An expanded version of the above post:
Soldering Electrical Connections
Something’s you'll need and good addition to your tool box
1. A Soldering Controlled output Soldering station Is overall best for most harness work. A "Gun" or "Pen". Gun is best used for intermittent and general joints, pen is better for many small, specified soldering tasks. Weller is a well-known brand for soldering appliances.
De-solder / soldering tools & braid.
2. About a pound of 60/40 solder, (I use 24 gauge for harness making, and it works well for circuit board assembly also, a good mid-sized gauge)
3. Some rosin flux, a pin vise, hemostats, small brass brush(about the size of a toothbrush) acid brush, rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs and a dental pick is also handy,
4. A GOOD set of automatic strippers with a depth gauge
5. A GOOD tie wrap gun, various tie wraps
6. Bulk (5000 at a time) ring terminals in the 3 popular sizes, that are NOT insulated.
7. Shrink tubing of various sizes and colors(cheaper in bulk), makes neat, tidy, and professional transitions from joined wire section to section.
8. A Heat Gun is Required or a hair dryer (takes more time, but works) for the shrink tubing.
9. Do not use matches or a lighter for heat shrink..this will MELT the tubing, make it brittle, and it will not shrink to the proper size..It will slide right off the joint in most cases.
10. When shrinking the shrink tubing you can use your soldering iron. Start the shrinking from the ends just beyond the soldered joint. Shrinking from the ends first will make the tubing shrink to the wire size leaving the soldered joint encapsulated in a cocoon, it will prevent the tubing from slipping , then do the middle. It is not necessary to touch the tubing with the soldering iron just get it close.
11. The procedure: Strip the wire to fit the terminal sleeve, with about 1/4 inch showing. Without twisting the stripped end, tin it until a good silver coat appears.
12. Then, tin the terminal, with just enough solder to flow and leave a silver coat INSIDE the sleeve.
13. Next, get two pieces of shrink tubing -- black for the first insulator, and a selected color for the top to slide over the black, about a 1/4 inch SHORTER than the bottom; cut and slide them on the wire.
14. Next, solder the wire to the ring terminal, "wicking " the solder up into the terminal sleeve, until it is filled, smooth, and shiny silver.
15. Next, crimp the terminal.
Finally, slide the black (longer tubing) flush with the end of the terminal sleeve on the ring end, and shrink it (keeping the wire straight until it cools, unless a pre-bent angle is required).
16. When cool, slide the colored tubing (for example: red) over the first, and flush with the ring end, and shrink it down. Net result is you have a terminal with a red marker and about a 1/4 trailer behind it. Looks professional, and lasts forever.
17. To extend a wire, just strip a good length from both wires, make a good mechanical connection by placing the stripped ends parallel to each other, wrap one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Solder until you have a good flow and coverage and silver (not gray) appearance, then install shrink tubing.
18. NOTE: It is important to always heat the material (wire, terminal, etc.) to the point that the solder will melt when it contacts the wire or terminal. That assures good contact. Do not just apply the solder to the tip of the gun or soldering iron. This will result in a cold joint. Always melt the solder on the material being soldered.
19. Although some solder is rosin flux-core, adding flux to the joint helps!
20. For a good solder joint, use rubbing alcohol on a wipe and pull about 6” of solder through the wipe, removing oxidation and finger print oils.
21. IMPORTANT use rosin flux for electrical work. They even make a rosin core solder for electrical work. Acid flux will lead to corrosion. Acid types are best for galvanized sheet metal!
1982 GPZ1100 B2
General Dynamics/Convair 1983-1993
GLCM BGM-109 Tomahawk, AGM-129A Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM)
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