HP-21MX bootstrapping?

[Tony Duell]

> After buying a proper IDC crimper, I couldn't figure out why I would 
> have ever tried to use something else to crimp the connectors, 
> especially considering how inexpensive it was, and how much easier it 
> was to crimp connectors without fouling them up.

I have a small smooth-jaw vice on my electronics workbench which I've 
found very useful for holding cables when I'm soldering and crimping IDC 
connectors. After a little practice, I've never mangled a connector when 
crimping it. The 'practice' taught me how much force on the vice screw 
handle is necessary to crimp the connector, if things don't seem to be 
going smoothily, I don't just apply more force, I stop and find out 
what's misaligned. 

The only connectors I have problems with (obviously) are the 'transition' 
type with the solder pins sticking out. For the 2-row ones, I put the 
pins into one of those solderless plugblock breadboards (about the only 
use for such things :-)) and stick that in the vice. I don't use the 
4-row transition connectors, if I did, I'd probably drill a metal block 
to thake the pins.

On thhe other hand, in a moment of weakness about 15 years ago I bought 
the cheap IDC crimp pliers that Radio Shack sold. I never got on with 
them. I ruined more connectores using those that I ever did with the vice.

-tony