| Electronics > Repair |
| Splicing very short AL wires |
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| soldar:
I was messing with an old fluorescent tube fixture and the electromagnetic ballast got loose and pulled from the cables connected to it but due to the very strong gravitational force we have in this area the cables pulled the screw terminal off and the tiny wires from the coil broke off leaving only a few mm exposed and accessible. If they were copper this would not be a problem as I could just solder a copper whisker but, unfortunately, the ballast winding is aluminum or aluminium, one of the two, so no soldering. Using screw terminals is impossible. Twisting is impossible. I can connect to them, barely, using those terminals with a tiny hook at the end but this is unwieldy and not very secure. What would be the best way to connect to these AL wires? I do not need any suggestions to get a new electronic ballast, etc. I know all the alternatives very well. This is just for the fun of it. And, just to digress a bit, and totally unrelated, I have a box full of wall wart SMPS which are not working. I know full well they are not worth repairing as they are so cheap to buy, but yesterday afternoon I repaired three of them just by replacing input or output caps and I felt it was quite an acomplishment to get three out of junk box and into the "available for use" box. |
| Postal2:
--- Quote from: soldar on October 04, 2024, 09:46:05 am ---... What would be the best way to connect to these AL wires? ... --- End quote --- You need pure tin, a couple of drops of gun oil and a 100 watt soldering iron. After the aluminum is tinned (usually a couple of tinned spots), roll the copper wire into a tube, tin it with the same tin, and put it on your wire in a molten state. Practice on a similar wire first to avoid damaging the small ends. |
| tooki:
How long are the wires? If they’re around 8mm or longer, you could use WAGO splices (221-2401). Ideally with WAGO’s contact grease for aluminum. Can you crimp some kind of splice on? Spot weld it? Smaller screw terminals? |
| RoGeorge:
Clamp two alligator clips. Anchor the clips to the box with construction foam or glue-gun plastic so they won't move. |
| soldar:
--- Quote from: Postal2 on October 04, 2024, 10:05:30 am ---You need pure tin, a couple of drops of gun oil and a 100 watt soldering iron. After the aluminum is tinned (usually a couple of tinned spots), roll the copper wire into a tube, tin it with the same tin, and put it on your wire in a molten state. --- End quote --- What I am getting from the internet is that a tin-zinc alloy works best but it is not worth the trouble or expense of buying such solder. It seems it is mostly the zinc that does the trick. It is not worth buying the special alloy solder and I cannot think of how I could get a drop of each metal and try to make the alloy myself. https://www.belmontmetals.com/popular-uses-for-tin-zinc-solders/ I am thinking more in the direction of micro-sized alligator clips or screw terminals. Maybe make myself some kind of crimp terminal. |
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