Need some tool advice

"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
05/05/2017 at 09:03 • Filed to: tools

I need to wire in some new electronic toys on our boat. So I am in the market for a soldering iron, I have no idea what to be looking for. So what does oppo recommend? I’m not looking to spend a lot, but I don’t want to get some cheap crap that barely works.

Have on of the few appropriate times to roll coal for your time.

DISCUSSION (31)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:08

Weller is the way to go. Always.

adamftw > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:14

Don’t solder on a boat. Use crimp connections. Marine electrical guidelines actually say you cannot solder as your sole electrical connection except on certain size battery lugs.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 09:15

Counterargument - crimp connections in moist air would be not so good. Even if he heat-shrinks afterward, the solder connection is superior.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 09:16

What’s the reason for that?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/05/2017 at 09:16

Seconded. And soldering *gun*, not iron for wiring things in. $40 later, taken care of.

Tripper > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:18

+1 for a weller iron. Use heat shrink and or good tape (3M super 33+) for anything on your boat.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:18

I’m assuming he’s thinking fire hazard, sump fumes, etc. etc. Bring a fan, I believe you’d be fine, as you’d not tend to have much of anything over auto-ignite temperature and certainly no sparks - except maybe in the switch of a soldering gun.

adamftw > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 09:19

USCG and NMEA say crimp and shrink is best.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 09:21

Hmmm...good to know. Guess I’ll go get some connectors and a crimper instead. (might still get a soldering just because lol)

adamftw > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:23

I re-wired my entire boat last season, a ‘69 Chris Craft. Used only high quality crimp and heat shrink.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:23

Don’t skimp and buy a cheap crimper either, I highly recommend a ratcheting one as it makes it easier to provide consistent crimps with less practice.

adamftw > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 09:25

In my experience, the salt water dries and cracks the solder a lot faster than the surrounding copper wire.

adamftw > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 09:26

No... In my experience crimping is just better; when done properly. In both auto and marine.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:39

This is a good bang for the buck iron with cheap and durable tips and a good heat supply:

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493991544&sr=8-2&keywords=WES50

I have a bunch of soldering certs, and most of the irons I use tend to be prohibitively expensive for home use. So that is the one I have at home. I don’t need a $600 iron that takes $20 tips.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 09:47

I’m OK with either. Most of my soldering has been with a gun, but recently I’ve been using an iron... apart from the fact that it’s a cheap piece of crap it’s fairly nice to use.

cbell04 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:49

$25 bucks cant go wrong. Its a weller I use it a lot and it has held up very well_er. https://www.amazon.com/Weller-8200PKS-120-volt-Universal-Soldering/dp/B002YDMZF4

functionoverfashion > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:53

+1 for crimp and heat shrink. I worked at a marina for 8 years, this is what we did for electrical connections in nearly every application. On a related note, I miss having access to that parts room....

What kind of boat?

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 09:56

You can also get gel filled connectors to minimize corrosion. Do not solder.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > functionoverfashion
05/05/2017 at 10:04

1996 Four Winns Sundowner 245

Kinja'd!!!

We just bought it a month ago. We plan on taking it out on the big lakes (Michigan, Superior) so I bought a marine radio and a chartplotter that need to be installed

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 10:05

Interesting. I guess I’ve just been traumatized by too many bad crimps and stress damage to wires.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 10:07

I wonder if different solders react differently. I could definitely see a high zinc solder pitting out, but I would’ve expected the dissimilar metals present in a crimp to be just as much at issue or more. I imagine a good silver solder would be superior to crimp corrosion-wise, but since it’s hard to make people use it...

adamftw > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 10:07

Bad crimps are bad; stress reliefs on wires, good.

I do a lot of low voltage at work, I’ve seen some shit.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 10:14

I’m guessing the biggest reason outside of metallurgy control for crimps to be code is reproducibility. It’s probably easier to ensure that acceptable crimps come through than good solder - since the range of possible “LOOK I SOLDURD ET” joints can be a lot wider.

As long as he’s sealing whatever the end product is and actually knows how to solder, I don’t imagine it would matter too much either way. Between a partly naked crimp and a partly naked solder, solder may or may not resist corrosion better, but it at least is harder to get away with not sealing - which is probably what drives the sense that solder is better.

In either case, a bad seal (like on some trailers I’ve seen) leads to misery.

adamftw > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 10:16

I agree with that.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 10:27

Given the marine application, you may also consider these:

https://www.amazon.com/Shrink-Solder-Sleeve-Crimpless-Connectors/dp/B01M1032A7

You put the wires in both sides, and heat it up. The sleeve shrinks, adhesive sets and secures, and the solder bead melts all in one step. A light tinning is recommended.

Lokiparts > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 10:34

Kinja'd!!!

For just doing basic wiring in vehicles I love these little butane soldering irons. I definitely wouldn’t use them on any sensitive electronic components but for basic wiring they are perfect.

https://www.amazon.com/Iso-Tip-7971-SolderPro-Butane-Soldering/dp/B001RIDT84

LOREM IPSUM > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 10:52

I recommend a Hakko Soldering Station, if you need to solder.

VincentMalamute-Kim > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/05/2017 at 11:14

Physics of crimping. They say “The result is cold-welded, gas-tight junctions between the strands and the crimp connector.”

http://hackaday.com/2017/02/09/good-in-a-pinch-the-physics-of-crimped-connections/

VincentMalamute-Kim > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/05/2017 at 11:17

See my response link to oovoo. “The result is cold-welded, gas-tight junctions between the strands and the crimp connector.”

And yeah, they assume proper tools and technique is used.

Urambo Tauro > adamftw
05/05/2017 at 12:16

I’ve heard that crimps are superior to solder joints, but it seems counter-intuitive. How can a crimp connection be better than a solid one? Does the act of heating up the wire make it a weak point?

adamftw > Urambo Tauro
05/05/2017 at 13:30

I believe it has to do with the conductivity of the solder. Not sure though. I only use solder on audio stuff and circuit boards (obv).