fini Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 I received the replacement stylus for my Shure V15, so I thought I'd go ahead and swap out the cartridge on my Black Widow tonearm. I was being as careful as I thought I could be, and yet I pulled the wire off the connector. Bummer! These are the smallest, most delicate wires I have ever seen. Now it must be resoldered. My questions are: 1.) How shall I strip the insulation from this wire without breaking it again, and 2.) How shall I solder it to the connector (size of iron, type of solder, etc.)? Should I even attempt it myself, me with minimal soldering skills? All help graciously accepted. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Get the thin silver-bearing solder from Rat Shack. Melt the insulation off. Use a Microscope! When you're done, I have a Decca London that needs new wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Cake. I would just reheat the solder and reattach. 1) Use some needle nose pliers, preferrably some small ones, and pinch the wire off with only about 1/8" of an inch sticking out of the end of the pliers. 2) Use a bic lighter, and simply melt the insulation off the tip of wire. It should bubble up rather quickly. Then pinch it between your fingernails and gently scrape it off (while still being held in the pliers). 3) Find a flat surface and put out a dinner plate. Get a small sheet of tin foil and flatten it out in the plate. Lay the connector in the plate on top of the foil. 4) I would use a 35 watt soldering iron. After the tip is tinned and wiped clean (to wipe the tip, I use two paper towels, doubled up and folded into a square, and then dampened with some distilled water) -- put the tip on the connector and heat it up. Specifically, put the tip about in the middle, but slightly towards where the connnection will be made. 5) Now move the wire over the connector end where the solder is. Use a small screwdriver and manipulate the bare end of the wire into the now wet solder. Find a way to hold the wire down so it doesn't move. Slowly remove the iron tip while you are holding the wire down in place. The connector has so little mass it should cool rapidly. The solder should solidify rapidly as well. You are kind of doing steps 4 and 5 together at once. Just take your time. Any number of ways you could do this, and I'm sure someone will find something wrong with my way -- but I would do it this way because of my wreckless disregard for the opinions of others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Fini, If you are this good with a digital camera in Macro Mode, I think you should follow your own instincts when soldering. One tool that I find useful when soldering is a medical hemostat (useful for Trout fishing also - removing hooks from fish and crimping the barbs of hooks. ) Much better and finer than a needle nose pliers. I have to admit - I have built a lot of amps, speakers, preamps but when I saw the little wires of the diaphram of a Klipsch tweeters - I let the pros do it. - This project that you have looks even more delicate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Don't use hemostats, you risk kinking or damaging the delicate wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Wow! This is the kind of thing I would have hated to do when I was young and had good eyesight. I would really hate to do it now. Suggestions: Stripping the wire... Key thing is to not knick the wire any more than absolutely necessary. Maybe place the wire on a flat hard surface. Place a razor blade or other real sharp blade on top with a little pressure and roll the wire underneath. IMHO burning it off is not a good idea. The residue will make soldering, which is already a pain, that much harder. Solder... Use as small a diameter eutetic alloy (63/37) as you can get. 24 gauge would probably work just fine. A eutetic alloy goes from liquid to solid without going through a pasty stage, which will make soldering something like this much easier. IMHO silver containing alloys are not a good idea. They will raise the melting point of the solder making your job that much harder. And I doubt the manufacturer used anything but a lead/tin alloy when the wires were attached originally. Iron... Something in the 20 to 40 watt range should be OK. You are not in danger of damaging much from too hot an iron in this case. Technique... Clean the connector. Tin it (apply some solder) where you want to connect the wire. Tin the wire. Place the wire on the connector. Apply the soldering iron on top. Remove iron when the solder on both pieces has melted. You will probably need to use a screw driver or something similar to keep the wire in contact with the connector until the solder solidifies. Three hands would be an asset. Some kind of jig or clamp, a trusted helper, or even a judiciously applied aligator clip could be, too. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 BALLS !! How many times have I done That over the years ?? 1.) How to strip the wire ?? VFC - Very Farking Carefully. As you have already discovered those cartridge wires are very thin and fragile. My best advice is that you use an exacto knife and strip away the insulation one very thin slice at a time. 2.) How to solder ? First - Forget the WWII surplus flame thrower approach - Dramatic as all get out but in addition to the cartridge wire problem you will also need to deal with the nohome/nowife/nofamily thang which I am told is a bigger PIA than having them around. In any event it doesn't do diddly about the cartridge wire problem. because a melted cart just sits around smelling like melted plastic. Get a low tech iron in the 25 watt +/- range and having removed the errant connector from the pin on the cart ( J/K has ended here ) heat the connector to the point that the solder residue has liquified - needle nose pliers are a lot more comfy than fingers here -and wipe and/or flick away the old solder residue. 3.) Having stripped about 1/2 inch of insulation away from the end of the wire twist the strands tightly and then place your already hot soldering iron upon the underside of the tightened wire. After about 5 seconds apply the end of the solder wire to the cartridge wire. At that point the cartridge wire should be hot enough to melt the solder. . 4.) Immediately after the solder has melted into the cartridge wire pull the soldering iron away being careful not to jiggle the wire. 5.) Allow a few seconds to pass. At that point pass the end of the newly tinned wire through the hole at the end of the connector and bend it until it tightly connects with the signal wire. Put your soldering iron tip against the underside of the connecter's tab. When you see the solder flow you can either add a touch more solder - ( If it appears that the connecting wire is simply being glued in place ) - Or more likely If the join looks to have become a single integrated unit - simply remove the iron and once again avoid disturbing the joint until sufficient time has elapsed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 GOOD LORD FINI! If you can pull this one off, you're in the wrong business. I've always dreaded that happening to me when changing a cartridge. Luckily it never has. I guess chewing gum wouldn't work in this situation as that would be my only suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 20, 2003 Author Share Posted July 20, 2003 Thanks for the responses! I'm considering using this tool, slightly modified, so as to avoid kinking the delicate wire: Right tool for the job? fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Lynn is right about having a good mechanical connection first. I just could not tell from the pictures if there was really one to begin with. I didn't see the hole in the connector until I went back and looked again after reading Lynn's post. Yeah, if you can thread it, do it. All the better, as the wire will stay in place as you are applying heat. I still wouldn't use a razor or exacto knife. That wire is like thread, too much pressure and you are going to damage the wire. I would just use some alcohol and clean it good after burning off the insulation. Lynn, tinning wire this thin in the manner you describe is next to impossible. There just isn't enough mass to hold or carry heat. I've tried it. I always resort to "scraping" the solder on the wire, and then end up with more solder than there is wire. With this kind of connection -- what real benefit is derived from tinning anyways? It's not like you got to get in and get out in 5 seconds because there is a cap on either side. In this particular instance, I don't understand what's wrong with just reheating and reattaching? Anything else and Fini will need three hands and a valium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 O.K. You've got your extra "hand" -- now go take a valium. I hate those damn things. More trouble than they're worth half the time. It will work good for you if are going to add fresh solder. I imagine you are going to modify the pinchers on the end somehow so the teeth don't damage the wire (which is probably too thin to be held by those anyway). You need something flat on either side of the wire. Yes, put the connector on one side, the wire on the other, and move the arms so both pieces are exactly where you want them while you are applying the heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Looks like he already has the third hand... In this case, with tiny wire, the solder itself will provide an adequate mechanical connection. The wire will break before the solder joint. No need to go to the trouble of trying to get it through a tiny hole, assuming you can even clear it out enough to get the wire through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 That was my original thought too. Well, I don't really have original thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 20, 2003 Author Share Posted July 20, 2003 There is no hole, anyway. Must be trick photography. Just noticed, I do have a splinter, though... fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 A decent mechanical connection virtually assures a good electrical connection. Do go to the trouble of creating a solid mechanical bond before soldering. It is not merely possible it is in fact critical because today's OK joint may well become tomorrow's - I don't need to check that because I fixed that X days/months/years ago. It is somewhat unlikely that the cable might have an intermitent break somewhere along its length but it nonetheless is a possibility worth looking into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Don't worry about the splinter -- you will vaporize it and cauterize the wound while soldering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 20, 2003 Author Share Posted July 20, 2003 Probably the last view of my fingerprints too, eh? fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3dahl Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 If you have trouble recycling your old cartridge clips, you have another option. Michael Percy (http://www.percyaudio.com) sells a set of four gold-plated cartridge clips, tiny pieces of color-coded heat shrink tubing for strain relief and a length of wonder solder for $6.50. I used one of these kits to rewire the tonearm of my Maplenoll. If you need to go this route, hopefully you will find other interesting items in his catalog, because unfortunately there is a minimum order! Anyway, good luck with your soldering project. You'll do fine! Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 21, 2003 Author Share Posted July 21, 2003 ---------------- On 7/20/2003 9:03:45 PM Malcolm wrote: Solder... Use as small a diameter eutetic alloy (63/37) as you can get. 24 gauge would probably work just fine. A eutetic alloy goes from liquid to solid without going through a pasty stage, which will make soldering something like this much easier. ---------------- Malcolm, Are all 63/37 solder alloys "eutetic?" Neither HSC nor Radio Shack has any solder called "eutetic," but they do have 63/37. Also, at Radio Shack, I picked up some "toothless" alligator clips, called test clips. I am considering holding the wire onto the connector with one, but using some non-solderable material (aluminum foil?) as a release material. The clips themselves are copper plated, just right for getting stuck. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 A 63/37 tin/lead alloy is eutetic. There are alloys with other elements in them that are also eutetic. But the common 60/40 tine/lead alloy is not, and will go through a pasty stage when cooling. Never tried it, but my guess is wrapping the clip in aluminum will keep the solder from sticking to the cip. I haven't had much luck with clipping a small wire to a connector before soldering. I usually could not get the wire to lay flat where it is being soldered. Too much space between the wire and the connector makes for a bad joint. That is why for situations like this I just tin both parts, place them in contact, heat, and hold them down with a screw driver of similar tool until the solder cools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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