21 replies to this topic

[Lt-SilverDragon]

This is what I'm doing to my mini the now, those insulated terminals are awful and even using a ratchet crimping tool the wire just pulls out of them. So everything is getting updated at the minute.

 

[nicklouse]

Was wandering around Conrad electrical today and found the assorted box of adhesive shrink wrap.

After the sakes person the other week only showing the real big diameter stuff.

Happy days.

[KernowCooper]

This is what I'm doing to my mini the now, those insulated terminals are awful and even using a ratchet crimping tool the wire just pulls out of them. So everything is getting updated at the minute.
 

I us those terminals with the clear boots and always solder them, but you need to do it to prevent wicking, which you can do by tinning a pool into the terminal hole

[Lt-SilverDragon]

What's wicking? I have been soldering them, tin the wire before I crimp it then I heat the terminal and put more solder into the join then use the shrink wrap.

[dklawson]

What's wicking? 

 

Wicking is when capillary action draws the molten solder down the wire strands away from the area you WANT to solder.  It makes the wire stiff and subject to fatigue failure at the point where the solder stops and the free stranding resumes.   Ideally you would solder as quickly as possible to minimize wicking so the transition occurs close to the terminal and is covered by heat shrink as a strain relief.

[Lt-SilverDragon]

So should I be tinning the wire before crimping or just soldering the crimped terminal afterwards to keep wicking to a minimum then? I get what you mean that the heatshrink helps the strain between the soldered wire and non soldered part.....I think.

[nicklouse]

So should I be tinning the wire before crimping or just soldering the crimped terminal afterwards to keep wicking to a minimum then? I get what you mean that the heatshrink helps the strain between the soldered wire and non soldered part.....I think.

read the second post.