Posted by Sherman in Idaho [108.162.245.181] on Friday, December 30, 2016 at 00:49:55 :
In Reply to: Re: Battery Cable Crimping Tool Hydraulic posted by Willy-N [162.158.74.78] on Friday, December 30, 2016 at 00:33:27 :
I like to solder all my heavy-gauge cable lug connections whether or not they're crimped first. When the wire and the lug are both fresh and clean, they're easy to solder. For heavy lugs I use a propane torch on the lug itself so as to minimize the heat on the cable (which tends to melt the insulation). Gentle heat to avoid burning the tin off the lug. Rosin-core solder, of course. Then heat shrink over the connection, mostly just because I have a lot of large heat shrink on hand. Battery cables are in a terrible environment with water, acid, oil, and dirt, and solder guarantees the connection will stay good forever. Once the stranded wire gets old and tarnished, the only way to make it solderable is to spread the strands, soak in acid, rinse well and neutralize, and then solder quickly. That's a lot of bother. Better to take the extra step and do it right the first time.
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