Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 21:05:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Marty Goodman MD KC6YKC <MARTYGOODMAN@delphi.com>
Subject: Crimping vs Soldering
To: bikecurrent@cycling.org
Message-id: <01J8R93UY9YE9CBL69@delphi.com>

 
Scott,
 You asked about the relative merits of crimping vs soldering
connectors.  There has been some interesting discussion of this matter
in years past, by some folks who, unlike me, have really serious
professional knowledge of such issues.
 
 What I gleaned from that discussion here a while back, combined with my
experiences as a hobbyiest, is this:
 
 PROPERLY done crimped connections work extremely well.  The operative
word is PROPERLY, and PROPERLY often requires moderately to very
expensive crimping tools dedicated to the particular connector and range
of wire gauge in question.
 
 In the case of Molex connectors, which I'm familiar with, you can buy a
decent but not great hand crimping tool for about $15 for one of two
ranges of wire gauge and pin sizes.  The high quality, fast, production
tool can go for $100 to $250.   It does take some practice to use the
tool properly.
 
 Folks here have argued that soldering wires to connectors can
compromise the strain relief at the point where they contact the
connector, making them more vulnerable to trauma later.  Depending on
WHEN the process you solder, you can melt insulation that is part of the
system for strain relieving the wire via a crimp process, too.
 
  My own approach here with Molex connectors IS to both crimp AND
solder, but I do so very carefully in a particular fashion:  I FIRST
crimp the bare wire to the pin, THEN solder very quickly and with
minimal solder, using a temperature controlled soldering iron and fine
solder.  I THEN complete the crimping process by crimping the strain
relief to the insulated part of the wire.   Sometimes I consider this
may be unnecessary, unduly fanatical, and even (given the comments wiser
folks have made here) potentially problematic.  But so far it seems to
have worked well for me.
 
  The general rule, tho, as I understand it, is to just PROPERLY crimp
the wire.  And that's it.   I somehow can't yet bring myself to do that,
partly because of all the years during which I was "crimping" using long
nosed pliers, and HAD to also solder the wire, otherwise it would pull
out.  This before I got even inexpensive but more or less proper
crimping tools.
 
  If Steve Kurt, Steve Bush, Peter, or others here who I suspect have real
professional knowledge of such stuff care to comment, I'd much
appreciate it!
 
   ---marty