonged to ARC (Alaska Road Commission) Vehicle No. 971 and then Tom Grady of Box 43 Kasilof, AK 99610 had it for some time, his granddaughter married someone in Big Lake and he sold it to Mike the guy I bought it from. Mike and the Tom's granddaughter owned it for less than six months. I Goggled Tom and he was living in the Pioneer Home at the age of 94, the next time I Goggled him he was listed in the local cemetery.
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Snow covered


Have you seen it down there? It looks like it has been setting for a good portion of its life.
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From Wikipedia,
Monel 401

This alloy is designed for use in specialized electric and electronic applications. Alloy 401 is readily autogenously welded, in the thin sections in which it is most often used, by the gas-tungsten-arc process. Resistance welding is a very satisfactory method for joining the material. It also exhibits good brazing characteristics. Alloy 401 is normally furnished as wire. It is covered by standard UNS N04401.

Here are some pictures
I scraped the wire and it looked kinda coppery but is way to strong to be copper. So it must be a type of monel

Thanks for your help everyone...
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(quoted from post at 20:44:02 12/03/14) From Wikipedia,
Monel 401

This alloy is designed for use in specialized electric and electronic applications. Alloy 401 is readily autogenously welded, in the thin sections in which it is most often used, by the gas-tungsten-arc process. Resistance welding is a very satisfactory method for joining the material. It also exhibits good brazing characteristics. Alloy 401 is normally furnished as wire. It is covered by standard UNS N04401.

Here are some pictures
I scraped the wire and it looked kinda coppery but is way to strong to be copper. So it must be a type of monel

Thanks for your help everyone...
mvphoto13588.jpg


mvphoto13589.jpg


mvphoto13590.jpg


mvphoto13591.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like most multi-strand wire that I have ever opened up.
 
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