What's the preferred method of splicing and joining wires in electronics?

If you look in DigiKEy or other electronic vendors they sell crimp connectors for splicing wire together. Come to think of it, I sort of remember that Walmart automotive sold some kits for doing just that.

Or similar to what you are already doing, you can always solder the wires together and then cover with heat shrink.

Thanks - I've found crimping connectors for large wire - 14/16 gauge but nothing suitable for fine wires (CAT-5). I don't have very good soldering skills, and my attempts at tinning and joining were a bit on the "blobby" side.

I use what I know as a "western union splice" and heat shrink.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1171536853.432441.84730 @m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

Radio Shack and other places have telephone connectors. They're little buttons that have silicone in them that attaches to the wire and seal it from the weather as weal as connecting them. I don't have a link or catalog number for you, so you might have to do some digging.

Puckdropper

There are crimp connectors for 24 AWG and even smaller wire, used in telephone work. A smooth solder joint and some heat-shrink costs less and looks better.

Just practice soldering, remembering that if the solder doesn't _wet_ the joint, it's a *bad* joint. Heat the joint first, then apply the solder. If your soldering tip is clean and tinned (solder-plated), the solder will flow into the joint by capillary actionn. If you find yourself trying to smear the solder on, the joint isn't hot enough. One common mistake is using a dirty or oxidized tip. The first time you heat up a new soldering tip, coat it with solder as soon as it's hot enough, before it has time to oxidize. You don't need much, just enough to completely coat the copper. Keep a sponge or a damp rag handy to wipe off the crud that builds up on the tip. If you're working with plain copper wire, tin the wire ends before joining them. It's much easier to solder parts that are already coated with solder or tin; that's why most small terminals are plated and why good hookup wire is pre-tinned.

"Stephen J. Rush" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:

When connecting wire, the physical joint is as important as the solder joint. The solder's primary purpose is to increase the surface area of contact (as well as act as a glue) between the wires.

Twisting works, if you've got space for the pigtails. If not, you'll need a knot of some kind. (The one that I learned involves bending the wire to about 90 degrees where the middle of the joint will be. Then, put the wires together at the bends, and twist each perpendicular segment around the other wire.)

Getting a good solder connection takes a while to master. You need to make sure you get the joint properly heated, and when that happens the solder will flow into the joint. It does take some time to develop a feel for this, I found a board I put together when I was much younger and was surprised at the poor solder joints. I thought I was pretty good then, too.

Puckdropper

kasterborus@ yahoo.com wrote

Puckdr>Radio Shack and other places have telephone connectors.

That's the old Western Union splice, developed to securely splice wire that's going to be strung between poles. Even if you don't need the mechanical strength, it's still the smoothest wire-to-wire joint. If you stagger the individual conductor splices, you can use it to splice multiconductor cable without an awkward lump at the joint.

"Stephen J. Rush" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:

Ah, so that's what that is. Knowledge without proper naming is great for practice, but poor for discussing theory. ;-)

Puckdropper

segment

Ditto. I know it as the old (UK) Post Office 'Brittania' splice. :)

Electricians know the married joint also. You splice stranded wires together, smooth and solder.

Have you tried one of these?

With a little practice, and properly tinned wires, they don't even really need to be twisted - solder is metal, after all. :-)

You tin the two wires, clip them in the third hand so that the tinned ends lie alongside each other, and less than a drop of solder will bond them. Then unsolder it, because you forgot to put the heat-shrink on the wire, and do it again. ;-)

Good Luck! Rich

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:23:09 -0000, "john jardine" Gave us:

Refer to IPC-A-610 for all commercially accepted standards for splicing wires with solder in small electronic assemblies.

For power wiring, and dry assemblies, a good anti-oxidant is likely called for and a good clamping mechanism (wire-nut).

Hey, I just thought of a new nym (hardly new, I'm sure).

WIRE NUT!