Advice on sodering wires :S

[interloper393]

Hey peeps.. right im planning on relocation as much as possible wire wise/box.. on a few cars but the last time i tryed to solder wires i just made a right coont of it lol... can anyone offer some tips or handytools for making it idiot proof? id like to hide as much as possible but most of the cables are far too short to move anywhere other than where they are..

cheers

[kev-yorks]

Nearly certainly the wires not clean. If its discoloured in any way then get out some fine emery tape and clean it up is not your wasting your time. Once it is clean the easiest way to extend wires is slide shrink tube up one of the cables bear the wire on either cable and put them alongside each other twist them together so it makes one continuous cable. its now time for the soldering iron. Heat up on one side of the copper and hold the solder on the opposite side as the heat conducts through to the solder. The finish on the joint should be shinny if not if it looks crystalline then the solders not hot enough. Once joined then slide down the shrink tube and shrink to finish the joint.  
Kevin

[RobbieRX-7]

Pretty much what kev says. Make sure the copper is clean with no grease otherwise it wont stick. Also make sure the soldering iron is clean with a dab of solder on it to help start it off. Once done, Slide the heat shrink tube over the joint and heat it with a heat gun or fag lighter.Once you get the knack of it, it\'s easy

[batman]

if you use a gas soldering iron its easier than wires and also use solder from maplin come s with flux in the solder so it sticks /takes to the wires better  always apply heat to the underneath of the wire and solder from the top . start with the solder on the iron close to the wire as it melts it should sink into or on the cable then move the solder wire into the wire and slowly push in like a weld .i hate heat shrink because its not thick and splits easy for a better tip try amalgamide tape very good used it for years on my work all types of audio and such like all available in maplin

[batman]

just a note becarefull of the ampage that the cable holds idiot proof maybe but try to keep the same ie no bell wire on the fuse input might result in a fire . lol had to say

[grinder]

one tip i got told - dont blow the solder to cool it - this causes weakness in the joint ( got told that from B.A.E. )

what i sometimes do aswell...

if i am extending wire , then i strip both ends of the wire and then make little hooks in the ends , put both hooks into each other - flatten out - and then solder it - you can then test the joint by pulling both wires

if i cant do that - i strip the wire , then add solder to the end of the wire , do this to both pieces , hold the wires together , and then heat with the soldering iron , this should melt the solder on both wires at the same time

and then use heat shrink on it ( i use a fag lighter to shrink it )

just get a few pieces of wire and have a play first

[David Nock (RIP)]

Not much mention of flux in the above posts - it is essential, either daubed on the wire first or integral with the solder. It enables the solder to penetrate everywhere. Also, similar to grinder\'s comment not to blow on the joint to cool it down (which is quite correct), DO NOT move the joint until it has fully \'set\' and cooled a bit naturally. Otherwise the crystalline structure of the solder metal is weakened and the joint will fail.

[interloper393]

how can i prevent using the wrong ampage wire then, cus i dont wanna fire , what amp cables used for the looms ect?

[David Nock (RIP)]

It varies, depending on the accessory or equipment being powered. I think ascaudio\'s trying to tell you to keep to the same wire when you extend - don\'t go smaller or to a different type of wire. Electrical people talk about \'bell wire\' when they mean someone\'s using say doorbell cable to do a major size load. it would obviously be liable to melt and cause a short/fire. just go to Halfords or Maplins with samples cut off your wires and don\'t come down in size on any circuit. Ask for the same specification of wire (car loom wiring - flexible). It used to be a Def Stan (defence standard) rating, now probably Din Std.
It will probably be still rated by number of strands and area of each i.e. 19/.02 springs to mind but let the shop do that if you\'re not sure.

[ianelvar]

A second vote on the flux from me!
My tips for good soldering:
Don\'t rely on cored solder - the type with flux in it. It\'s rarely enough, and you cant get it to where it\'s needed before the problems start. Get yourself a pot of fluxite soldering paste if you can. It\'s really old school, but it\'s absolutely the best stuff I\'ve ever found.
Get yourself some nice thin solder. I use solder about 1mm diameter for car looms. It\'s a lot easier to control
Use the highest rated iron you can get. 30W-40W of 50W if you can. It\'s a lot easier if things heat up quickly, and the iron doesn\'t cool when it comes in contact with what you\'re trying to solder. If you have one you can set the temperature on, set it to about 315 degree celcius.
Keep the tip clean! Have a soaking piece of sponge handy to wipe the tip on. It should look shiny and like molten solder all over before you start a joint. If it\'s a dull zinc colour or has little black spots on it, clean it with by wiping it accross the sponge.
\'Tin\' either piece of wire before you try joining them. If you\'ve never heard the term before, it means applying some solder to each piece, and making sure you\'ve got a nice covering. Strip the wire, give it a little twist, put some flux on, heat with iron till flux melts and flows in between the strands, apply solder, wait for the flux to pull the solder into the wire. You\'ll find it _incredibly_ easy to apply a bit more solder and make a solid joint when both ends are tinned first.
Don\'t apply solder to the iron, and then try dabbing it onto the wire. Always heat the wire, then apply solder where the iron meets the wire.

Sorry if I\'ve repeated anything that\'s been said above, and I hope it helps.
Good luck