Soldering Supplies

[whitexj98]

I am a relative newb in soldering, well at least in the correct way I think...

I’m about to do a bunch of wiring and will be soldering the connections. I recently completely wired a dune buggy by soldering but I think I could have done it better.

I pretty much just used rosin solder and heat shrink with sealer.

Questions:

Flux? Should be used before soldering correct?
Tip tinner/ cleaner... is this needed?
Standard Rosin Solder...right?

Should something be applied before heat shrinking? I’m using heat shrink with sealer.

I am also going to get one of those fancy HF jig/ holder things with the dual clamps to hold while soldering.

Any other tips/ recommended supplies?

 

[old_man]

No flux is usually needed if you use rosin solder. The heat shrink with the sealer should do very well.

The key is to make sure the metal you are going to solder is clean. Freshly stripped wire is great.

Tip cleaner eats the tips. A water soaked sponge will clean your tip just fine and is the standard in the industry.

 

[whitexj98]

Ok, cool. I guess I wasn't doing it all wrong...

I really enjoy wiring stuff and I like to do it "the right way"

I have come a long way from how I wired my knock off KC daylighters when I was 16 on the ole S-15......(I used speaker wire to lengthen the kit wires wrapped in tape at the connections....) haha

 

[four_shot]

When soldering oxidized (blackened) wire I like dipping them in a little bit of flux then heating first to clean them.

I'm sure many will consider this unecessary, but I get picky like that.

 

[surf2snow]

When I solder I use liquid flux on the wire it helps the solder flow.

Tip tinnier is used to clean and tin the tip when solder will not stick to the tip of the iron.

If you are soldering a lot I don’t recommend soaked sponge it shocks the iron. I use brass soldering sponge at work, and use a clean rag at home.

And when you are finished soldering put some solder on the tip it helps with the life of the tip.

 

[old_man]

If you are soldering a lot I don’t recommend soaked sponge it shocks the iron.

I've been in the business for 40+ years and never seen a problem with the sponge technique.

The biggest problem is leaving an iron on when not in use. By the way, you can put a touch of flux on your sponge to help clean the tips.

Like the man said, tin the tip before you turn off the iron. I use Metcal irons and the tips run $28 each.

 

[bad luck]

I know this is an old post but I just read it for the first time. I prefer to crimp connections instead of soldering them. I think if you make a good crimp you will have less problems. And always use heat shrink tubing.

 

[87manche]

that's great.

a proper solder job will outperform a crimp any day of the week.
soldering get's a bad rap in the automotive world because most people don't do it properly.

 

[four_shot]

I know this is an old post but I just read it for the first time. I prefer to crimp connections instead of soldering them. I think if you make a good crimp you will have less problems. And always use heat shrink tubing.

A good crimp is satisfactory for most connections. Many OEMs use crimps exclusively, but my opinion is that it is for cost cutting reasons not because it is a superior connection. A properly soldered connection will run cooler under load than a comperable crimp.

 

[POSJ]

soldering get's a bad rap in the automotive world because most people don't do it properly.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[bad luck]

I disagree with you people, soldering a connection is not better. Even if you do it right you are essentially turning stranded wire into a solid wire, which is much more likely to fatigue and break. Why do aircraft factorys use crimp connectors only? It is not just for cost savings. You need to use quality terminals and good crimpers, no auto parts store junk.

 

[Demonoid369]

I disagree with you people, soldering a connection is not better. Even if you do it right you are essentially turning stranded wire into a solid wire, which is much more likely to fatigue and break. Why do aircraft factorys use crimp connectors only? It is not just for cost savings. You need to use quality terminals and good crimpers, no auto parts store junk.

I'm assuming you don't understand how electricity and resistance works do you...... Simple principles show that a proper solder joint will outlast and yield the least resistance under load and flow as its acts as one wire. compare to a crimp, where you do not have a proper flow of electrons as the connection points are poor

 

[bad luck]

I think if you do a little research, you will find that a good crimp connection forms the wire inside the barrel of the terminal into a solid gas tight connection. That is not as brittle as if you solder it. The problem is most people let too much solder wick up the wire past the barrel of the connector, which makes the wire much more brittle and prone to breaking. If you make a proper crimp connection using good quality terminals and a good crimper the connections will be just as good electrically as a soldered connection. But I see it is like arguing religion, some people won't change their minds, no matter what the facts are.

 

[souske]

I solder my crimped joints when practical

 

[POSJ]

Why do aircraft factorys use crimp connectors only? It is not just for cost savings. You need to use quality terminals and good crimpers, no auto parts store junk.

???

Where do you get that information?

I've worked on different airframes for the past ten years and for critical systems we use solder. For quick non-essential systems we use crimp connectors. For cannon plugs you use crimp connections but the backshell hold the wires tight 1" back from the crimp point.

 

[jdjohnson]

???

Where do you get that information?

I've worked on different airframes for the past ten years and for critical systems we use solder. For quick non-essential systems we use crimp connectors. For cannon plugs you use crimp connections but the backshell hold the wires tight 1" back from the crimp point.

I couldnt agree with you more. Just so we are all on the same page, the aircraft crimps that we use are not the same ones that you pick up at your local parts store and are much higher quality so its not really the same comparison. For solder we use silver and your normal off the shelf stuff depending what or where we are connecting.

Now for vehicle wiring i dont see how a nice solder joint with heat shrink is being considered less of a connection then a crimp. To each there own i guess. i will continue to solder my wires thats for sure.

 

[old_man]

I couldnt agree with you more. Just so we are all on the same page, the aircraft crimps that we use are not the same ones that you pick up at your local parts store and are much higher quality so its not really the same comparison. For solder we use silver and your normal off the shelf stuff depending what or where we are connecting.

Now for vehicle wiring i dont see how a nice solder joint with heat shrink is being considered less of a connection then a crimp. To each there own i guess. i will continue to solder my wires thats for sure.

X3
I've been an engineer for 40+ years. I was NASA, space, and military certified. For absolutely mission critical, solder was the preferred method. The one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that there are two parts to a good stable connection. The first is mechanical, the second is electrical.

Every connection needs to be mechanically secured before soldering. Laying a couple of wires next to each other and adding a blob of solder isn't a good joint. Personally I use a barrel and crimp a wire in each side. I then heat up the barrel and wick solder into the joint. I coat the joint with liquid electrical tape then slide heat shrink over the joint and shrink it while the liquid electrical tape is expelled. It generates a good mechanical joint, then an electrical connection, followed by making the whole thing liquid and gas tight. OK, I am a bit of a perfectionist, but in my job, doing it right can mean the difference between life and death.

This is a takeoff on Raychem connectors we used on military equipment. It was a high temp heat shrink with a low temp solder ring in the middle. The heat shrink also had a meltable sealing ring on each end so when it shrunk, it sealed both ends and with more heat the solder melted and connected the wires.

 

[four_shot]

This is a takeoff on Raychem connectors we used on military equipment. It was a high temp heat shrink with a low temp solder ring in the middle. The heat shrink also had a meltable sealing ring on each end so when it shrunk, it sealed both ends and with more heat the solder melted and connected the wires.

I used something similar at the dealer in the mid '90s. It had a mechanical tab that would secure the wires into the "connector" (for lack of a better term). You would insert the stripped wires into the ends. The tabs would hold the wires into place. You would then heat the whole thing up until the solder melted and flowed while the shrink and seal shell did its thing.

 

[POSJ]

Btw, bad luck, I was not speaking to your point with vehicles. I was strictly speaking as and aircraft mechanic. I fix millions of dollars worth or aircraft while at work and don't have the luxury of being lazy...though when at home on my Jeep(I sold mine) I use crimp connectors because of the ease.

If I were wiring something complex and critical i.e. Fuel supply, Engine controls, etc. I would use solder...but for winches and aux. systems I crimp. Same principles as when I am at work putting other people life's at my hand...so to speak.

 

[87manche]

If I were wiring something complex and critical i.e. Fuel supply, Engine controls, etc. I would use solder...but for winches and aux. systems I crimp. Same principles as when I am at work putting other people life's at my hand...so to speak.

same.

radio wiring in the dash? Crimps.

fuel harness wiring? ABS? Any kind of sensor (especially VR)? solder.

trail jeep that I don't drive on the road.
wire nuts because I don't care.