What if I was to inform you Scott Dixon used soldered terminals to win the Indy 500?
do you solder or crimp?
- Thread starter bandy rooster
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Lowes sells them.
At my work we solder alot on Submarines and the guys at my office like the Kester brand solder. One guy even went a little more for the silver version. Only thing we crimp is pins.
I'd like to add a few things.
when you solder your solder gun does not contact the solder, it's on the wire. Let the heat of the wire melt the solder and suck the solder into the wire not drip in. Before I put the solder gun to the wire I put fresh solder on the gun to give more heat transfer to the wire.
It has been "playing on my mind" that technique with both soldering and crimping is as important as having the correct tools.
(By the way - My big heavy battery leads are "crimped only" and I have no complaints with them! So I am not advocating soldering for everything.)
And I was recently shocked to see the "poor soldering technique" used by the editor of a 4x4 magazine over this way. His technique was being displayed "as an example for others to follow" as he showed us his installation of spot lights on his rangerover.
And his techique as I recall (I've given away the mag), was to twist the wires together like this for soldering:
Then he said he would wrap those joins with insulating tape.
Well insulating tape of the type used in my picture will ALWAYS tend to unwind (and risk exposing live wires to short-circuiting). This is why most of us go for heat shrink sleeving. (A trap we all fall into though is to forget to slip it on the wires before soldering.) You can of course (and I do) prevent this "unravelling" by securing the end of it with a light-duty cable-tie. But trying to protect something horrible like "this spike protruding at right-angles to the line-of-the-wire" is prone to failure anyway.
Here is a photo of my wirestrippers at work. They can remove the insulation easily without damaging any strands:
And such a joint should have really been done like this in my opinion:
I'd like to add a few things.
when you solder your solder gun does not contact the solder, it's on the wire. Let the heat of the wire melt the solder and suck the solder into the wire not drip in. Before I put the solder gun to the wire I put fresh solder on the gun to give more heat transfer to the wire.
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Waytek Wire : Electrical Wiring Supplies & Industrial Products not only sells just about any kind of crimp/solder connector they also sell many types of GOOD crimper's. They carry split loom in different colors, have the rubber coated clamps mentioned above AND they carry automotive rated wire in many colors, sizes and lengths. Get their catalog, in my garage that catalog is right next to the FSM 
I'll also put in a vote for Waytek, but also a vote for Delcity.net. All of my rewire stuff, except for the harness, came from them. I just wish either one would sell double barrel rings. If the auto industry can get them, why can't us?
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Double barreled ring? Like this?
at the lights, gauges, etc, i use weatherpack connectors, but if i need to stretch a wire, i use phillips crimp connectors with the glue style heatshrink on them.
My opinion is crimp it for sure if you have potential for high current. Soldering is good too but will cause problems if it melts.....and it can happen. If it's hot enough to melt the insulation it's hot enough to melt the solder over time. Get good crimpers and terminals or connectors are also important. And keep a spare kit of terminals for future repairs. If you solder, make sure your clean your work and use the least amount of solder. If you can help it, do not splice a wire in the middle of circuit unless it's easy to get to, if you do, mark it by using a different color of tape for future reference in case you have to rework it. But really stay away from doing so if you can. The bigger the glob, the better the job does not apply here.
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I have resoldered some switches on my toyota truck and fj40 because it got too hot to the point that the solder got undone due to dirty contacts(bad connects=increase current). It was design this way but I'm sure they were not thinking it would still used 20-30 years later. Only way to keep this from happening, make sure you have good clean connections.
I know this is not related but I will mention it just in case some is thinking about it. Do not solder connections on home wiring.......Trust me I've seen people do this or have inquired about doing it.
. I have resoldered some switches on my toyota truck and fj40 because it got too hot to the point that the solder got undone due to dirty contacts(bad connects=increase current). It was design this way but I'm sure they were not thinking it would still used 20-30 years later. Only way to keep this from happening, make sure you have good clean connections.
I know this is not related but I will mention it just in case some is thinking about it. Do not solder connections on home wiring.......Trust me I've seen people do this or have inquired about doing it.
I'd say report back when he has 250,000 miles on his rig like I do.
Sorry, not double barrel ... open barrel like in this pic. Those are spades with an open barrel ring mixed in.
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just picked up a can of lenox ... water soluble flux...
Water soluble flux is one the most corrosive types. It is used extensively in the manufacture of printed circuit boards and soldering pipe. Applications where the finished solder joint can be cleaned.
You live back east where it's good and humid right?
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Have you read the thread?
I'd recommend a quality pair of crimper and some good heat shrink style connectors.
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aaahh young padawan learner...
OMG, ROFLMAO
Dude just resign yourself to doing what I have been doing since this thread started. Sit perfectly still, do or buy nothing, read intently the words of Crimpy McCrimperson and the other masters of the fine Jedi arts of soldering and heat shrinking. Take notes, THEN make a buying list going to the recommended places and then practice the hidden arts assiduously until you too can enter one of the two great houses of cruiser electrical work.
Now review your notes, add these items to your list and now buy stuff for your project. Peace and thank you so much. Pollen had been irritating my eyes all night until I read this exchange. The tears that you guys made roll down my cheeks from laughing cleared my allergy eyes right up.
OMG, ROFLMAO
Dude just resign yourself to doing what I have been doing since this thread started. Sit perfectly still, do or buy nothing, read intently the words of Crimpy McCrimperson and the other masters of the fine Jedi arts of soldering and heat shrinking. Take notes, THEN make a buying list going to the recommended places and then practice the hidden arts assiduously until you too can enter one of the two great houses of cruiser electrical work.Have you read the thread?
I'd recommend a quality pair of crimper and some good heat shrink style connectors.
Now review your notes, add these items to your list and now buy stuff for your project. Peace and thank you so much. Pollen had been irritating my eyes all night until I read this exchange. The tears that you guys made roll down my cheeks from laughing cleared my allergy eyes right up.
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Oh! Now I know what you mean! One set of ears crimps the insulation and the other set crimps the wire...
Those spades actually look like relay terminals? Waytek carries those in 1/4" Part #31073 for 16-14 ga wire # 32074 for 12-10 ga wire.
I looked through three suppliers catalogs and did not find the ring terminals in the double crimp style... I'm sure their out there though!
They do make an insulated version (Nylon Insulated with extra sleeve) Look at part number 31704. It has to be double crimped...
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Yep, those terminals in the pic are from my tool box and the spades are replacements for relay blocks, though I use them for other things too. I would like to find them for rings. They are out there but don't appear to be available to the common man.
Putting this back on track, the brass terminal in the pic has a dab of solder on it. That is what I usually do ... crimp then put just enough solder on the end without having it wick up the strands into the insulation.
I don't have a crimper for that style anymore. Mine was worn out and I never replaced it. I haven't seen that style of connector for a long time, I'll see if I can find a source.
Looks like the 12XX series on this page:
Ketstone Electronics
Keystone Electronics
Distributed through Digikey