I'm having an issue that seemingly no one, not even the guy who sold me the wire has.
I bought a thin braided copper wire for repairing a loudspeaker (as I did dozens of times before), and I can't solder it no matter how much flux I use on it.
I had difficulties soldering braided wire before, but never this much.
I warned the guy at the store and he said he himself was using that same wire the day before without a problem, but I didn't manage to solder it by any means, it just darkens and smells to burnt fabric.
And, by the way, this braided wire is made with copper and (apparently) cotton.
Each "thread" of the braid isn't a round copper wire, instead it's a small flat copper strip twisted around a cotton thread. So, while twisted, it looks like a thin copper string with cotton coming out of its middle. It catches on fire if you expose it to a flame, but that doesn't help soldering it at all.
But I couldn't find any information about such type of braided wire on the internet, none mention fabric threads in the wire.
And the only solution I found for soldering it was to fold the tip of the braided wire in the end and then wind a naked copper wire tightly around that end, and solder that wound copper wire, mechanically locking the braided wire inside it.
Is that anywhere normal?
Things are worse because it seems like an exception and but I had to use that braided wire to make a instruction video, and perhaps no one will understand why I had to do what I did.
I bought a thin braided copper wire for repairing a loudspeaker (as I did dozens of times before), and I can't solder it no matter how much flux I use on it.
I had difficulties soldering braided wire before, but never this much.
I warned the guy at the store and he said he himself was using that same wire the day before without a problem, but I didn't manage to solder it by any means, it just darkens and smells to burnt fabric.
And, by the way, this braided wire is made with copper and (apparently) cotton.
Each "thread" of the braid isn't a round copper wire, instead it's a small flat copper strip twisted around a cotton thread. So, while twisted, it looks like a thin copper string with cotton coming out of its middle. It catches on fire if you expose it to a flame, but that doesn't help soldering it at all.
But I couldn't find any information about such type of braided wire on the internet, none mention fabric threads in the wire.
And the only solution I found for soldering it was to fold the tip of the braided wire in the end and then wind a naked copper wire tightly around that end, and solder that wound copper wire, mechanically locking the braided wire inside it.
Is that anywhere normal?
Things are worse because it seems like an exception and but I had to use that braided wire to make a instruction video, and perhaps no one will understand why I had to do what I did.
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I would quickly abandon that wire and get something that you can use. I don't remember when but i ran into a similar problem. In some cases, I have used light solder wick.
No, it isn't. Litz wire is absolutely different.
This here isn't insulated at all, because, as I said, the flat copper strips are twisted around the threads, so the entire outer surface is copper, and it's conductive.
It looks more like the below-mentioned Tinsel Wire
What are you using for flux? Just regular rosin? You may need to use RA flux to really remove oxides and feed decent amounts of RA cored solder wire into it.
Sounds like headphone wire to me, it has some thin coating on it which is very heat resistant. You can try first to dip it in coresiline or similar solvent and see if that helps with soldering.
It is called tinsel wire and may be aluminium which does not solder (except maybe under vacuum or inert gas if you are lucky). Unless you buy from a reputable supplier its all too common for aluminium to be solder as copper - sometimes the aluminium is tinted to look like copper as well to add insult to injury. Sometimes copper is so tarnished it won't solder - for tinsel wire this is a big problem as you can't clean the oxide off easily, aggressive chemicals might be one approach, or even copper-plating via electrolysis?
I haven't used that wire so take my advice with that in mind, but when I had trouble soldering Litz wire and I'd tried all the methods described on diyaudio without too much success, I made a tiny solder pot out of a copper plumbing pipe end-cap and dipped the end of the wire in a pool of really hot solder. This tins the wire end and it can be soldered as usual.
I actually found that using this method it was best without flux (I tried Caig rosin flux), and it worked better if I moved the wire around for some time in the liquid solder until the threads burned away. This was much better than just a quick dip.
It works best if any slag is removed from the top of the solder pool regularly.
I know it isn't Litz but maybe this might work.
I actually found that using this method it was best without flux (I tried Caig rosin flux), and it worked better if I moved the wire around for some time in the liquid solder until the threads burned away. This was much better than just a quick dip.
It works best if any slag is removed from the top of the solder pool regularly.
I know it isn't Litz but maybe this might work.
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I have had the very same issue with a CATV/Internet coaxial cable (leftover) having an excellent braid with excellent shielding performance but not solderable by any means. I think such cables are meant to be crimped rather than soldered.
It's not pure rosin I think, it's a flux made for electronics soldering, but I don't know if it's RA flux, I'm in Brazil and we don't use that name anywhere here.
And the composition of the flux isn't written anywhere in the label either. It just says its flux.
But this flux never failed me before tho, with all other braided speaker lead wires it worked fine.
And the solder is flux-cored as well.
Plus, the copper doesn't look anywhere oxidized, the wire is new, the store where I bought it sells and uses a lot of it, so it doesn't get old.
Yes, that is where I remember seeing it. Strange stuff.
What I notice here is that this manufacturer says that the wire is made for low current capability. Doesn't sound like something I would use for speaker repair.
I have used Brazilian made tinsel wire for my own speakers and never had any problem, in fact am using it today, so you simply got the wrong type.
Fake copper? (Aluminum), wrong varnish? Old tarnished copper beyond normal flux cleaning abilities?
Who knows?
Don´t waste time and efforts, buy the good one.
Junk it and buy some from another supplier.
Somebody in S~ao Paulo Santa Ifigênia area should carry the good one.
EDIT:
https://shopee.com.br/1-Metro-De-Co...-Aguenta-Até-5000-Rms-i.393143159.21774731397
You may aso be using a not powerful enough or dirty tip soldering iron.
Fake copper? (Aluminum), wrong varnish? Old tarnished copper beyond normal flux cleaning abilities?
Who knows?
Don´t waste time and efforts, buy the good one.
Junk it and buy some from another supplier.
Somebody in S~ao Paulo Santa Ifigênia area should carry the good one.
EDIT:
https://shopee.com.br/1-Metro-De-Co...-Aguenta-Até-5000-Rms-i.393143159.21774731397
You may aso be using a not powerful enough or dirty tip soldering iron.
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Use 60/40 solder, not ROHS. In stubborn cases I use acetylsalicylic acid instead of normal flux. Common name is Aspirin. It will melt if heat is applied by the soldering iron, removes all oxydes, and lets the solder wet the wire.
Actually, use a euctectic alloy for hand-soldering, which means not 60/40, but rather 63/37, or for lead-free solder than means 4% silver. The load-free solders without silver are not usable for handwork/rework as they don't melt/freeze at a single temperature (not eutectic), leading to dry joints. If you've used non-eutectic lead-free solder you might have got a misleading impression...
Aspirin is acetyl-salicylate, it is an ester, not an acid. Salicylic acid itself is corrosive to skin. In the stomach a tiny proportion of aspirin decomposes into salicylic acid and thus increases the risk of stomach ulcers slightly.
Aspirin is acetyl-salicylate, it is an ester, not an acid. Salicylic acid itself is corrosive to skin. In the stomach a tiny proportion of aspirin decomposes into salicylic acid and thus increases the risk of stomach ulcers slightly.