Soldering 10G Wire
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Race Director
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Soldering 10G Wire
My trusty 100W soldering iron won't cut it for 10G wire that I need to solder for my new electric fan. Best I can get is a cold solder connection and that worries me.
Can I use butt connectors? Should I keep trying to get a good solder connection? Should I use a mini-torch?
Can I use butt connectors? Should I keep trying to get a good solder connection? Should I use a mini-torch?
Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Long Grove, IL
My advice is to stay away from any crimp type connector, especially for a high current connection. A soldered connection with heat shrink tubing is a much cleaner and more secure connection. My soldering iron was also unable to make enough heat to solder large gauge wire so I bought a Weller PSI100K butane powered mini torch which works very well for soldering AND shrinking the heat shrink tubing.
http://www.lashen.com/vendors/Cooper...ess_solder.asp
Jay
http://www.lashen.com/vendors/Cooper...ess_solder.asp
Jay
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Hagerstown MD
Can you solder the wire away from the car? When I assembled my stereo system (4 gauge power lead), I used a good old propane torch and the soldering went pretty quickly. Of course, if you're working in the engine compartment, this may not be a good idea.
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by zymurgist
Can you solder the wire away from the car? When I assembled my stereo system (4 gauge power lead), I used a good old propane torch and the soldering went pretty quickly. Of course, if you're working in the engine compartment, this may not be a good idea.
Race Director
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
If you were to use a crimp connector, don't use a butt connector, use a bell type. The butt connector makes the connection between the two wires. When using a bell type you twist the wires together making the connection and then crimp the connector on to that twisted pair.
When soldering you should do the same thing. Do not use the solder to make your joint. Only use it to hold the twisted joint together.
When soldering you should do the same thing. Do not use the solder to make your joint. Only use it to hold the twisted joint together.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
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we hy-press lugs all day long in the electrical trade,,but we use a hydrolic press-hence ''hy-press'' and they go up to 750mcm,,but im talkin a/c-if you use a good tool im sure crimping is good enough,use some pentrox on the wire and inside the terminal end-different materials will cause ''galavinic action'' and corrode-use of pentrox allows this-like when com ed splices allum service wire to my copper #3 service wire-theres pentrox in the butt splice-get it at a electric supply house..i also like to use solder..but when i cant i butt splice,,use pentrox and shrink wrap(the rubber tube you heat and it shrinks over the slice)
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From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
Try a bigger tip.
U would be surprized how much better a regular soldering iron (small watts) works on larger wire joints with a larger tip for heat transfer. If u can't find a tip for ur soldering iron at Radio Shack or Home Depot u may be able to rent an electricians iron at the local rental shop. Flux will help too. 
Yea for 10 gauge (or larger) i always use the larger tip or the joint looks like a mud pile - cold solder joint/no flow.
Good luck. cardo0
Yea for 10 gauge (or larger) i always use the larger tip or the joint looks like a mud pile - cold solder joint/no flow.
Good luck. cardo0
Drifting
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From: Northern NJ
St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
Use a dab of flux on the wires and you be amazed at how much easier it is. You should have no problem soldering 10 gauge wire w/a 100 watt iron if you just keep the heat applied for a while. And to help create a larger heating surface, feed the solder in between the iron tip and the wire creating a puddle in that area. As the puddle grows, the heating surface increases. Finally when it is hot enough, the solder will flow thruout the wire.
Pro
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From: Jackson Ms
all very good tip's when soldering. but it's better to have a hotter iron. when you use a low watt iron it take way to long to get the wire or what ever your working on hot enuff to take solder, it heat's up everything way to much!(try hold'n that 10g wire while you solder it with a 100w iron!) a good hot iron will heat the wire or what ever up to the solder flow temp a lot faster and the rest of what your working on wont have time to get so hot.
if your going to be do'n a lot of soldering junk that 100w iron and get your self a hotter iron with a few differint size tip's. look in your phone book, theres bound to be a real electronic's parts dealer close to you. thay'll have the good stuff. and better price's too.(a lot better then radioshack)
but it's better to have a hotter iron. when you use a low watt iron it take way to long to get the wire or what ever your working on hot enuff to take solder, it heat's up everything way to much!(try hold'n that 10g wire while you solder it with a 100w iron!) a good hot iron will heat the wire or what ever up to the solder flow temp a lot faster and the rest of what your working on wont have time to get so hot. if your going to be do'n a lot of soldering junk that 100w iron and get your self a hotter iron with a few differint size tip's. look in your phone book, theres bound to be a real electronic's parts dealer close to you. thay'll have the good stuff. and better price's too.(a lot better then radioshack)
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by grayhook
all very good tip's when soldering. but it's better to have a hotter iron. when you use a low watt iron it take way to long to get the wire or what ever your working on hot enuff to take solder, it heat's up everything way to much!(try hold'n that 10g wire while you solder it with a 100w iron!) a good hot iron will heat the wire or what ever up to the solder flow temp a lot faster and the rest of what your working on wont have time to get so hot.
if your going to be do'n a lot of soldering junk that 100w iron and get your self a hotter iron with a few differint size tip's. look in your phone book, theres bound to be a real electronic's parts dealer close to you. thay'll have the good stuff. and better price's too.(a lot better then radioshack)
but it's better to have a hotter iron. when you use a low watt iron it take way to long to get the wire or what ever your working on hot enuff to take solder, it heat's up everything way to much!(try hold'n that 10g wire while you solder it with a 100w iron!) a good hot iron will heat the wire or what ever up to the solder flow temp a lot faster and the rest of what your working on wont have time to get so hot. if your going to be do'n a lot of soldering junk that 100w iron and get your self a hotter iron with a few differint size tip's. look in your phone book, theres bound to be a real electronic's parts dealer close to you. thay'll have the good stuff. and better price's too.(a lot better then radioshack)
Of course, I have YET to figure out how to light the darn thing with the soldering tool in place ...
Race Director
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by SanDiegoPaul
My trusty 100W soldering iron won't cut it for 10G wire that I need to solder for my new electric fan. Best I can get is a cold solder connection and that worries me.
Can I use butt connectors? Should I keep trying to get a good solder connection? Should I use a mini-torch?
Can I use butt connectors? Should I keep trying to get a good solder connection? Should I use a mini-torch?
Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 673
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From: Jackson Ms
some'm like this norval...it's not a torch with open flame...a little safer to use. 
cant help ya there. i've been soldering on borad level repairs for 15yr's and i've never used one of them.
i allways had a nice pace solder station around to use. make's life easy when soldering.
i disagree, i good solder joint will hold up fine. the wire will brake before a good solder joint will. but, if you dont get good solder flow on both parts it will brake first.
Of course, I have YET to figure out how to light the darn thing with the soldering tool in place ...
i allways had a nice pace solder station around to use. make's life easy when soldering.
Do not use the solder to make your joint. Only use it to hold the twisted joint together.
Last edited by grayhook; Apr 28, 2005 at 02:52 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: New Cumberland PA
100 watts seems fairly large. I can solder 14 gauge wire with a 23 watt iron. It's always best to apply the solder to the wires and not against the tip of the iron. If the wire is not hot enough for the solder to flow, you'll get a cold solder joint.
Pro
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From: Jackson Ms
I can solder 14 gauge wire with a 23 watt iron.
if you use a hotter iron it will heat just the part your try'n to solder a lot faster and take's the solder a lot sooner.
and have you ever tryed use'n a iron outside with a little wind? a low watt iron seems to never get up to temp.
If the wire is not hot enough for the solder to flow, you'll get a cold solder joint.
that's the one most important thing to look out for, no matter what you use! and dont forget the heat shrink tubing!!
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
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When you look at your solder you want it to look like you coated the wire. Should form to the shape of the wire not just kind of a ball of solder surronding the wire. Seen a few too many solders liek that when I do custom stereo installs and am repairing someomes mess.
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by mandm1200
100 watts seems fairly large. I can solder 14 gauge wire with a 23 watt iron. It's always best to apply the solder to the wires and not against the tip of the iron. If the wire is not hot enough for the solder to flow, you'll get a cold solder joint.
