Connecting/soldering 26-30awg stranded or solid hook up wire. Tips and/or techniques

Ted, soldering or screw terminals are the only methods I've found to be totally safe and reliable.  With the screw terminals, tiny stranded and solid wires can be twisted for a positive connection with the screw terminals.  Nip the prongs off the back of the circuit board terminal strips.

Tiny wire nuts fall off and can cause a fire if they contact stuff stored under layout.

Susan, thanks for the suggestions.

I absolutely hate wire nuts.  They just don't seem to work for me. 

George

Thx SD.  I was hoping I was missing the easy way. Still need to lengthen the connection wires to get to a terminal block, or, the plugs I have.  The screw terminals would work for that too.  I can solder, so that isn't a major factor. Is there a source for small diameter heat shrink tubing or is there another suggestion for covering small solder connections. Glopping on silicone caulk or hot glue??  Gotta be a better way. TW

Home Depot sells small weatherproof "insulation displacement" connectors for telephone circuits (19- 26 gauge wire). Two wires can be pushed into the connector, then a button-like device on top is pressed, which locks the wires inside the connector's housing. A tiny dab of silicon is released, which provides a weatherproof connection. At last look on HD's website, they were 25 for $4.50. I have only used them for my landline telephone connections, but they have been completely reliable and much better and easier to use than wire nuts and should work for your needs, too.

I meant 'silicone" rather than silicon ....

There should be many selections of the terminals Susan mentions and also heat shrink tubing on ebay or Amazon. The Asian sellers will be less cost, but it will take a while to get the items. Sellers shipping from the US will be a little more cost, but you will get the items faster.

The connectors B.Smith mentions above look interesting too and I believe HD also has heat shrink tubing which would be the fastest way to get these items.

BSmith. Your telephone connector reference jogged my memory thirty years back and lo n behold I found these little electrical splices in my wire nut drawer. Spliced the wires together, then to my plug, n I'm golden. Got my boys a flickering campfire n light in the cabin. Lots more to to, so I'll look for those connectors. I don't have enough.  Sourced and ordered some 3/64", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8" heat shrink tubing also.  Thx for the help all. Ted

Another option is the bean connectors.  You just stuff the wires in and crush them with a pair of pliers.  They do a great job of securing the connection.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Another option is the bean connectors.  You just stuff the wires in and crush them with a pair of pliers.  They do a great job of securing the connection.

Yup, they work well with your lighting kits. I do solder the wires together before I "stuff" the wires in and crush the bean. 

Gee, if you solder the wires, you'd probably be better off with heatshrink, it's much more compact.  These are included because people don't like to solder, so it's an attempt to do a truly "solderless" kit.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Gee, if you solder the wires, you'd probably be better off with heatshrink, it's much more compact.  These are included because people don't like to solder, so it's an attempt to do a truly "solderless" kit.

You're right again, but I don't have the heatshrink, yet...  So, to assure myself the wires will not magically disconnect(come apart) inside the bean, I solder.  

Well, if you do use heat-shrink tubing, just remember to slide a piece onto one of the wires before you solder the joint (I've remembered too late on more than one occasion).

B Smith posted:

Well, if you do use heat-shrink tubing, just remember to slide a piece onto one of the wires before you solder the joint (I've remembered too late on more than one occasion).

Haven't we all... lol

Woodson posted:

B Smith posted:

Well, if you do use heat-shrink tubing, just remember to slide a piece onto one of the wires before you solder the joint (I've remembered too late on more than one occasion).

Haven't we all... lol

Yeah, it's almost a right of passage. Just curious, on wire gauge this small would liquid tape be an option? I've used heat shrink on wire this small and it's not very flexible.

Steve

I've soldered thousands of connections, and I still occasionally notice the nicely cut piece of heatshrink laying on the bench after it's all soldered up.

TedW posted:

Is there a source for small diameter heat shrink tubing or is there another suggestion for covering small solder connections. Glopping on silicone caulk or hot glue??  Gotta be a better way. TW

Ted. here's the All Electronics heat shrink page.  They have all sizes and all electronics stuff.  Ace Hardware carries liquid electrical tape if you forget to slip the heat shrink on.

Susan Deats posted:

TedW posted:

Is there a source for small diameter heat shrink tubing or is there another suggestion for covering small solder connections. Glopping on silicone caulk or hot glue??  Gotta be a better way. TW

Ted. here's the All Electronics heat shrink page.  They have all sizes and all electronics stuff.  Ace Hardware carries liquid electrical tape if you forget to slip the heat shrink on.

Susan, thx for the link. You all have been most helpful. TW

Ted:

You will need to solder wires to the poles to reach under the table (excellent comments above). Once under the table my technique is a little different. I use European style terminal strips with wire ferules. See pictures below.

Joe

Model Structures posted:

 

Ted:

You will need to solder wires to the poles to reach under the table (excellent comments above). Once under the table my technique is a little different. I use European style terminal strips with wire ferules. See pictures below.

Joe

 

Joe, this is an interesting system. Is it readily available?  I have a couple euro terminal strips, but to date only use screw type with crimped spade connections.  I'm thinking tinning the wire ends would suffice for the euro strips. Thx for the response. I'm going to look into this. Do you have a link?

I just strip the wires and tin them.  Works fine and I don't have to buy any extra stuff.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I just strip the wires and tin them.  Works fine and I don't have to buy any extra stuff.