A wire length having a very small diameter is terminated to a contact member by forming a groove in the contact member, disposing the wire length entirely within and along the groove, and striking the surface of the contact on both sides of the groove deforming the sides of the groove downwardly and inwardly into the groove firmly against the wire therein. The contact members can be made in lead frames on a carrier strip and have grooves formed therein, the wire can be placed in the grooves and terminated to the contact members in an automated assembly to make, for example, fuse components where wire segments bridge gaps between associated contact sections of pairs of the contact members, and the lead frames can have housings molded thereto while on the carrier strip.