Re: Making My Own Cable?

Ed Eastman wrote: 
msean wrote:

Hi, Are there any sources of instructions on the net for making your
own cables? I have a pin diagram but don't know what you actually do to
make the connections and cable.
Thanks, Mike


<snip>

Take some flux and coat the metal wires, twist them together if they separate. Then touch the hot iron to it so the flux 'melts' and smokes a bit. The reaction of the flux melting will clean the wire as the flux is acidic. 

Whoa!  The only proper flux for electronic use is rosin-based,
and it is NOT acidic.  NEVER use acid-based fluxes with electronics
(such as zinc or ammonium chloride fluxes).

Fluxes for electronic use are non-conductive and non-corrosive, and
are usually soluble in water or alcohol.

Next, grab the solder and apply the heat to the wire again, and touch the solder to the opposite side of the wire. The heat will melt and draw the solder around and coat the wire. (Solder flows towards the heat.)

This applying solder to the wire before connecting it is called tinning. You should only solder with tinned wire to make your life easier.

Apply a tiny smidge of flux to the pin where you want the solder to stick and touch the tinned wire and the pin together at that point. Heat the pin and allow the solder to adhere to the pin. 

Extra flux is seldom necessary.  Rosin-core solder contains plenty
of flux for tinning.  Additional flux just makes more of a mess to
clean up.

-michael

8-voice music synthesizer using NadaNet 2.0 networking!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
tool--and it is seriously underused."
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