Electronics > Repair
Splicing very short AL wires
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Postal2:

--- Quote from: Ian.M on October 04, 2024, 11:30:53 am ---... See link above.  ...

--- End quote ---
I tried. No wetting. Just pure tin.
Ian.M:
Well try again, with the biggest meanest bit you've got on your most powerful iron.  You *MUST* abrade through the flux pool,  then form a solder blob and keep rubbing and scratching it into the surface till it takes.   If soldering to thin aluminium sheet, it needs to be hot enough to melt solder next to the solder blob without the solder wire contacting the blob or the tip.  You wont get any wetting if the aluminum isn't hot enough or if it takes too long to heat from when you stop abrading through the flux pool till when you get a solder blob over it.
Postal2:

--- Quote from: Ian.M on October 04, 2024, 11:42:41 am ---... and keep rubbing and scratching it into the surface till it takes.  ...

--- End quote ---
It pretends to be absorbed, but easily bounces off. Tin, however, is thoroughly wetted.

You can solder by dipping in molten zinc, but I have not done this, although I know that this is the standard method for soldering aluminum twists of several wires.
hanakp:
I'm surprised nobody mentioned it yet, so I'll bite. There are special fluxes for aluminium soldering, google it. They work by (temporarily) chemically removing the oxide that forms on the metal's surface, thus allowing for wetting by solder. I've been using one locally produced flux for about 15 years now and it works great. Its base component is hydrofluoric acid, so your best bet is to buy a similar one. Be sure to thorougly wash the finished joint in DI water. And don't let the flux touch your skin and don't breathe the fumes.

Among other things, I've been using it to solder grounding wires onto popular Hammond extruded aluminium cases. You need to preheat such big components with hot air gun or hot plate.
Postal2:
I didn't come up with the idea of ​​soldering aluminum with tin. It's written in the book, and the chemical justification is given. There's also an explanation of why there shouldn't be lead in the soldering.
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