Alternative to Soldering

[edan]

Hello,

I had a severe reaction (asthma) to some soldering and I am trying to figure out how to proceed in this hobby.

Electronics is not a subject that I am knowledgeable in, hence my question.

Is there ANY way to secure/attach two wires together other than soldering?

I did have an evac system. A homemade system that was made from a 5 inch fan going thru 4 inch dryer hose, which evacuated out a window. This appeared to be working correctly as you could easily see the smoke being drawn thru the system. Also, none of my friends solder.

To stay in this hobby I am willing to try anything. My first thought, (I can see everyone cringe at the thought now) is to use some sort of wire nut and electrical tape. Yes, I hate the thought of something like this, but I do not want another breathing scare, and I definitely do not want to give up this hobby.


Thank you.

[EeePee]

Bummer.

Higher speed fan? But that'd cool your joints… I tend to not breathe when I solder. High speed fan and hold your breath!

[allanon1965]

a good soldering station will mitigate 99% of your problem, there should be minimal smoke while soldering...mine takes less than a couple seconds to make a good solder joint.. a normal soldering iron or pistol grip soldering gun will cause a lot more smoke in my experience..

[mikemcE]

Easiest way is a chem respirator, like painters wear. Not expensive, I use when airbrushing everything .

http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-u...s=avg_rating|1

These are 1/2 face, full face if smoke gets in your eyes


Hang up and Drive

[Vagos2]

I have a friend who is keen on tube electronics and he made a diy forced air mask to save himself from the solder fumes.. Just a small fan blowing through s tube and into his mask (he removed the filter and stuck the tube in the opening).. Very easy to make I guess and works good for him since he uses the soldering iron A LOT..

[whitrzac]

Originally Posted by edan

Hello,

I had a severe reaction (asthma) to some soldering and I am trying to figure out how to proceed in this hobby.

Electronics is not a subject that I am knowledgeable in, hence my question.

Is there ANY way to secure/attach two wires together other than soldering?

I did have an evac system. A homemade system that was made from a 5 inch fan going thru 4 inch dryer hose, which evacuated out a window. This appeared to be working correctly as you could easily see the smoke being drawn thru the system. Also, none of my friends solder.

To stay in this hobby I am willing to try anything. My first thought, (I can see everyone cringe at the thought now) is to use some sort of wire nut and electrical tape. Yes, I hate the thought of something like this, but I do not want another breathing scare, and I definitely do not want to give up this hobby.


Thank you.

Try switching brands of solder/flux as well. Some of them are really nasty.

[mikemcE]

It usually the flux that smokes and irritates, rather than the actual solder.Flux is the key to soldering, don't skimp


Hang up and Drive

[fortyeightjake]

Soldering will be the best connection but they do make some nice crimp connectors that are nearly as good when done correctly.

[edan]

Thank you to all who took the time to reply.

I do have a good soldering station….it’s my soldering skills that need upgraded. lol

My plan so far is:

1. I borrowed another 5 inch fan to put on the end of the hose. Now I will have one “pulling” while the other is “pushing” the air thru.
2. I am looking into a chem respirator that I can afford. I am also considering the forced air mask.
3. I will be trying different solder/flux as I am getting low on my supply.

I am sure that one or all three of these will work for me. If I still have a problem, I did find some wire connectors that might work. I know the connection will not be as good, and it will add weight and maintenance, but I don't see any other way around this.

Thanks again everyone.

[TheLetterJ]

Look into "solder paste" it is basically solder that's in powder form, mixed with flux. Most of them have a lower melting temp so you can use a heat gun. It's harder for me to use in a tight space or with pinpoint accuracy, but it may be a better option for your use.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by EeePee

Bummer.

Higher speed fan? But that'd cool your joints… I tend to not breathe when I solder. High speed fan and hold your breath!

I try not to breathe. I also try to solder near a ventilation fan so that I can breathe.

[mikemcE]

Originally Posted by TheLetterJ

Look into "solder paste" it is basically solder that's in powder form, mixed with flux. Most of them have a lower melting temp so you can use a heat gun. It's harder for me to use in a tight space or with pinpoint accuracy, but it may be a better option for your use.

I've used "LACO flux and solder together" paste.... really smokes as it has so much flux, best product for tinning wire though.



Hang up and Drive

[dr frankenstyle]

I've set-up a "paint-booth" for models, with a fan in a window and a cardboard box as a hood, to pull the paint fumes away from you and out of the house. Maybe you could do something like that for soldering.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by mikemcE

I've used "LACO flux and solder together" paste.... really smokes as it has so much flux, best product for tinning wire though.

That stuff sounds interesting.

Originally Posted by dr frankenstyle

I've set-up a "paint-booth" for models, with a fan in a window and a cardboard box as a hood, to pull the paint fumes away from you and out of the house. Maybe you could do something like that for soldering.

Even a fan blowing away from you would work.

Or you could use a bad mechanic's best friend. Just kidding. Do NOT use these in RC.

[84yoda]

Try this first, since it's cheap and might be enough.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/3M-2-Pack-All...rators/3370626

[spaceman5280]

I use those everyday....


Or you could use a bad mechanic's best friend. Just kidding. Do NOT use these in RC.



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[Hydrocarbon92]

I'd just recommend different flux & solder. Kester makes some of the best stuff out there. Look for 63/37 electronics solder with "no-clean flux", or get flux-free 63/37 and Kester 951 no-clean liquid flux. Their 951 no-clean flux has virtually zero smoke or smell when soldering; in liquid form it's akin to alcohol mixed with acetone. It also leaves virtually no residue vs rosin flux. The only down side is it won't work well on heavily-oxidized wire. It usually takes 15+ yrs for wire to get that bad, though.

Another no-solder option are crimp connectors from 3M. Most hobbyists will say crimping is a no-go, but consider that wire past 10awg is virtually always crimped outside the r/c world. Crimps are the only connections allowed on the NASA Orbiters, space stations, etc. Same for military & aerospace applications, solder rarely exists beyond PCB's. Makes you wonder how the multi-thousand volt/amp power lines stay connected if crimping sucks. The problem is 10AWG crimps usually aren't rated for the 200A+ some large-scale vehicles require, but 30-50A for 1/10th scale is doable with a good crimp.

[Waitwhatsthat?]

If you want to skip the solder, then try out some power pole connectors. You'll need the special crimper for them also. I used to use them before I became comfortable with soldering. They actually work really well. The only downside I had was on my short course truck they would sometimes melt due to the extremely high amp draw. On a crawler you don't need to worry about that. You can find them at most electronics stores, and usually cheaper than what an lhs might carry.

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[DrewHammer]

Originally Posted by Hydrocarbon92

I'd just recommend different flux & solder. Kester makes some of the best stuff out there. Look for 63/37 electronics solder with "no-clean flux", or get flux-free 63/37 and Kester 951 no-clean liquid flux. Their 951 no-clean flux has virtually zero smoke or smell when soldering; in liquid form it's akin to alcohol mixed with acetone. It also leaves virtually no residue vs rosin flux. The only down side is it won't work well on heavily-oxidized wire. It usually takes 15+ yrs for wire to get that bad, though.

Another no-solder option are crimp connectors from 3M. Most hobbyists will say crimping is a no-go, but consider that wire past 10awg is virtually always crimped outside the r/c world. Crimps are the only connections allowed on the NASA Orbiters, space stations, etc. Same for military & aerospace applications, solder rarely exists beyond PCB's. Makes you wonder how the multi-thousand volt/amp power lines stay connected if crimping sucks. The problem is 10AWG crimps usually aren't rated for the 200A+ some large-scale vehicles require, but 30-50A for 1/10th scale is doable with a good crimp.

Arguing just for fun here, but there's more western-union/linemans splices in space than crimps, unless you're talking about specifically inside of a connector body. Where they do allow splices they're very specific about their best practices.

https://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/ins...20Splices.html

[Hydrocarbon92]

I'm not simply referring to repairs, I'm also talking about the individual pins w/in the connectors at the end of looms where they connect to components. The vast majority in apps with large temp ranges, particularly those with high temp ranges, will see an almost exclusive use of crimped pins. Milspec connectors come in both a solder and crimp terminals. Just because solder specifications exist doesn't mean it's the preferred method.

"the heat from the soldering process work hardens the copper and then the wire is subject to breakage from vibration, thats why the shuttle uses crimps. soldering is not used on aircraft for this reason" source: retired A&P mechanic.

An example that's a bit closer to home is automotive wiring. 99.9% of all automotive wires are terminated in a crimp, mostly for different reasons but also including the one cited above. The auto mechs I've discussed this topic with almost unanimously agree crimps are better, although in some very few examples some ECU's reacted poorly to crimp repairs on extremely sensitive signal wires. Those were unamplified mV signals though, scale servos conversely have no issue with 3.3v signals despite being designed for 5v.

As far as shadetree repairs go, I've dealt with countless people with wiring issues that resulted from their poor soldering jobs. A solder joint can look bad but be good, or look good but be bad. A crimp can be tested very easily, give it a yank nearly enough to tear the wires - the crimp should be stronger.