Thanks, this is what I was looking for. I really was hoping for a
solution that didn't involve a utility-knife step, but oh well, if
that's the way everyone does it then I can deal with it too. I've
heard of the solderless connectors that cut through the insulation,
too, but I thought they were pretty expensive (like a buck each).
Thanks.
--- In WiringForDCC@..., "Vollrath, Don" <dvollrath@m...>
wrote:
You missed the rather pointed question...
How do you strip off the insulation on a solid bus wire without
cutting it in two? All the fancy wire strippers I've seen are meant
to work well only at the end of a wire, particularly with thermo-plastic.
I use the one-handed type stripper twice, facing in alternate
directions to isolate a 3/4 - 1 inch section of insulation then use a
sharp utility knife to slit the insulation and pull it off. Wrap the
track feeder drop wires several turns around the bare bus wire. Then
solder.
The trick of soldering is to use a clean hot iron with a relatively
large tip so as to have plenty of instant heat to transfer to the wire
wrapped around the bus. (A soldering 'gun' doesn't work well as it
has little heat reservoir.) Tin the iron with a little extra solder
for good heat transfer. Let it dwell on the joint for 2-3 seconds to
heat it up, then touch the wrapped wire with rosin core solder. It
should flow right into the joint. There is no need to add so much
solder that it drips...But don't do this over your face either. Wear
safety glasses and a heavy shirt just in case.
I added a slanting upright back rest to an auto mechanics creeper
that works great for fiddling under the layout.
DonV
-----Original Message-----
From: WiringForDCC@...
[mailto:WiringForDCC@...]On Behalf Of Ken
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 7:28 AM
To: WiringForDCC@...
Subject: [WiringForDCC] Re: attaching feeder wires to bus
1. I use wire strippers to pull the bus wire insulation apart,wrap the
feeder wire tightly around the bus wire, and solder.
2. Don't us the old type wire strippers that require you to hold one
wire with one hand and pull the insulation away with the wire
strippers. Newer strippers that are really not costly at all -- $5 to
15 or so -- do a perfect job. Look for the wire strippers that allow
basically one handed operation. You just put the stripper over the
wire and squeeze. One side grips the insulation and hold, the other
side cuts automatically to the size of the wire (doesn't even nick the
wire) and pulls the insulation back about 1/2" to 1" or so. If you
need more than that space just reposition and squeeze again. It's
soooo simple to do this way. They work perfectly on twisted wires as
well. These strippers are available at most hardware and supply stores
like Menard's, Lowe's, etc. If you need more info let me know.
Ken
--- In WiringForDCC@..., "Jerry Goodwin"
<jerrygoodwin@y...> wrote:
How do you connect the feeder wire to the bus?
If you solder it, how do you strip the insulation from the bus in the
middle of a stretch of wire without cutting the wire?
And how do you avoid dripping hot solder on your face?
