Splicing wire

wattaway2 · #1 08-09-2019, 08:12 AM

Has anyone tried this?

flyingfrizzle · #2 08-09-2019, 10:01 AM

Yea, They suck. They are cheep crap. The outside burns before the middle solder melts well. The shrink wrap sucks and is thin crap. They don't hold good and some of the ones I tried the solder wouldn't flow well into the wires.

I am in the electrical trade (electrical controls tech) and have connected from #14 awg wires to fixing cut in half 4160 volt armor cables back together. The high voltage stuff is much more involved. But for low voltage wiring the best stuff I have found for sealing wires together is as following:

Use standard solder to mate the wires or you can use mechanical connectors, butt splices or such. I found that on marine stuff its best to solder even if you use butt connectors, fill them up with solder to keep the corrosion out of them. Before you connect them slide a shrink wrap on the wire that has a sealing glue inside of it. The item you have posted has seal glue of some type at both ends but the shrink wrap I refer to has the glue in the entire tube and it will ooze out the ends once shrank down ensuring a 100% seal. I have done 480v under ground wiring using this stuff before and sealed it twice over with good results. One tube on each wire in a cable and then one large one over the entire cable area that was spliced. That works good on multi wire cables. Here is a link the stuff below I use:

It is sold by the foot at different lengths and can be cut to the desired wanted length. Also sold in different diameters. Make sure it is the type with the glue additive in it to ensure 100% seal.

These types have the seal glue:
Standard moisture seal tube, Extra thick moisture seal tube and chemical & uv resistant moisture seal tube listed all have the water proof sealant inside the heat shrink tube:
https://www.mcmaster.com/heat-shrink-tubing

DonV · #3 08-09-2019, 10:06 AM

Thanks Frizz!! They make it look so wonderful on the TV commercials.

Oh yeah, I usually buy the adhesive lined shrink wrap from Genuinedealz by the foot and at least five of each size in both black and red color. Nice to have it right there when you need it.

flyingfrizzle · #4 08-09-2019, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonV

Thanks Frizz!! They make it look so wonderful on the TV commercials.

Yea, that's what I thought too until some one gave me a few of those to try and they sucked...

wattaway2 · #5 08-09-2019, 01:38 PM

I’m a electrician as well and agree on the stranded wires tinning and shrink tube don’t really like female spade terminals but prefer ring eye terminals .saw these and your responses are what I expected the product would be . But every know and then I have been surprised. Bought some aluminum “welding-soldering” rods and had to admit for a non critical repair on a aluminum mail box it worked fine

flyingfrizzle · #6 08-09-2019, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wattaway2

I’m a electrician as well and prefer ring eye terminals.

Have to agree on ring terminals. Especially when used bolting them together or on studs in motor connections. I have seen people try and use big blue wire nuts on 50 HP motors that vibrate while in service. That just is not the proper place for wire nuts. Shoot, I even use ring terminals on 12 awg motor leads in 1 hp motors with #10 screws bolting them together wrapped in rubber & tape accurse. I try to save wire nuts for residential stuff, it has no place in a industrial application except for lights and receptacles, Maybe. I'm done ranting about wire nuts...

NoBones · #7 08-09-2019, 06:25 PM

Ditto on Frizz...

I to having a background in electrical engineering, rebuilding and
wiring my share of boats found there is no substitute for the
basic Western Union Splice , solder and epoxy
filled heat shrink !!!!

Keep in mind that 31 years ago restored the "NoBones" with this
method....

To this day have never blown a fuse or any wiring issues..

Also use only tin coated copper wire over anything else...

Hope this helps..

Later

JohnC · #8 08-10-2019, 09:23 AM

Just an informational question - I have always stayed away from solder for marine connectors for fear of galvanic action (solder being a dissimilar metal). I have tried to match tinned mechanical connectors made from the same stuff as the tinned wire. I am very comfortable with a soldering iron, certainly the best way to ensure a forever connection. I just don't use it on boats.
Have you had any trouble with corrosion at the solder?

DonV · #9 08-10-2019, 09:56 AM

Seems to me 31 years of no problems with Bones' method is a nice history to work with! I'm too lazy for the soldering, I just use heat shrink butt connectors with the proper crimp tool and if it's where a lot of moisture is always present I add a adhesive heat shrink over that.

JohnC · #10 08-11-2019, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonV

Seems to me 31 years of no problems with Bones' method is a nice history to work with! I'm too lazy for the soldering, I just use heat shrink butt connectors with the proper crimp tool and if it's where a lot of moisture is always present I add a adhesive heat shrink over that.

Fair enough! Apparently it works both ways. I have been doing it one way for a long time assuming that solder and salt would lead to problems. I rewired a Mako around 15 years ago that had corroded connections. I remember the soldered connections were corroded and beginning to fail but they were exposed, the wiring had no heat shrink over it. I suppose in hindsight that proper sealing of the connections is paramount.
If I had it to do over I don't know if I would change. Perhaps it more of an old dog & new trick thing than a rite and wrong thing.