Author Topic: Finally found a source of really thin wire  (Read 5610 times)

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Online mikeselectricstuffTopic starter

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Finally found a source of really thin wire
« on: March 20, 2018, 11:33:49 am »
So when you need to dead-bug a 0.5mm pitch IC or do other super-fine stuff like bodge-wiring tiny tracks on a PCB, wire-wrap wire has always been about the thinnest stuff you can easily find, but at typically 0.5mm dia with a 30AWG ( ~0.25mm) core, which is marginal for 0.5mm pitch. The only thinner option being enamelled (magnet) wire, which is a total pain to strip.

I just stumbled across this in Farnell - 0.3mm OD, 36AWG ( 0.1mm) core. Strips really easily ( even with a fingernail) and doesn't shrink back or melt when soldered.

Rather expensive at £24 for 30m, but a roll will likely last a long time.
http://uk.farnell.com/search?st=alpha%202936

They also do a nice 30AWG stranded wire with 0.5mm OD
http://uk.farnell.com/search?st=alpha%202930

Both are rated to 600V!
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Offline DmitryL

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2018, 12:01:43 pm »
For such things I use this:
http://uk.farnell.com/roadrunner/rrp-123/wiring-pencil/dp/967348
See below, they also sell spools of wire. It is kind of "enameled", but the insulation is easily stripped by soldering iron tip.
 
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Offline apelly

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2018, 12:10:21 pm »
You've found a very cool thing. Thanks for the link.

I've been annoyed in the past by magnet wire. The usual suspects never seem to label it as "solder thru" or anything useful like that, and stripping such fine stuff is a nightmare.

Edit:
Twenty colours? You have to be kidding me! I think I just stirred in my pants a bit!
« Last Edit: March 20, 2018, 12:13:06 pm by apelly »
 

Offline langwadt

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2018, 12:12:07 pm »
if you get the right kind of enamelled stripping is a very easy, just dip the cut end into a blob of solder on the iron
 

Online mikeselectricstuffTopic starter

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2018, 12:13:27 pm »
For such things I use this:
http://uk.farnell.com/roadrunner/rrp-123/wiring-pencil/dp/967348
See below, they also sell spools of wire. It is kind of "enameled", but the insulation is easily stripped by soldering iron tip.
But that stuff does get a bit messy with blobs of the melted insulation, and you need a fairly high temp to strip
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Offline apelly

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2018, 12:14:09 pm »
if you get the right kind of enamelled stripping is a very easy, just dip the cut end into a blob of solder on the iron
That's what they say.
 

Online mikeselectricstuffTopic starter

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2018, 12:14:15 pm »
0.4mm pitch QFP bodge-wires
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Offline DmitryL

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2018, 12:28:15 pm »
For such things I use this:
http://uk.farnell.com/roadrunner/rrp-123/wiring-pencil/dp/967348
See below, they also sell spools of wire. It is kind of "enameled", but the insulation is easily stripped by soldering iron tip.
But that stuff does get a bit messy with blobs of the melted insulation, and you need a fairly high temp to strip

Don't know, it is just like a normal "magnet wire",  insulation is pretty sturdy, though less resistant to heat than what used in a real "magnet wire". It desintegrates very cleanly without any residue. I use leaded solder (so, not too hot iron) and it takes about a couple of second of exposing insulation it to a melted solder to remove it and have bit of wire tinned.
Try it, I quite like this wire :)
 
 

Offline Abbas

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2018, 02:07:00 pm »
I quite like to salvage parts from old/not used things. The best source in which I get thin wires are earphones mini speaker wire, which can be stripped easily from an old or unused earphones. they're flexible enough and easy to solder to.
 

Offline poorchava

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2018, 02:50:03 pm »
I use fine magnet wire. Small diameter ones are almost universally self-soldering (insulation melts form soldering iron temperature) and you can get them down to extremely small diameters (thinnes I have used is probably 40um)
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Offline xani

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2018, 03:06:42 pm »
I just use wire-wrap wire and dedicated stripping/wrapping tool (chinesium from aliexpress is enough), wire itself is usually only few bucks per few hundred metres.
 

Online mikeselectricstuffTopic starter

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2018, 03:11:09 pm »
I just use wire-wrap wire and dedicated stripping/wrapping tool (chinesium from aliexpress is enough), wire itself is usually only few bucks per few hundred metres.
As I mentioned, WW wire isn't always thin enough
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Offline CopperCone

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2018, 03:51:31 pm »
I find magnet wire to be unruley and springy in these diameters.
 

Offline @rt

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2018, 04:02:41 pm »
Copper wire from Jaycar (Australia) is easy stripped with an iron at the sort of temps for unleaded soldering 390C or so,
except I use leaded solder, and it turns out being a waste of solder keeping the blob clean.
To do it neatly is very doable though. The idea is to cut and form the wire first.
 

Offline CJay

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2018, 04:24:58 pm »
Nice find, I have the Roadrunner with a few bobbins of 34AWG (I've got a Roadrunner protoboard with combs somewhere too, unused) but it gets messy really easily, I always preferred Kynar but couldn't find it smaller than 30AWG (I haven't looked for a *long* time though).

That 36AWG PTFE (or non trademark named) insulation looks really useful and 30M will see me out my days...
 
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Offline cstratton

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2018, 04:45:03 pm »
Looks like digikey has the 36 awg Alpha Wire too... for a mere $38.25 per roll.

If they'd do a multi-color assortment instead of a single 100 foot roll it would almost be worth it.

At a larger scale, the 30 awg silicone insulated stuff is great for picking up signals off an 0402 passive or P75 pogo pin socket and bringing them out to a crimp pin debug harness.  Used to use multicolor wire-wrap wire for that, but this solders better and lasts longer when handled.

Though if there's already a wrappable header post on both ends, then the wire wrap wire can still make sense.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2018, 04:46:50 pm by cstratton »
 

Online Monkeh

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2018, 04:49:38 pm »
What does Louis Rossmann use?

I seem to recall he tears up old LVDS cables, unless he started buying new wire..
 

Offline ajb

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2018, 05:14:25 pm »
I've been using Belden 8057 for a while, which is a 34AWG solderable enameled wire.  It strips easily with a 360C iron, and I've never had an issue with the melted insulation.  When doing short bodges having to do any sort of mechanical stripping is particularly annoying.  It's expensive at $75/spool (Wow, I don't remember it costing that much!), but it's a big enough spool that I'll never need to buy a second one. 
 

Online Conrad Hoffman

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2018, 05:37:05 pm »
Remember that one of the applications for silver bearing solder is for very fine copper wire. Some copper dissolves in regular solder, weakening the wire, but with the addition of Ag the integrity of the wire is preserved. Break out the SN62 or the Savbit!
 

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2018, 07:07:23 pm »
What does Louis Rossmann use?

I seem to recall he tears up old LVDS cables, unless he started buying new wire..
Last time I watched, he switched to using magnet wire with some kind of poly insulation that melts off when soldered.  He doesn't strip.
 

Online nctnico

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2018, 07:12:51 pm »
The only thinner option being enamelled (magnet) wire, which is a total pain to strip.
I'm using enamelled wire all the time for prototypes. It is very easy to 'strip' with a hot soldering iron by melting the enamel away.
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 

Offline maginnovision

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #21 on: March 20, 2018, 07:26:38 pm »
I've had mixed luck, strangely, with solderable magnet wire. That stuff would have helped with this sram bodge. The wire wrap wire was too big so had to be very careful.
 

Offline elecman14

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2018, 07:28:02 pm »
If you are looking for a way to strip 36 awg OK Industries ST-450 works really well. It is the only reliable way besides heat I have found to strip wire that small. It also has a depth stop so you can strip lengths repeatably  :-+.
 

Offline Nusa

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #23 on: March 20, 2018, 07:30:35 pm »
What does Louis Rossmann use?

I seem to recall he tears up old LVDS cables, unless he started buying new wire..
Last time I watched, he switched to using magnet wire with some kind of poly insulation that melts off when soldered.  He doesn't strip.
Louis has a store: https://store.rossmanngroup.com/index.php/. Put "magnet wire" in the search box. Question answered.
 

Offline poorchava

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Re: Finally found a source of really thin wire
« Reply #24 on: March 20, 2018, 10:35:49 pm »
If you are looking for a way to strip 36 awg OK Industries ST-450 works really well. It is the only reliable way besides heat I have found to strip wire that small. It also has a depth stop so you can strip lengths repeatably  :-+.
That is no good with shorter wires, because you have to pull on the wire. Personally, I use Knipex 12 40 200. It's expensive new at 55€ + VAT @ TME, but I got it for ~40€ post-exposition. I actually managed to strip 30 AWG Kynar i ~0.5mm rings :) Works with magnet wire too, although it needs some fiddling with depth setting.
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