any suggestions for removing enamel from magnet wire without scraping the wire???
On larger stuff i have always used sandpaper to clean the enamel off the ends for connection. maybe not the best method but it works.
Recently i had to repair a vintage guitar pickup that had some very very fine magnet wire. I had to scrap the wire and use an emery board which was very precarious as there wasn't much of the wire left to get to.
Is there a safe and easy way to chemically clean the enamel off??
Zc
On larger stuff i have always used sandpaper to clean the enamel off the ends for connection. maybe not the best method but it works.
Recently i had to repair a vintage guitar pickup that had some very very fine magnet wire. I had to scrap the wire and use an emery board which was very precarious as there wasn't much of the wire left to get to.
Is there a safe and easy way to chemically clean the enamel off??
Zc
For thin guage I use a bic lighter flame to turn the end of the wire red hot, burning off the enamel. Then pull it through a #0000 steel wool a few times to make it shiny copper again. I then tin it with flux core slobber and an iron. For heavier gauge I use a propane torch then steel wool.
For upwards of #30 AWG the flame will melt the wire back into a ball, eating up the wire, Perhaps a chemical dip in agressive paint stripper like "Polystrippa" would do it.
For upwards of #30 AWG the flame will melt the wire back into a ball, eating up the wire, Perhaps a chemical dip in agressive paint stripper like "Polystrippa" would do it.
One weak acid we normally can find at home or at nearby foodshop is Vinegar.
Another similar substance to Salicylic acid, Aspirin, is Acetic Acid ( Ättiksyra )
This is, like Vinegar, a liquid related to food use and can be easily found.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid
I think it is well worth to try Vinager/Acetic_acid. If Salicylic acid works.
We can start with a water mix, diluted concentration, if it is too strong.
Of course we also have the weak acid in Lemon fruits, Citrus Acid.
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The typical for chemical used for cleaning, is that they disolve something. Makes one solution of it.
Making this something possible to remove.
From wikipedia:
Magnet wire:
Magnet wire insulating films use (in order of increasing temperature range) polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, polyester-polyimide, polyamide-polyimide (or amide-imide), and polyimide.
Enameled wire:
The core material is copper, coated with a thin layer of a polyurethane, polyamide, or polyester etc resin - the so-called "enamel".
For ease of manufacturing inductive components like transformers and inductors, most new enameled wire has enamel that acts as a flux when burnt during soldering. This means that the electrical connections at the ends can be made without stripping off the insulation first. Older enameled copper wire is normally not like this, and requires sandpapering or scraping to remove the insulation before soldering.
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So what we are looking for is something that can disolve:
- Polyester .... and those Plastic materials, but does not attack copper.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceton#Uses
Acetone as Cleaning fluid.
Acetone
... is often the primary (or only) component in nail polish remover. Ethyl acetate, another organic solvent, is sometimes used as well.
Acetone is also used as a superglue remover.
It can be used for thinning and cleaning fiberglass resins and epoxies.
It is a strong solvent for most plastics and synthetic fibres.
Magnet wire:
Magnet wire insulating films use (in order of increasing temperature range) polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, polyester-polyimide, polyamide-polyimide (or amide-imide), and polyimide.
Enameled wire:
The core material is copper, coated with a thin layer of a polyurethane, polyamide, or polyester etc resin - the so-called "enamel".
For ease of manufacturing inductive components like transformers and inductors, most new enameled wire has enamel that acts as a flux when burnt during soldering. This means that the electrical connections at the ends can be made without stripping off the insulation first. Older enameled copper wire is normally not like this, and requires sandpapering or scraping to remove the insulation before soldering.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So what we are looking for is something that can disolve:
- Polyester .... and those Plastic materials, but does not attack copper.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceton#Uses
Acetone as Cleaning fluid.
Acetone
... is often the primary (or only) component in nail polish remover. Ethyl acetate, another organic solvent, is sometimes used as well.
Acetone is also used as a superglue remover.
It can be used for thinning and cleaning fiberglass resins and epoxies.
It is a strong solvent for most plastics and synthetic fibres.
hehe. Coca-Cola 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonated_water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonic_acid
Carbonic Acid is a weak acid.
Being one acid it will attack some Metal Oxides. Like rust, Ferrite Oxide.
Evenso probably Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor = MOS FET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosfet
Also will effect, irritate your stomach. If you drink too much Carbonated Water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonated_water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonic_acid
Carbonic Acid is a weak acid.
Being one acid it will attack some Metal Oxides. Like rust, Ferrite Oxide.
Evenso probably Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor = MOS FET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosfet
Also will effect, irritate your stomach. If you drink too much Carbonated Water.
lineup said:
In school we did an experiment and left a 4" (or was it a 3"?) nail in a jar of coke - it was gone in a week
An aspirin eh? That's a non-intuitive trick - must try it.
Hi Greg!, I've noticed that on newer magnet wire as well - good call. If you can get the iron to make contact with the copper - even at the bare end where the wire was cut, you can get the coating to peel back with the solder/flux.
If that doesn't work then I usually just resign myself to several minutes of gentle scraping with a scalpel blade - usually against a bare finger for protection.
MJL: does lacquer thinner work on the polyimide coatings as well? Something like turpentine or are you thinking ketones or some such? I thought I'd tried isopropyl alcohol unsuccessfully but that's a pretty weak substitute.
Hi Greg!, I've noticed that on newer magnet wire as well - good call. If you can get the iron to make contact with the copper - even at the bare end where the wire was cut, you can get the coating to peel back with the solder/flux.
If that doesn't work then I usually just resign myself to several minutes of gentle scraping with a scalpel blade - usually against a bare finger for protection.
MJL: does lacquer thinner work on the polyimide coatings as well? Something like turpentine or are you thinking ketones or some such? I thought I'd tried isopropyl alcohol unsuccessfully but that's a pretty weak substitute.
For magnet wire that is class B or F (130C or 155C for300k hours) you can use a "weak tea" solution of alcohol thinned, liquid flux from Kester and others. The large amount of alcohol will ablate the coating and the small amount of flux will clean and adhere the solder. You should squeeze the wire in a cloth shop rag made of cotton just to remove the last bit of burned insulation. Set your solder pot for 600 F for this. You will get solder balls from this process, they will splatter. This is the easiest and quickest way to completely strip Litz wire, which you want in and out of the pot in under 5 seconds.
For the armored wires a Rush Brush wire stripper or the trusty metal wire brush in a drill bit are fine, along with scraping with a sharp razor style blade. Boron works too, but that's so dangerous you don't really want to try it.
Bud
For the armored wires a Rush Brush wire stripper or the trusty metal wire brush in a drill bit are fine, along with scraping with a sharp razor style blade. Boron works too, but that's so dangerous you don't really want to try it.
Bud
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