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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Lunettas - circuits inspired by Stanley Lunetta
Contruction, connecting wires to board.
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droffset



Joined: Feb 02, 2009
Posts: 515
Location: London area
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:55 pm    Post subject: Contruction, connecting wires to board. Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I'm using this stranded hookup wire and soldering it straight to the perfboard connecting to the socket pin with a blob of solder. Is that how you do it? I twist the strands together but it still gets a bit frayed eventually. Feels like there should be a quicker tidier way. Sometimes the wire breaks off at the connection point though and have to strip some more of the plastic off to reconnect.

Also using some of the wire that gets snipped off the resistors to make connections which seems a bit structured.

How do you do it?

cheers
s
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andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

sounds about right.
do you tin the wires after stripping? Its a PIA but does make life much easier and prevents fanout.

wiring is the weakest point in a circuit.
soldering tips
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Rykhaard



Joined: Sep 02, 2007
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Location: Canada

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

A method that I use all of the time now for my wires, has helped greatly. (Tinning also, as Andrew mentioned).

If you are using actual wire strippers (which makes stripping the easiest), after you squeeze the strippers through the insulation, don't pull the insulation all the way off yet. Slide it down the wire, between 1 and 3 millimeters. Now, grab hold of the stripped portion and twist it in the exact same direction in which the wire is twisted. This will help to twist the wire even tighter together.

(If I knew where our video camera was put down, I'd shoot a video example of this, to make it much clearer.)

Once the wire has been twisted tighter with the insulation, apply the soldering iron tip to it along with just a little bit of solder. The stranded wire will soak it up, immediately. That, will make soldering the wire to another connection a lot easier, with more solder applied.

If you're soldering to a through hole pad, make SURE to heat both the wire as well as the pad, at the exact same time, before applying extra solder. This will make for the best connection possible.
Also - make sure the entire wire is surrounded with solder and that solder has been applied to the entire pad, for 100% coverage.
Not too much solder though. Just enough to adhere the wire into the through hole connection.

If the wire is going to be connected to a loop connection on a switch or pot, BEFORE you tin the wire, bend it about 180º back and then put it through the loop connection.
Now, heat both the wire as well as the loop connection together and apply solder to them.

Finally - after applying solder to where ever it's going, blow on the connection for 1 or 2 seconds, before letting go of the wire. That will help to solidify the connection, much quicker.

Again finally - use 63/37 mix solder and not 60/40. The 60/40 solder has a 'plastic point' between liquid and solid, when if the wire is moved, the connection can be broken. The 63/37 solder transitions from liquid to solid, immediately.

Hope this helps. Smile
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droffset



Joined: Feb 02, 2009
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Location: London area
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for the tips! Tinning the end did help a lot, and I'll try the twist thingy you talk about.

I definitely have the 'plastic point' mixture, and just bought a new spool, hehe.

Also trying not to have so much wire be bare on the connection end, i've been removing too much covering and there's a risk of some of the adjacent connections connecting via tiny strands.

It's all worth it if it works and i get to make strange sounds with this stuff (instead of just crackle.)
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Rykhaard



Joined: Sep 02, 2007
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Location: Canada

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Rough measurements:

- if I'm going into a through hole pad: about 5mm

- if I'm going through the loop of a switch or pot: about 7mm bent 180º and excess cut off after it's been soldered

- if I'm going around the pin of a switch or pot, about 8-9mm, bent around the pin; excess cut off after the solder has cooled

- if I'm soldering directly to a pad or trace, about 3-4mm, bent 90º to lie flat against the pad or trace

Those are the rough measurements that I go buy, myself. Smile
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