Soldering to 80-100 phase wires

[Kurt]

Is it just me or have others found the phase wires just don't like being soldered on the Turngy 80- 100. Its like the wire is sintered with silicon or oil or something. The solder just doesn't want to wick in even with a big powerful soldering iron.

What's the secret to soldering to this wire?

Kurt.

 

[Ricky_nz]

I had no problems soldering onto the already tined leads of the motor.
I used a good qaulty 72W soldering station but any high power iron should be fine. Make sure you use a good Leaded solder. none of the lead free rubbish.

You could get some flux in a syringe to help if necessary

If the wires on the motor were never tined then you need to remove any coating off the wire by scraping/burning etc I believe there is a trick using asprin to help remove the indulation from the wire.

 

[Kurt]

Thanks for the reply.

I cut the leads down shorter so lost the original tined ends. I usually have no probs with fresh wire I just hit it with a 80w soldering iron until its nice and hot and then just let it wick in a flux cored solder in . Just doesn't want to play "stick" this time not sure why.

Kurt

 

[liveforphysics]

Thanks for the reply.

I cut the leads down shorter so lost the original tined ends. I usually have no probs with fresh wire I just hit it with a 80w soldering iron until its nice and hot and then just let it wick in a flux cored solder in . Just doesn't want to play "stick" this time not sure why.

Kurt

Ohh damn! You cut off the tinned ends! Bad bad call. LOL

Now you have to strip the insulation off every little hair-sized wire to get anything to stick again. All wire in motors is enameled magnet wire, so it's insulated by a very thin clear layer of high-temp polymer, this is why your solder can't stick, it's not even touching copper. lol

There are many techniques for getting the coating off. A few google searches on "stripping magnet wire" will help you find something that suits the tools you have available.

 

[Thud]

I will echo Lukes statment & offer my work around.

Strip back the insulation then seperate & flaten the wires as mutch as possible. (like a copper mohawk hair cut)
I then assault the lacquer coating witha butain micro tourch....you will see it change phase & burn off the tiny strands.

Now I take the dremel with a small wire wheel to clean the strands of the burnt coatings. power combing & cleaning the wires.

Now you can re-tin the bunble & add a conector & re-insulate.
hope that helps.
T

 

[neptronix]

Get an clean section of wire.
Add flux to it.
Coat the section wire with solder.

Do the same with the other side.

Take the two well-tinned wires, and melt 'em together.
Add solder if needed.

That's how i make monster parallel cables like this. 4x 12AWG wires hooked up to 1x 10AWG wire with a 70 watt iron.

Oh, and a big honkin' soldering tip helps.

Downside: the resulting connection is going to be very hard and not too vibration proof.

 

[liveforphysics]

Get an clean section of wire.
Add flux to it.
Coat the section wire with solder.

Do the same with the other side.

Take the two well-tinned wires, and melt 'em together.
Add solder if needed.

That's how i make monster parallel cables like this. 4x 12AWG wires hooked up to 1x 10AWG wire with a 70 watt iron.

Oh, and a big honkin' soldering tip helps.

Downside: the resulting connection is going to be very hard and not too vibration proof.

This is not his problem at all.

He has ENAMELED MAGNET WIRE.
Each strand has an invisible clear coating that melts at a higher temp than the solder covering it, so he can't even get his solder to touch copper to have a chance at sticking.

 

[neptronix]

My bad, i was not aware that phase wires came like that out of the motor.
Carry on.

 

[spinningmagnets]

perhaps dip the tips in something that dissolves enamel?

 

[Kurt]

Thanks for all the tips. I just had a go at softening the coating with a a little butane torch. Then buffed of the charred remains with a tiny wire wheel on a dremel as suggested. It looks like it did the trick. The solder is wicking in now. Helps having some raw copper to adhere to now

I have some pickling paste I use for cleaning up the heat oxide and blueing marks on stainless steel welding jobs. Its nasty strong acid. Perhaps I will try that next time . Although considering as its eats a very thin surface layer off stainless steel. My guess is its so strong it will just turn the copper black-green and terrible looking.

Thanks guys .

Kurt.

 

[auraslip]

I just did this like an idiot.

Luckily I have a big ass weller soldering gun, so I separated each strand and burned off the enamel down far enough to ensure a good connection between the original wires and the new phase wires.

It's amazing how much heat the enamel can handle. I can't believe we get our motors hot enough to melt it. Seems like the solder holding the phase wires together would melt first.