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

[[email protected]]

Hi,

I'm working on a robotics project that often means I have to put
sensors in weird and wonderful places. Eg - quad encoders on drive
wheels. The supplied cables are not long enough, and I need to splice
the 5V and ground to drive 2 of them.

I've looked in Radio Shack and Fry's and I can find nothing to splice
the fine wires - I've had to twist them together and cover them with a
heat shrink sleeve. I keep thinking that there has to be a better way
- is there some sort of fine crimping tool out there for this kind of
work?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Mr. Wizard]

Hi,

I'm working on a robotics project that often means I have to put
sensors in weird and wonderful places. Eg - quad encoders on drive
wheels. The supplied cables are not long enough, and I need to splice
the 5V and ground to drive 2 of them.

I've looked in Radio Shack and Fry's and I can find nothing to splice
the fine wires - I've had to twist them together and cover them with a
heat shrink sleeve. I keep thinking that there has to be a better way
- is there some sort of fine crimping tool out there for this kind of
work?

Thanks,
Dave

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.

 

[[email protected]]

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.

 

[DJ Delorie]

I use what I know as a "western union splice" and heat shrink.
http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/paasurvey/elec/lesson5/lesson5.html

 

[Puckdropper]

[email protected] wrote in @m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

Hi,

I'm working on a robotics project that often means I have to put
sensors in weird and wonderful places. Eg - quad encoders on drive
wheels. The supplied cables are not long enough, and I need to splice
the 5V and ground to drive 2 of them.

I've looked in Radio Shack and Fry's and I can find nothing to splice
the fine wires - I've had to twist them together and cover them with a
heat shrink sleeve. I keep thinking that there has to be a better way
- is there some sort of fine crimping tool out there for this kind of
work?

Thanks,
Dave

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

 

[Stephen J. Rush]

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.

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.

 

[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.

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

 

[JeffM]

kasterborus@ yahoo.com wrote

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 [well] as connecting them.

http://www.google.com/images?q=scotchlok+IDC+-westlake+-aedwis
http://www.google.com/search?q=scotchlok+idc+awg+OR+gauge

 

[Stephen J. Rush]

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.)

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.

 

[Puckdropper]

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.

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

Puckdropper

 

[john jardine]

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.

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

 

[Homer J Simpson]

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.



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[Rich Grise]

I'm working on a robotics project that often means I have to put
sensors in weird and wonderful places. Eg - quad encoders on drive
wheels. The supplied cables are not long enough, and I need to splice
the 5V and ground to drive 2 of them.

I've looked in Radio Shack and Fry's and I can find nothing to splice
the fine wires - I've had to twist them together and cover them with a
heat shrink sleeve. I keep thinking that there has to be a better way
- is there some sort of fine crimping tool out there for this kind of
work?

Have you tried one of these?
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001212.php

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

 

[MassiveProng]

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

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!