How to solder thick wires?
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Michigan (Macomb or Lansing)
How to solder thick wires? I have no problem soldering thin wires with my iron or gun and using some regular fine solder. My nitrous system uses some thicker gauge wires and it is just too hard to get good connections and adequately solder those wires together. Any tips/tricks? I am guessing i might need a stronger gun and thicker solder but i really havent seen much of either. (I do have a spool of thick solder in the garage tho but it doesnt melt well with my gun.)
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Tulsa, OK
Bigger wires = the need for more heat. You don't have a soldering iron with sufficient wattage. The skinny solder will work fine, you'll just use a bit more of it.
If you're doing this outdoors, you'll probably need at least 100 watts.
If you're doing this outdoors, you'll probably need at least 100 watts.
If you are careful, and dont heat the wire up to the point that the insulation bubbles off, you can use a micro-torch. Autozone sells them...and im sure you can get em at a hardware store. Uses butane. Just some concetrated heat, and push the solder into the connection.
Butt connectors scare me. It takes some practice, but you can do decent solder with the torch. Ive used it on battery cables before also... Like I said, you just have to be VERY careful you dont heat it to the point that it gets red hot and starts melting everything and making the copper brittle.
Otherwise...get a high wattage iron like mentioned above. Or an actual solder "gun"...
J.
Butt connectors scare me. It takes some practice, but you can do decent solder with the torch. Ive used it on battery cables before also... Like I said, you just have to be VERY careful you dont heat it to the point that it gets red hot and starts melting everything and making the copper brittle.
Otherwise...get a high wattage iron like mentioned above. Or an actual solder "gun"...
J.
