Soldering Mains Cables and Joining

[CAPP0]

Sheepshanks said:

mickk said:

If you use that, for Goodness sake make sure it's fitted the right way around - the socket part towards the mains plug and the plug (pins) part towards the decorations.

[Gareth79]

teamHOLDENracing said:

Solder also makes cable brittle - they don't use it on aircraft and I don't use it on race cars - good quality crimp connections only...

It was described to me as that crimping on stranded cable allows the inner strands to move, so there is little fatigue on the overall connection. Soldering fixes all the strands tight and fatigues the joint, eventually breaking it just away from the soldered point.

[HootersGsy]

Gareth79 said:

It was described to me as that crimping on stranded cable allows the inner strands to move, so there is little fatigue on the overall connection. Soldering fixes all the strands tight and fatigues the joint, eventually breaking it just away from the soldered point.

Makes sense to me, any soldered joints I've had fail ( in LV stuff before anyone gets worried!) broke right next to the solder joint.

[BlackZeD]

Plug and socket as above, or replace the whole cable if you can. Nothing else!!
A soldered joint in a flex cable WILL fail.
Your decorations, your potential fire etc.

[paulrockliffe]

Gareth79 said:

teamHOLDENracing said:

Solder also makes cable brittle - they don't use it on aircraft and I don't use it on race cars - good quality crimp connections only...

It was described to me as that crimping on stranded cable allows the inner strands to move, so there is little fatigue on the overall connection. Soldering fixes all the strands tight and fatigues the joint, eventually breaking it just away from the soldered point.

I think the heat does something to the copper metal structure, work hardens it or something, which makes it brittle. I think the point above wasn't that there was anything wrong with a crimp, just that it isn't the best solution for this particular problem