How to Solder Stranded Wire
Soldering is a method of joining two pieces of metal using another metal with a lower melting temperature. In the home, some electrical connections are soldered connections. Soldering provides a more secure connection than mechanical connections, like crimps and wire nuts, and if done properly, the two metals being soldered essentially become one piece. Most of the wire in your home that you might want to solder will be stranded wire, or a larger wire made up of many tiny wires. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soldering Iron
- Soldering iron stand with sponge
- Solder
- Soldering clamp
- Flux
Instructions
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Tinning the Iron
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1
Plug in the iron and allow it to warm up completely. Depending on how old your soldering iron is, this could take a while. Check it by touching a bit of solder to it. If it does not melt immediately, the iron isn't hot enough.
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2
Apply a thorough coating of solder to the soldering iron.
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3
Clean the tip on the moistened sponge on the soldering iron stand. There should be a shiny coat of solder left on your soldering iron tip.
Soldering Stranded Wire
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4
Cut and strip the stranded wire you want to solder. The amount of wire you expose will vary depending on your use, but you typically want enough wire exposed that you will be able to solder at least 1/4-inch of your length of wire without getting any solder up into the unexposed part of the wire.
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5
Twist the strands together with your fingers and dip it in flux.
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6
Clamp the wire into your soldering clamp.
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7
Hold your soldering iron to the twisted wire. You want to heat the wire so that it will melt the solder, not drip melted solder into cold wire.
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8
Hold the solder so it touches the heated wire. Allow the solder to melt into the wire, coating 1/4-inch without going up into the unexposed wire. Continue holding the iron and the solder to the wire until it is properly coated.
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9
Remove the iron and the solder. Your stranded wire is now ready to be soldered.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Solder and soldering irons are extremely hot. Do not touch them.
Do not allow hot solder drip onto your skin.
Wear eye protection while soldering.
