Tinning speaker wire ends.

[RTTR]

I have decided to go ahead and just simply tin the bare wire ends of my new Canare Quad Star speaker wire instead of spending a lot of money on banana plugs or spades which I don't really need, and was wondering what solder I should use to do it, I was talking to Jay and he mentioned 4% silver solder from RatShack.

[Malcolm]

Regular 60/40 or 63/37 solder will do fine. "Silver" solder won't do a thing for you, particularly when it is only 4%.

[RTTR]

What about this stuff that says Rosin Core?

Is this the stuff I need? http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062715&cp=&kw=solder&parentPage=search

[Malcolm]

Any solder you would typically use for electronics is rosin core. Rosin is a flux that cleans the metal you are soldering so that the solder will make a good bond to it and to some extent shields the molten metal from atmospheric gases. The solder is rosin core because there is one or more cores of rosin running through the solder so that you don't have to add the flux separately. The alternative to rosin core is acid core. Acid core is intended for things like plumbing and will damage electronics. There are also solders with no flux core at all. With those, you have to add the flux (rosin, acid, or something else) separately.

Actually, the 4% silver solder at Radio Shack might buy you one thing if it is important to you. IIRC it is a leadless solder. So, if you are paranoid about using a product with lead in it, it gives you an alternative. The down side is that it melts at a higher temperature than the old fashioned tin/lead solders. So, you are more likely to damaged whatever you are working on if you are not careful.

The stuff you linked to is standard 60/40 solder. It would work fine and costs a lot less per ounce than the alternatives.

[Zealot125]

Alternatively, you could electroplate tin onto the ends. I realize that its nerdy, but I think that it would work well. Plus, Ive never electoplated with tin before, and frankly I am curious to see if it would work.

[efzauner]

Why waste your time with tin? Why not electroplate GOLD?

[RTTR]

Is the lead content in solder actaully something to be worried about? I notice on the bottom of the page on radioshack.com it says chemicals in this product are known to cause cancer, solder can cause cancer??

[WMcD]

I'd say that the RS stuff you see is what you need. It is pretty much the standard of the industry.

In the years we all were building Heathkits the 60/40 rosin core was the stuff to use.

I'm not quite sure about the real effect of rosin except that it is supposed to prepare the surfaces. At one time very long ago builders could get a little tub of the paste and put it on the connecton, then apply solder which did not, then, have it built in.

BTW, the mix of the metals has a lower melting point of either alone. Called the eutectic effect.

It may be that small amounts of silver is good for application for jewelry situations. I can't believe there is anything to be gained, or lost, here.

At one time Klipsch had flyers which stated that "silver solder" was used on all critical high frequency connections. The implication was that silver (in any? amount) was somehow better.

I can't believe that PWK had anything to do with such a contrivance. This was in the days were very smug tweekers claimed "of course you can hear solder." Really! That would be odd because so many radio and TV receivers operating well above the megaHertz range based on ordinary solder.

In any event, I never hesitate to use that RS solder. There are other brands. I expect that RS just rebrands it.

Best,

Gil

[RTTR]

I found some Oatey 53176 Lead-Free Rosin Core 95/5 solder in my dads tool box, would that work? I wouldn't have to buy anything.

[WMcD]

I was composing while others posted.

I'll let you Google for hazards arising for exposure to lead. In melting the solder there must be some lead and tin vapor in the air. People in produdtion use vapor removal hood over the work station.

Most of what we see arises from the fact that so much white paint in the old days was made from lead oxide. This has fueled thoughts that little kids living in old houses suffer from some sort of low level, but extended, exposure to lead, which effects their learing abilities.

Actually, Larry C. is superbly qualified to give you the full story.

I have mixed impressions about epidemiological studies. I grew up in a house with two smoking parents and lead paint, and I soldered a lot.

Alarmists would have you believe I died ten years ago as an imbicile. No, comments are not necessary. Smile.

OTOH, we do have to take seriously the theory that every insult to our biology has some cumulative effect in the long run.

If you're worried, solder outside and don't get too close.

Best,

Gil

.

[Jay481985]

great read and website but take everything with a grain of salt, they do sell wire that is 1000 dollars a year. But there is great history

http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=insights&content_id=13&pagestring=Solder+vs.+Crimped

Also as with lead, the danger is when lead paint peeled and little kids ate the peeling paint. Lead has a bad property of tasting sweet in which kids do not realize the difference. In essence it is the same as keeping antifreeze away from the pets. It smells sweet. Also lead (not pure lead but a compound of) paint if combined with a leaky roof would form a lead compound that was readily absorbed through the skin.

But in essence lead is a very stable element. I mean I have a 10 pound lead block in my room that I used for a counterweight in a trebuchet I built as a science fair. Though I do have it wrapped in saran wrap because I don't wanna keep washing my hands after.

[DrWho]

Why even bother tinning the ends? Just twist them up real nice and you get the same results - without the annoying brittleness.

[Jay481985]

I suggested tinning solely to Kevin as a way to prevent oxidation that will happen after a year of bare wire.... Also it prevents the oxidation to run into the coated wire where if you have the clear jacket type, you can see the oxidation creep up into the jacket from the place where you cut.

[RTTR]

I suggested tinning solely to Kevin as a way to prevent oxidation that will happen after a year of bare wire.... Also it prevents the oxidation to run into the coated wire where if you have the clear jacket type, you can see the oxidation creep up into the jacket from the place where you cut.

The oxidation is my main concern with the bare wire, I don't wanna have to to trim the wire a few months down the road becuase of it.

[DrWho]

Well if oxidation is going to occur, then tinning the ends probably

isn't going to prevent that....unless you're real good and can get the

solder to trickle down and seal up the jacket.

Btw, it takes many years for oxidation to start occuring...and it only

occurs with specific jacket types (like that clear crap they sell at

home depot).

[Jay481985]

Well usually you do seal the tips all the way to the jackets... And the tinned ends give a good single piece going through the binding posts. I guess sorta like how a sewing person would put the piece of thread in their mouth before poking it through the hole of the needle. It makes it easier. Since I own multimedia speakers its a pain in the *** when you do twist the wire each time you place the wire through the stupid clip pressure binding post. Where one stray wire makes it that much harder to get in.

Also if you do tin the ends all the way to the jackets you do prevent the air from entering the jacket. Since the most easiest way for air to enter the jacket is from the ends. By sealing the ends you do not totally stop oxidation but close enough. Kinda like folding and putting a clip on a bag of open potatoe chips... Ok its not like prior where the company puts inert nitrogen into the bags to prevent it from going stale but its better than leaving it in the open atmosphere with a flow of oxygen.

As with the oxidation occuring that happens to be solely the environment. I mean if you live near the beach expect the salty air to effect it more. Also if you have a gas stove, fireplace, etc expect it to oxidize faster. Do not believe me get something silver and blow out the pilot light umm remember to relight it after the experiment but let the unburned gas free around the silver Advise to do outside with no sparks or open flames or open then windows as you can potentially suffocate or explode. But the silver will quickly turn black and tarnish. Same with copper but not as quickly, hell the statue of liberty is copper.... but has that nice green look to her []

[DrWho]

And like the salt water surrounding the statue of liberty, certain jacket types make the issue worse...

[Jay481985]

I believe they call it brackish water []

She is in NY Harbor which is a mixture of the hudson and the atlantic... A funny thing that is not very know is the Hudson's current tends to go either downstream or upstream.

[RTTR]

Ok so what's the deal, is tinning wire not worth the time?

I was always told it's the right thing to do if you run bare wire.

[Jay481985]

Well I think honestly tinning is not that great, but it does prevent oxidation to the ends but most people will just cut the ends off a bit and restrip them. But you brought canare which has 4 lines so double the effort.

Tinning does add a different metal and a different electrical property, actually atleast two properties, lead and tin into the play.

In a bad analogy its sorta like looking through a window, and the more pieces of glass or thicker they are the more distorted the outside view gets. But its nearly non chalant