When soldering insulated wires, to large heat absorbing posts and lugs, I ran into the problem of PVC, and some other jacket materials, melting, shrinking and pulling back.
Lately I've been heavily tinning large-mass connectors, like Cardas binding posts, and tinning the wires. I can then make a joint pretty quickly and jacket melt back is very minimal.
When setting up to solder the tinned wire to the tinned binding post, I hold the post in a small vise and the wire in a third hand clip. I position the tinned wire such that it is pushing down against the tinning on the post.
I then hold the soldering tip against both the tinned wire and tinning on the post. When the solder melts the wire sinks into the tinning on the post, maybe it even ends up resting against the post, and, while it's still liquidus, I add a tad more rosin filled solder. So far the joints end up very shiny and work well. I'm using 6347 leaded solder. Is this a bad practice?
Lately I've been heavily tinning large-mass connectors, like Cardas binding posts, and tinning the wires. I can then make a joint pretty quickly and jacket melt back is very minimal.
When setting up to solder the tinned wire to the tinned binding post, I hold the post in a small vise and the wire in a third hand clip. I position the tinned wire such that it is pushing down against the tinning on the post.
I then hold the soldering tip against both the tinned wire and tinning on the post. When the solder melts the wire sinks into the tinning on the post, maybe it even ends up resting against the post, and, while it's still liquidus, I add a tad more rosin filled solder. So far the joints end up very shiny and work well. I'm using 6347 leaded solder. Is this a bad practice?
Google "Solder heat sink" and you will see many examples. They make little metal clips specifically for soldering to wires and wire leads of components. In many cases a plain old alligator clip will work as well, but the real ones are flat metal, not too thick, with a tiny notch near the end to fit the wire. clamp it on the wire conductor at the end of the insulation and heat from the joint radiates off the clip instead of continuing to the insulation or to a component body.
I've used heatsink clips but still got jacket melt back when soldering to something, that is a heatsink itself, like the heavy Cards copper binding posts.
I'm going to try the Metcal with the clips on the wire and see what happens.
I'm going to try the Metcal with the clips on the wire and see what happens.
You might already do this, but just in case... When I solder wire to a binding post, or to anything else, here's my method.
I tin the wire and post just as you mentioned. I then hold them together in a fashion similar to yours. Next, I place the soldering iron tip at the joint to solder... but I touch the joint of the tip and wire and biding post with solder. This speeds the heating process to almost instantaneous. I then add solder as needed. I don't have issues with my solder joints and I don't burn insulation or anything else.
Also, if you're using a variable heat iron, make sure it's hot enough.
Mike
I tin the wire and post just as you mentioned. I then hold them together in a fashion similar to yours. Next, I place the soldering iron tip at the joint to solder... but I touch the joint of the tip and wire and biding post with solder. This speeds the heating process to almost instantaneous. I then add solder as needed. I don't have issues with my solder joints and I don't burn insulation or anything else.
Also, if you're using a variable heat iron, make sure it's hot enough.
Mike
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