Your thoughts on low temp solder heatshrink sleeve? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 07:34:54 am
content: I had to advise non electronic people how to correctly assemble two wires together.Now these persons do not have a decent soldering iron or decent solder experience so soldering the wires together was not really an option.The Wago 221 clamps are so so mechanically decoupled, rather not they are only electrically clamped, also not an option. Then I advised the 3M low voltage gel connectors or the crimp connectors iften used in cars.Someone recommended these low temperature solder shrink connectors.You strip the wires overlap the stripped area in the middle where some ring of low temperature solder is positioned. Then use a paintheatgun to solder and shrink the connection.I have no experience with these.My first thought was, not sure if the electrical connection is good enough.Does anyone of you have experience with these and what are your thoughts ?

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 07:57:33 am
content: They look simple to use, but the simple heat guns used for paint stripping can get too hot. So it kind of needs a relatively good heat gun, or some training with the cheap heat gun. This is likely the larger hurdle than a simple soldering iron. A solder joint may also need something like a heat shrink tube for the cover - though less critical (should work with less temperature) than the combined solder and heat shrink.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 08:37:01 am
content: If Big Clive couldn't get adequate wetting with solder-shrink connections and clean fresh bright copper wire ends on his bench, I'd rate the chances of untrained users in the field of getting an adequate joint as maybe 1 in 3, dropping to 1 in 10 if the wire is old and tarnished. If the wire had tinned strands, and/or if the ends were dipped in liquid RMA flux, they'd probably work a lot better.A cheapish ratchet crimper + butt splice crimps is almost certainly going to produce a more reliable joint. If you need it to be watertight, its a bit more of a PITA because you need the butt splice crimps with the adhesive lined heatshrink sleeve + to shrink them as a second step, which is another tool + more time per joint, and if you don't know the wire diameters in advance or if there is a large mismatch in wire diameter its an even bigger PITA.

author: Photoman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 03:41:44 pm
content: I used some of those heat shrink solder connectors on a few temporary outdoor LED lights.As mentioned, they don't wet well and if you don't pay attention, the heat shrink part can open up.However they didn’t fail, get hot or short out. That said, I wouldn’t want anything connected with them in the house.In an emergency, outside, yeah but for a permanent installation, no.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 08:04:28 pm
content: I'm a bit confused here. If you are advising "non electronic people" how to join two wires, shouldn't the goal be to offer up the best ways to accomplish that. Note the plural "ways" as there is no one best way.So I'd have to think that you need to address proper soldering of wires, it doesn't matter if their skills suck or they don't have the proper tools. Frankly at this level they probably don't have any tools too do any approach properly. Beyond that when I first was exposed to soldering wires I didn't have any soldering tools at all, so I don't see an argument here.Second; it is pretty hard to dismiss other common methods used widely. These would be crimped connectors and wire nuts (residential wiring). Both of these are equally hazardous if not used properly. Crimped connections are more common in electronics and these need the proper tools to be used effectively so you are back to the issue of tools.The third issue is related to protection of those joints, which in many cases means shrink tubing. The thing here is that again there are many choices when it comes to shrink tubing requiring an explanation of the types and their features. Many people don't even realize that there is the concept of the melt liner tubing (tubing with glue inside as many call it) that offers a different seal compared to single layer shrink tube. Then you have rigid vs flexible.At the very least you need to address soldering and crimped connectors and leave open the idea that this is not all there is. At the same time you need to cover protection of those joints. The trick is finding the right level of detail to introduce people with zero background. I just don't see where not having the right tools is an issue because you have to be willing to invest in those tools to actually do such work anyways.Consider something similar like courses that teach non mechanics to do maintenance on their cars. Some of those tasks require tools, sometimes very specific tools, the person taking the class either needs to be willing to buy such tools or they will make a decision that it isn't worth it. The same thing is going to happen when introducing people to methods to splice wires. Either the purchase of tools is worth it to them or not. Since almost any method requires tools, soldering of wires should not be dismissed on that issue alone.Quote from: Kjelt on May 13, 2021, 07:34:54 amOn a side note, I know that there are many homes in the USA that don't have any tools at all. This sort of shocks me growing up with a garage full of tools that my father owned. He however had very little that would be consider electronic or electrical tools so even with this exposure growing up I still had to learn about the proper tools for the various jobs in the electronics / electrical world.So don't be surprised if your task to teach about wire splicing needs to be reduced to explaining the function of the simplest of tools. That might even require explaining the difference between screw drivers, or what a wire stripper is.I forgot to mention one thing. I don't use those shrink connectors with the built in solder for a couple of reasons. One is the process of inspection, which in my opinion needs to be done in each step of the process. In a solder joint that is mechanical and visual inspection of the joint which isn't possible with these connectors. Yes I know that the sleeves are supposedly transparent. However with any connector I want to visual inspect and mechanically inspect (give it a tug) to make sure there are no gross failures. With most connections this is easily done before you apply any sort of insulation / protection. Even if the low temperature solder shrink connectors worked properly, you really can't do either of these to my satisfaction. This is one reason why I often prefer non insulated crimp connectors.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 09:14:00 pm
content: I don't really see how they could work very well, even if you do add flux, is it going to get hot enough to activate?I like 3M, but scotchlocks are a bad idea almost 100% of the time.What are these wires doing, where are they going to be, and how long do they need to last?

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 09:19:48 pm
content: Quote from: Ian.M on May 13, 2021, 08:37:01 amDid he test these? Do you have a link ?

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 09:30:50 pm
content: Reply #1

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 09:30:58 pm
content: Quote from: wizard69 on May 13, 2021, 08:04:28 pmWell I gave them the "how I do it" speech but what I did not realize is that for non electrical skilled people soldering can be a step too far. I encountered the retired oerson with a 230VAC 150W Soldering Iron more fitted to do copper waterpipework than soldering two wires. The result was a soldered joint with 10cm burned insulation on both sidesAnd the too small battery powered jobbies with cold solder joints etc.So tools, I do agree with you but when someone has a hobbie in a different domain, in this case me hanics and milling, how much can you ask to spent on those? They do have calipers , micrometers, surface tables etc etc. tools many of us do not have. If they only need it for a week a year or a one time job...Even I have nit all the electrical tools. Recently I needed a crimptool for a Harting Han16 connector. Those costs $900Even the chinese knockoffs that probably will wirk costs $150. I ended up soldering, I don't like it but it is not something I need more then four times the rest of my life.So yes I agree with you and you bring valid and good points.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2021, 09:31:55 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on May 13, 2021, 09:30:50 pmI thought it was just a picture, time to goto bed herethanks.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2021, 01:18:46 am
content: You have discounted the WAGO 221, but what about other WAGO (and copy) connectors, particularly Wago 222, and the Chinese 222 inspired back to back ones...

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2021, 06:48:59 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on May 14, 2021, 01:18:46 amI have not discounted the Wago completely, I use them myself esp. during prototyping or in my house electrical wiring. They are great connectors IMO.But for this particular application, you need the wires to be mechanically strain relieved in order to prevent the wires to be pulled out.So when you use them inside an enclosure and use cable glands they are fine.