I will give you a pro tip on a technique I've been using since the 1980s with great success for soldering enameled copper, litz included. It's something that you most likely already have in your home, it's not dangerous but can be a little uncomfortable if you don't have good ventilation (a fan blowing on your workbench and away from you will do the trick) and it's fairly quick and easy. Aspirin. Yes, regular old aspirin tablets. You place a tablet of aspirin on your workbench, place the end of the enameled copper wire on top of it, and press it down with the hot soldering iron tip. The aspirin melts and strips away the enamel without doing much or anything to the copper underneath. You just keep the wire in the molten aspirin pool for a few seconds, take it out, apply flux and scrape a bit with the tip of the iron to dislodge bits of junk, and it's ready for soldering. This gives out some fumes which are irritating to nose and eyes, but not dangerous (they're acetic acid, basically vinegar vapors - resulting from the decomposition of aspirin under heat). Thus the fan blowing away.
Thank you for sharing, I wish 12 years old me had access to resources like this back in the days, that would have spared me hours of frustrating unfruitful tinning. It sure will help many struggling youngters! I usually gently grind the non solderable kind on a piece of fine grain sand paper before tinning (until it partially "shines"). I also do it when using my 5 bucks chinese soldering pot instead of the method presented in this video. It usually ensure a faster and cleaner tinning process (althought not perfect). I'd say that i'm happy with the results about 75% of the time.
What about burning it off using air (or oxy) propane torch, and then using a jeweller's pickling solution (standard would be Sparex #2) to remove any oxides from the copper from the high heat. The pickle will remove literally all the oxides. Edit: I was thinking about much much larger litz, which is extra annoying.
In addition, there is quite a range of temperatures available in a candle flame. See the wikipedia entry for 'Candle'. There is a nice picture showing the five temperature zones going from 600 C to 1400 degrees C. Case closed, and problem solved. My work is done here.
I always use sanding paper or if it's a quick solution I scrape with a cutter. More heat and it decrades while soldering NEVER worked for me (should have been "solderable") :( It's such a pain in the back😜 Edit: the forming solder joints are crap and make just bad connections :( I'll try your methodes and report! :) Btw, gave you the diy lead-sulphate another try?
Have you used 46 AWG wire? Nope, have not redone the PbS. I'm wondering if I could make it with a 5 or 10 ton press and maybe some heat. I need a consulting chemist!
@@tsbrownie I don't know the gauge :/ they were like these wires used for headphones and small data wires, bought as "solderable" but they behaved exactly like headphone wires. I must admit that single stranded enameled wire are also a pain for me :( the "blob"-method work but the temp has to be really high and even single stand wire don't like to "dive" into the solderblob and the fire method where you burn the enamel with a lighter melt the whole wire if its thin and lager tend to get brittle and break :( like I said, pure horror for me! In regard to the lead-sulphate, I don't know if a press will really work that good :/ No experience with that but I did a few syntheses under the lack of oxygen and it worked very well so I'm going to try it and will report :) P.S. I also have some of these dynamo flashlights, already with leds instead of a normal bulb. I'm still trying to mod one with a gold cap or some sort of energy storage but with the low ac voltage (don't really work with FBR) it's kinda difficult. I think about using the leds to rectify and to store the remaining electricity... still no usefull idea 😅
I would have thought the butane lighter would have worked as the flame is 600C and copper melts at 1084 C. Perhaps the copper does not melt, but gets somewhat soft. I think if one could support the far end some how, then the wire would remain straight.
I think part of it is the copper burns. You can see it sparkle. But per google (and it's never wrong;) a butane lighter can get 4,074 degrees Fahrenheit (2245 Celsius). Also, heating the copper in O2 oxidizes it, then you have to remove the oxide.
Thx much for showing this.....On Multi-Strand litz (660 strands/46 ga) I've heard that even 1 Single strand Bond fail will Totally defeats the expensive Litz wire Functionality ?? .....How does one Know that each Tinned end Strand of Litz wire is 100% electricity Solder bonded ?? .....For that Matter, how does end user Know their total Length (140 ft) of Litz wire dosen't have 1 or More Open strands to Start with ?? ....What Industry standard Test Method is used to QC soldered/Tinned Litz wire 100% strand End to end Continuity in commercial/Industry QC assurance testing ??
I read the same thing, and it makes sense. If you have an open wire, it acts like a capacitor. Getting rid of capacitance is one reason for using Litz, so.... How to test it? My guess is you do it statistically. You make a bunch of them, test them, then take the ones that score the best. Keep 1 as a standard to test against in the future.
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
Crystal Radio--Litz Wire (Is Litz The Sh*tz?) th-cam.com/video/O0hUYmp_US0/w-d-xo.html
I will give you a pro tip on a technique I've been using since the 1980s with great success for soldering enameled copper, litz included. It's something that you most likely already have in your home, it's not dangerous but can be a little uncomfortable if you don't have good ventilation (a fan blowing on your workbench and away from you will do the trick) and it's fairly quick and easy.
Aspirin. Yes, regular old aspirin tablets.
You place a tablet of aspirin on your workbench, place the end of the enameled copper wire on top of it, and press it down with the hot soldering iron tip. The aspirin melts and strips away the enamel without doing much or anything to the copper underneath. You just keep the wire in the molten aspirin pool for a few seconds, take it out, apply flux and scrape a bit with the tip of the iron to dislodge bits of junk, and it's ready for soldering.
This gives out some fumes which are irritating to nose and eyes, but not dangerous (they're acetic acid, basically vinegar vapors - resulting from the decomposition of aspirin under heat). Thus the fan blowing away.
I've heard of that, will have to give it a try. Right now I only have gel type aspirin.
Thank you for sharing, I wish 12 years old me had access to resources like this back in the days, that would have spared me hours of frustrating unfruitful tinning. It sure will help many struggling youngters!
I usually gently grind the non solderable kind on a piece of fine grain sand paper before tinning (until it partially "shines"). I also do it when using my 5 bucks chinese soldering pot instead of the method presented in this video. It usually ensure a faster and cleaner tinning process (althought not perfect). I'd say that i'm happy with the results about 75% of the time.
Just a super big thank you, for all your hard work, time and expense on trying to find a good solution for us. Kudos!
Thank you.
Can u choose between non solderable lits or u at some point have to use it?
Also where did u buy the blue one (I realy like the insulation color
I don't understand your first question. The blue is cool looking, but its frequency is no good for AM radio.
What about burning it off using air (or oxy) propane torch, and then using a jeweller's pickling solution (standard would be Sparex #2) to remove any oxides from the copper from the high heat. The pickle will remove literally all the oxides.
Edit: I was thinking about much much larger litz, which is extra annoying.
The wire with 6x more copper melted away with a lighter.
As copper melts at 1084.62 °C, 1984.32 °F, could use a candle flame at its bottom blue zone which is 800 degrees C.
In addition, there is quite a range of temperatures available in a candle flame. See the wikipedia entry for 'Candle'. There is a nice picture showing the five temperature zones going from 600 C to 1400 degrees C. Case closed, and problem solved. My work is done here.
Ah yes, BUT, try finding those temps over the length of the stripped wire and when the flame is moving around! ;)
I rest my case.
@@tsbrownie well, it looks like a small solder pot it the way to go.😿
@franzliszt3195 Or just use a drip of solder on your current soldering iron! The title promises no special equipment.
Now I have to convince myself I need Litz wire.@@tsbrownie
Assume video. Thanks for making TH-cam useful
Thank you.
I always use sanding paper or if it's a quick solution I scrape with a cutter. More heat and it decrades while soldering NEVER worked for me (should have been "solderable") :( It's such a pain in the back😜
Edit: the forming solder joints are crap and make just bad connections :(
I'll try your methodes and report! :)
Btw, gave you the diy lead-sulphate another try?
Have you used 46 AWG wire? Nope, have not redone the PbS. I'm wondering if I could make it with a 5 or 10 ton press and maybe some heat. I need a consulting chemist!
@@tsbrownie I don't know the gauge :/ they were like these wires used for headphones and small data wires, bought as "solderable" but they behaved exactly like headphone wires.
I must admit that single stranded enameled wire are also a pain for me :( the "blob"-method work but the temp has to be really high and even single stand wire don't like to "dive" into the solderblob and the fire method where you burn the enamel with a lighter melt the whole wire if its thin and lager tend to get brittle and break :( like I said, pure horror for me!
In regard to the lead-sulphate, I don't know if a press will really work that good :/ No experience with that but I did a few syntheses under the lack of oxygen and it worked very well so I'm going to try it and will report :)
P.S. I also have some of these dynamo flashlights, already with leds instead of a normal bulb.
I'm still trying to mod one with a gold cap or some sort of energy storage but with the low ac voltage (don't really work with FBR) it's kinda difficult. I think about using the leds to rectify and to store the remaining electricity... still no usefull idea 😅
I would have thought the butane lighter would have worked as the flame is 600C and copper melts at 1084 C. Perhaps the copper does not melt, but gets somewhat soft. I think if one could support the far end some how, then the wire would remain straight.
I think part of it is the copper burns. You can see it sparkle. But per google (and it's never wrong;) a butane lighter can get 4,074 degrees Fahrenheit (2245 Celsius). Also, heating the copper in O2 oxidizes it, then you have to remove the oxide.
Well, it appears one can get the temp down to 300C by have a 50-50 mixture of butane and oxygen by weight.@@tsbrownie
Thx much for showing this.....On Multi-Strand litz (660 strands/46 ga) I've heard that even 1 Single strand Bond fail will Totally defeats the expensive Litz wire Functionality ?? .....How does one Know that each Tinned end Strand of Litz wire is 100% electricity Solder bonded ?? .....For that Matter, how does end user Know their total Length (140 ft) of Litz wire dosen't have 1 or More Open strands to Start with ?? ....What Industry standard Test Method is used to QC soldered/Tinned Litz wire 100% strand End to end Continuity in commercial/Industry QC assurance testing ??
I read the same thing, and it makes sense. If you have an open wire, it acts like a capacitor. Getting rid of capacitance is one reason for using Litz, so.... How to test it? My guess is you do it statistically. You make a bunch of them, test them, then take the ones that score the best. Keep 1 as a standard to test against in the future.