stranded wire and small PCB holes -> GRRRrrhhhh

[JimRayden]

Stranded wire and PCBs... How do you get rid of those single little strands of wire that just won't go through a hole. Soldering the wire first usually works but in this case the hole is exactly the size of wire and it wouldn't propably fit.


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Jimbo

[PerroGrande]

I hear ya!  Most of the time, tinning the wire is a good approach to this problem.  However, if the hole is too small for the tinned wire, you'll have to find another method.

What I do is strip the wire and then twist the strands by pinching them between my fingers and spinning -- always in the same direction.  If properly done, you have a tightly braided bunch of wires with none sticking out, etc.  I then try to "spin" the wire through the pcb hole, spinning it in the same direction as the wrapping that I did in the first step.  A-kin to threading a screw...

The real key is a nice, tight, unidirectional wrap on the strands.  Strip back more than you need so you can get a decent grip on the strands.  You can clip the excess once you get it through the board.

[Papa_lazerous]

Could you just have a drill bit in a small hand chuck and open the holes up a touch?

[mdh]

You might just need to improve your tinning technique, or as was suggested, make the hole bigger.  I usually strip the wire a little long, twist the strands tightly, and tin from the tip, letting capillary action wick the solder toward the insulation as I sweep the solder from the tip toward the insulation.  Then I cut the blob at the end off, and if I did a good job, the wire isn't really any thicker (well, maybe a bit, but you'd probably have to measure it in angstroms).

[JimRayden]

Yes the twisting is a must , so is turning the wire when pushing it in. Still some seem to be naughty and find the edge of the board where to hold on and tangle.

mdh, thanks for the tip, seems like the blob-trick should work.

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Jimbo

[Processaurus]

The small bear pre bonded stranded wire is nice for these situations.  I've wasted so much time trying to stuff uncooperative wire in too small holes.   

[Mark Hammer]

I use thew prebonded stuff, but I also have some small pliers that are flat and wide.  I find I can grip the outside of the stranded wire, whether bonded or not, and twist the whole thing a bit so that it is tighter and has a smaller combined diameter.  A wee bit of liquid flux on the exposed/stripped wire allows it to tin very nicely with minimal solder to add to the diameter.  Then, if the whole size and working space is a tight fit, I generally use a blade to lop the end of the wire off, guillotine style, instead of wire cutters.  I find the wire cutters tend to spread the end of the cut out a bit, just prolonging the problem.

Of course, it also helps to have a wide selection of carbide bits hanging around to expand select holes a bit.

[anchovie]

When all else fails, I fit a terminal pin to the board and solder the wire to that.

[wampcat1]

The small bear pre bonded stranded wire is nice for these situations.  I've wasted so much time trying to stuff uncooperative wire in too small holes.   

Heck yes! I use nothing but the prebond stuff for effects. It rules.
bw

[Solidhex]

Yo

  Sometimes if I'm having trouble I'll snip the wire at an angle so the you sort of have a sharp point that's easier to fit in a small hole and work in by twisting.

--Brad

[Mark Hammer]

Angle-cutting is good.  Angle-cutting with a sharp blade, as opposed to cutters is better.

[kurtlives]

I usually pull off a strand or two to get it to fit. Like said tinning also helps.

I also sometimes enlarge the holes with a small knife.

[Shepherd]

I usually pull off a strand or two to get it to fit.

IME that makes things noisy.

[kurtlives]

How so?

[Shepherd]

Those loose strands can make intermittent contact with connected strands.  Sometimes it pops, sometimes it oscillates.