Tone arm cable trimming ?

[Audio Al]

Hi people

I need to fit new cartrige tags on one of my tone arm cable and as you know the wires are tiny , How do you remove the outer insulation without cutting the few inner strands ?

" Carefully " as a answer not acceptable :D

[dantheman91]

Not something i would try Al but im sure the wizards will be along soon...

[walpurgis]

I use a scalpel or small craft knife gently. Done hundreds of 'em! :)

[karma67]

Hi people

I need to fit new cartrige tags on one of my tone arm cable and as you know the wires are tiny , How do you remove the outer insulation without cutting the few inner strands ?

" Carefully " as a answer not acceptable :D

i used a lighter to melt off the outer insulation,then i found on line a handy tip,
stick a small socket on the end of your soldering iron,leave it to heat up and then fill the socket up with solder,dip the end of the wire in and bingo,you strip and tin the wire at the same time.
otherwise known as a solder bath.
give the solder a wipe with kitchen role from time to time to get rid of the slag.

[walpurgis]

Sorry to contradict, but the lighter method can leave sooty crap on the exposed conductors, which does not help with soldering. It also leaves the burnt ends of the insulation looking a mess.

The solder bath works, but it's more messing about than just soldering properly.

Stainless steel scourers work well for keeping the iron clean.

For fine work one of these is very handy!

Click on image.

https://s1.postimg.org/6rl4ezpq3/mxcp38f7848b-a976-434f-b9a9-1bd7199c448a.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6rl4ezpq3/)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helping-Hands-Magnifier-Lens-2-Articulated-Arms-/282602073634?var=&hash=item41cc656e22

[karma67]

Sorry to contradict, but the lighter method can leave sooty crap on the exposed conductors, which does not help with soldering. It also leaves the burnt ends of the insulation looking a mess.

The solder bath works, but it's more messing about than just soldering properly.

Stainless steel scourers work well for keeping the iron clean.

For fine work one of these is very handy!

Click on image.

https://s1.postimg.org/6rl4ezpq3/mxcp38f7848b-a976-434f-b9a9-1bd7199c448a.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6rl4ezpq3/)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helping-Hands-Magnifier-Lens-2-Articulated-Arms-/282602073634?var=&hash=item41cc656e22

you've got the wrong end of the stick,i dont use the solder bath to solder,just to strip the wire.
he's just asking how to strip the ends of the wire.

[walpurgis]

you've got the wrong end of the stick,i dont use the solder bath to solder,just to strip the wire.
he's just asking how to strip the ends of the wire.

Ah. If the solder bath is just for stripping and tinning. Don't forget to use a dab of flux on the wire end! :)

[Audio Al]

I thought flux was corrosive :eek:

[Audio Al]

you've got the wrong end of the stick,i dont use the solder bath to solder,just to strip the wire.
he's just asking how to strip the ends of the wire.

Just ordered one Geoff ;)

[Audio Al]

Sorry to contradict, but the lighter method can leave sooty crap on the exposed conductors, which does not help with soldering. It also leaves the burnt ends of the insulation looking a mess.

The solder bath works, but it's more messing about than just soldering properly.

Stainless steel scourers work well for keeping the iron clean.

For fine work one of these is very handy!

Click on image.

https://s1.postimg.org/6rl4ezpq3/mxcp38f7848b-a976-434f-b9a9-1bd7199c448a.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6rl4ezpq3/)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helping-Hands-Magnifier-Lens-2-Articulated-Arms-/282602073634?var=&hash=item41cc656e22


Just ordered one Geoff

[walpurgis]

I thought flux was corrosive :eek:

Wipe off any surplus with meths or white spirit. I've never had corrosion issues from flux. Most solder is flux cored anyway, but I keep a pot of flux handy as well (and Bakers fluid in case I need to solder to steel, that definitely needs cleaning off though, with water).

[Audio Al]

Wipe off any surplus with meths or white spirit. I've never had corrosion issues from flux. Most solder is flux cored anyway, but I keep a pot of flux handy as well (and Bakers fluid in case I need to solder to steel, that definitely needs cleaning off though, with water).

OK thanks

[struth]

I thought flux was corrosive :eek:

it is in its way. it cleans up corrosion on the wire

[walpurgis]

By the way. When soldering on cartridge tags, don't faff around trying to get the end of the wire through the small hole in the back end of the tag (if there is one). Just solder it straight on. The solder is stronger than the fine wire anyway and feeding the wire through the hole just makes it harder to unsolder at a later date, should the need arise.

[Barry]

I use a scalpel or small craft knife gently. Done hundreds of 'em! :)

+1, that is what I use, but the scalpel blade must be new, or at least sharp.

The solder bath method is not particularly effective if the insulation is PTFE

[Barry]

Wipe off any surplus with meths or white spirit. I've never had corrosion issues from flux. Most solder is flux cored anyway, but I keep a pot of flux handy as well (and Bakers fluid in case I need to solder to steel, that definitely needs cleaning off though, with water).

It is good practice to remove any flux after the soldered joint has cooled. To my mind it looks unprofessional to see resolidified flux resin on a soldered joint.

[killie99]

If you are stripping a lot of fine wire these are a godsend
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-K-330011-0-30-1-mm-Wire-Stripper-/122400172228?epid=1305263596&hash=item1c7f9e68c4:g:zxgAAOSw2gxYymOP

[Barry]

If you are stripping a lot of fine wire these are a godsend
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-K-330011-0-30-1-mm-Wire-Stripper-/122400172228?epid=1305263596&hash=item1c7f9e68c4:g:zxgAAOSw2gxYymOP

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zxgAAOSw2gxYymOP/s-l400.jpg

Good call Stuart.

I have one somewhere but forgot all about it. However if you are trying to strip fine wires in situ, then I prefer to use a scalpel with a very sharp blade.

[Audio Al]

Just ordered some of this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111902060180

[Audio Al]

If you are stripping a lot of fine wire these are a godsend
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-K-330011-0-30-1-mm-Wire-Stripper-/122400172228?epid=1305263596&hash=item1c7f9e68c4:g:zxgAAOSw2gxYymOP

They look ideal , but £30 :eek:

[karma67]

tight arse,use the right tools for the job lol.

[Audio Al]

tight arse,use the right tools for the job lol.

Its my birthday soon , you can treat me :eyebrows:

[karma67]

ha ha,to be fair it is a tad expensive :)

[Audio Al]

ha ha,to be fair it is a tad expensive :)

Is that a no then ? tight arse :lol:

[karma67]

sweet as! you got me there :)

[walpurgis]

As a rule, I have found insulation strippers pretty useless. I used to do a lot of soldering for a living many years ago and near enough every sleeve stripper that came my way was a waste of time. They either slip on the plastic/rubber or cut into the conductors as well as cutting the sleeve. By the time you've pissed about setting the cutting depth to a point where the cores won't get damaged, you might as have done the job by hand.

[Barry]

But you do have a set in your tool arsenal don't you? ;)

[walpurgis]

But you do have a set in your tool arsenal don't you? ;)

A couple. They're crap!

[RothwellAudio]

If you are stripping a lot of fine wire these are a godsend
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-K-330011-0-30-1-mm-Wire-Stripper-/122400172228?epid=1305263596&hash=item1c7f9e68c4:g:zxgAAOSw2gxYymOP


As a rule, I have found insulation strippers pretty useless.

The strippers linked to are very similar to ones I use for stripping wire-wrap wire. They're very good indeed, though pricey.
At the other end of the price spectrum I have a pair of really cheap wire strippers which I bought from Maplin when I was a kid. Everyone laughs at them and says they look like rubbish but I find them very useful and still use them now. I can feel the insulation being cut and can usually judge how hard to squeeze to cut the insulation without damaging the conductors.

[killie99]

The ones I linked to are superb and will last a lifetime. Mine are adjustable from 0.25mm to 0.8mm and will not nick the copper stands and give a super clean cut on the insulation. They have saved me so much time over the years.

[paulf-2007]

Strippers are useless on the very thin wire for unipivots. I just melt the plastic sleeving with the soldering iron, then tin with solder and solder to tags, simples. I don't know how much flux and solder you chaps are using but sounds like you're making a right mess of it.

[Audio Al]

The ones I linked to are superb and will last a lifetime. Mine are adjustable from 0.25mm to 0.8mm and will not nick the copper stands and give a super clean cut on the insulation. They have saved me so much time over the years.

:) Its my birthday soon :)

[walpurgis]

I don't know how much flux and solder you chaps are using but sounds like you're making a right mess of it.

Hmm.

[Minstrel SE]

Ive got this job to do and have seen the stripping and burning advised. One reputable seller does say the burning off of insulation is acceptable but I would have thought that the wire then has to be cleaned before tinning it. I have flux pens and all sorts. I have long tags with crimp holders. I intend to crimp the outer then solder and use the coloured heatshrink I have bought.

I have some cable with almost a silk insulation so its not going to take much to get that off. Im going to use the original plastic covered wire though.

I was thinking that if the wire was just clipped and in a blob of solder it would conduct throught the core but I suppose it does have to be stripped back for the best surface area connection.

Im not a job Im particularly looking forward to :)

[Arkless Electronics]

Only the wrong sort of flux is corrosive..... electrical solder has a centre core of the correct flux and no other flux need be applied. I advise against the use of a solder pot to melt insulation.

[paulf-2007]

With the wire being so thin, it doesn't take much heat to melt solder onto it and when it takes to the wire you know the flux core has done its job.