Tinning Pot, Flux - Soldering questions

[Gobi King]

Finally received the soldering iron I bought off ama,
Aoyue 469

Making 1/0 to 6 awg cables for connections for my lithium project.

Tinning wire leads - using my tiny soldering iron it will probably take me days to tin chunky monkeys like a 1/0 cable.

I read some suggestion on using a tinning pot.

Tinning Pot - which one? use pure tin without Pb? can I just get a stainless little pot and use my burner on the gas grill to melt it?

Flux - newbie here, use the same flux as I use for soldering?

[handi2]

You can just flux the wires then add solder. Don't get the wires too hot. Just hot enough to where the solder flows nicely. The solder will only adhere where the flux is applied. Use solid wire solder. Any flux for soldering will work. Acid flux cleans as it heats.

[cmdrzog]

If you have a propane torch they make soldering tips that will do the job.  Its been a while (50 years) since I did soldering(production & hobby) but  60/40 or 63/37 w/ rosin flux core is the way to go, ,acid flux no go w/ electric circuits.  Kester  is a time tested brand

[jzman]

The pointed tip that most soldering irons come with are pretty bad for wires (and everything else).  The best tips for wires are the chisel tip and the bevel (hoof) tip.

For big wires probably easier to use copper crimp lugs (the welding cable lugs) and use a hydraulic or hammer crimper.  This is if you have bolt-on terminals.

[oc1]

I wouldn't mess with the irons and just use a BernzOmatic torch.  It will throw the heat evenly and get the wire up to temperature fast before scale can form.

Use rosin flux paste and solder labeled for electrical work.
-steve

[Gobi King]

Big #### flame to heat the wire and solder as usual, got it.

Yes, I have the harborfright hyro crimper.

The benzo flame might scare the girls ;-)

I need something to hold the wire while I solder.

[Tiddlerbasher]

If you are doing wrapped copper terminal joints why are you tinning the copper wires?
Leave 'em bare and clean then coat with silicone grease after screwing 'em tight.

[Keta]

I prefer to use dielectric grease made for wires, I usually use No-Corrode.

[gstours]

Thanks for your question,  Mr G.  I may be not fully understanding your need to tin the wires.  The tinning would basically solder the multiple wires into a solid round end right?   Is this what you want?  Are you going to then add a Lug for a fastener?   
  Always clean by scraping or wire brush all parts shiny brite and add a rosin flux for electrical applications,  a clean flame may be needed for cable. 
  As Lee suggested before the fastening use a De Oxidization type of grease which is common in a good hardware or auto parts store.
This De Ox is useful for many things especially if you work on boats......
  Maybe you don't really need to Tin unless you are adding an end to use fasteners?     Good Luck.     

[Gobi King]

Well, I am not sure also why I have to TIN the wire ends,

I have 2 types of wires

Bare Copper multi strand
Tin copper multi strand

The lugs are mostly ALL tin copper lugs.

I bought nearly ALL Ancor brand marine grade wire and lugs.

Let me head down stairs later today and cut of a few pieces and get my crimper out and post some pics.

[Tiddlerbasher]

Pics always help

[Gobi King]

Cutting with the Milwaukee 9 inch cable cutter was NOT easy, either I need to hit the gym or need a bigger cable cutter.

Notice my fine cable cutting skills, I even matched the angle of the lugs internal slant, try that after a few beers!

Taking the jacket off the wire was harder, my fingers/nails were NOT up to the torture so I used some persuasion.

Lastly, a xt60 connector for scale, the wire was a snug fit.

So the 100 Trillion $ question is - Do I still need to tin/solder these if I am going to hydrolic crimp these little lugs?

[jzman]

No. You don't pre-tin wires for crimping.

For soldering: You put lug on vice and then prefill hole with solder.  Heat the lug with torch until solder melts and then insert the cable.  Make sure to put heat shrink on before.  You don't need to pre-tin wire (but you can if you want to).  Adding flux to the wire will also help.  On smaller wires with soldering iron (but same concept):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLeCt_u3U8&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837&index=3&t=3s


Crimping is easier if you already have the equipment

[oc1]

If you crimp, won't that be the connection with the least amount of contact between parts?  If you use solder then the lug nut will be the weakest link.  When it corrodes, the lug nut will be easier to clean than a crimp. 

But, I think you would have to cut the insulation back some more so you can direct the flame and solder to the gap between the two.  If you can't watch the solder flow then you will not know what you have in there.
-s

[Bryan Young]

Shib,

If you are using compression lugs, I highly recommend you get a proper compression crumpet, such as IBOSAD Hydraulic Cable Lug Crimper Tool 12 AWG to 00 (2/0) Electrical Terminal Wire Crimping Plier Kit, Marked with AWG https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VJG83PV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_ZPU-Fb3Q7516S, add a marine heat shrink insulating tubing to seal the connection.  Oh, and do not tin the leads going into the compression lug. You will not get a good compression joint.

If this is for marine or automobile applications, I do t recommend that you run the wires unless you are doing an induction method to limit the wicking of the solder up the wire. This makes the wire harder and adds stress to the connection joint.

Hope this helps.