Can you solder wires together

There will be some silicone paste that leaks out the sides of the tubing as it shrinks. Once you remove the silicone paste, your wires are finished! Did you know you can get answers researched by wikiHow Staff? Unlock staff-researched answers by supporting wikiHow. Yes No. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1.

The trick is simultaneously to heat both the contact point and the end of the wire enough to cause the solder first to melt and then stick to both surfaces at the same time. It takes practice. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 9. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling leaded solder, since the lead can make you sick if you consume it. Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References 4.

About This Article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: 9. Updated: August 19, Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. This article filled in many "gaps", and I really appreciated the illustrations. Thank you! More reader stories Hide reader stories. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Grant Tipton Nov 19, An example would be if you used a headphone wire to try to power your fridge.

There would be too much electricity flowing through a small conductor and the whole length of the wire would get hot. The plastic insulation would be more likely to melt before than the solder, however. Stranded wire for higher voltages is much better when soldering larger wires. The solder will 'wick' into the strands and provide a much better electrical connection. There isn't much of a mechanical bond if you try to solder large solid copper wires together thinking house wiring style wire here.

Never rely on just solder to hold things together, especially when dealing with lethal currents. Home improvement stores will sell crimp-on style connectors that will let you splice 12 or 14 ga. Combining soldering with one of these mechanical methods will yield the best electrical connection. It must be done in a junction box using appropriately sized wire nuts.

Be sure to insulate your splices! I am building my own CNC and i need to solder some wires from my wall plug to multiple components that require vAC, and i wasn't sure if it would pose a resistance to the electricity flowing thus melting the solder. Introduction: Soldering Wires Together. By golond Follow. More by the author:. Let this cool undisturbed to avoid a "cold" solder joint. Don't have a heat gun and your wife's hair dryer is off-limits?

I've made do with a lighter. Be careful not to leave a smudge of conductive carbon over the tubing—and try not to set your dashboard or engine compartment on fire. Start by crossing the wires in a cross, about mid-way on the stripped section. Then twist the wires around each other. Make sure the wrap is tight. This is also a great way to connect multiple wires to one lead. Place the soldering iron underneath the wires and apply the solder from the top. It helps to start the heat transfer by dabbing the solder at the point where the iron and wires meet, then move the solder to the top.

Shrink tubing is the best way to seal soldered connections. If shrink tubing is not available, use a good quality electrical tape, such as 3M Super A good connection is critical for any wiring job, a fully-heated solder joint should look like this, where you can see solder-covered individual strands.

Categories Know How Tags crimp , electric , electrical , electrical system , solder , tools , wire , wiring , wiring harness.