[Elecraft] Stripping & Tinning Enameled Wire - Fast, Easy, Reliably

[Peter Hall]

Hi Gwen,

I love my Hakko FR301 de-soldering gun but, while I've used a variety of melt/burn techniques for enamel wire insulation, I had not thought of using the de-soldering tool.  I haven't noticed anyone mention wire stripping tweezers, which I've found to be a really handy tool when making inductors with a variety of wire sizes. I settled on a single size tweezer:

https://au.element14.com/knipex/15-11-120/wire-stripper-0-6mm/dp/875958?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6Ongl-b99AIVwg5yCh3cgwwJEAQYASABEgLFsPD_BwE&mckv=_dc|pcrid|501152839127|pkw||pmt||slid||product|875958|pgrid|123988903131|ptaid|pla-293946777986|&CMP=KNC-GAU-GEN-SMART-SHOPPING

Purists would probably have a few different sizes but the one referenced deals with my requirements for small receiving toroids, up to (e.g.) the LPF inductors in the 2200 m PA I've just finished (about 16 AWG, as I recall).  These tweezers are very sharp and quite compact, so they can be angled to optimize the tinned lengths on e.g. partially-mounted toroids.  It's a slightly longer and calmer process than the melt/burn approach.

73, Peter (VK6HP).



-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Gwen Patton
Sent: Saturday, 25 December 2021 3:53 AM
To: Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Stripping & Tinning Enameled Wire - Fast, Easy, Reliably

I'd love to have one of those vacuum desoldering tools. I feel in techno-lust with them watching Mr. Carlson's Lab on YouTube. I might try that trick you discovered, but I found that my electronic plasma arc lighter burns off enamel on anything but the thickest of magnet wire. Hold the wire with pliers, though, the inductance heats the wire very fast, and the enamel burns off in a twinkling.

I'd avoid using the plasma arc trick on a toroid already soldered to the board at the other end. That might let out more than a little bit of magic smoke.

73,
Gwen, NG3P

On Fri, Dec 24, 2021, 12:35 PM CUTTER DAVID via Elecraft < elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

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