wiring, solder, heatshrinks and more :)

[Nirraven]

I have some newbie questions

I recently watch a video from DarthAlice about wire quality.
What me confused is the max amps a wire can handle.
If i google the max amps i got like only 1.4 amps for a 28awg wire.
I am pretty sure that isn't correct but where i can find a formula for our needs?
What is the max amps we but on our wires with a 3.7 or a 7.4 v li-ion battery?
If 30 awg wire can handle our stuff, why we should use bigger ones?

Have anyone experiance with PTFE heatshrinks? What should be prefered 2:1 or 4:1?

What solder diameter is good for wiring a NB?
What solder material you prefer? I heared Sn60Pb40 should be good for SMD technology so that should be also good for us? What tempretur should have the solder iron for this material?

What soldering tips and shape you use and why?

That should be enought for the start

Thanks
Nirraven

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

I feel like we've just had this discussion in another thread.

Googling things is fine, until you don't read the all of the information on the chart. That chart refers to AC (alternating current i.e. what Electrical Companies dish out to every building in the world), and also items on this charts are based on "per 1000 feet" of a cable, and I have yet to see any of you use 1000 feet of cable in a saber. Maybe 2 feet, but 1000?? Nope.

I'll tell you what I told the other padawan that brought this up, you're overthinking things.

You're free to use whatever wire you wish. I personally tend to use 28 AWG, but I have also used 26 on occasion.

The solder I use has a little silver in it as well, I don't have the composition on me, but i do remember that it was 2% silver.

Use very fine tips, and keep them very clean.

[Nirraven]

Hmm, i only saw 1000 feet for ohms not for the max amps. Thanks for clarification
So if 1000 feet of a 30 awg stranded wire can handle 0.86 amps, 1 feet can handle 860? That seems a little bit high for me.

About tips for the solder iron i hear completly reverse information. Some say, as big as you can handle because this should be easier to solder.
What solder shape you use, pencil or chisel?

You said there was a other thread about that, can you link it to me? Only thread i found was that: http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...auge-questions
In there is only the gauge question answered.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Hmm, i only saw 1000 feet for ohms not for the max amps. Thanks for clarification
So if 1000 feet of a 30 awg stranded wire can handle 0.86 amps, 1 feet can handle 860? That seems a little bit high for me.

About tips for the solder iron i hear completly reverse information. Some say, as big as you can handle because this should be easier to solder.
What solder shape you use, pencil or chisel?

You said there was a other thread about that, can you link it to me? Only thread i found was that: http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...auge-questions
In there is only the gauge question answered.

It doesn't work like that. It can't handle 860 Amps, though 3 would be reasonable (and most battery solutions barely pump that much out anyway). Just like having 3 LEDs of the same color doesn't make a blade 50% brighter than 2 LEDs of the same color. It's easy to think in linear terms like that, but it doesn't work that way.

As I said earlier, I use VERY fine pencil style tips for my soldering, as do most of the old guard Sabersmiths I know. Considering I got my pointers directly from Erv', and I've never had an issue, I'll stick to the advice of the other "pros".

As fort the soldering temp, I go a little over 700F settings - about 725F.

That's the thread regarding the wire gauge, and the different types of solder, etc. have been discussed in the past.

[atomsk]

its weird that chart comes up so much. that is nowhere near the same ballpark as the wire applications of specifications we deal with. There is no chart that i know of that measures the max acceptable current for small lengths of small guage wires. and really theres no property of wire that basically prevents the delivery of currents beyond a threshhold. at higher currents you have higher temps, smaller wire means less ability to disaappate that heat. if you exceed the melting point of whatever metal the wire is, your wire becomes liquid and fire briefly and then is no longer wire afterwards. Have a look at this chart, as it is atleast closer to relevant and atleast demonstrates how useless that other chart is. http://www.powerstream.com/wire-fusing-currents.htm

fwiw, have been doing this for the better part of a decade with copper stranded wiring between awg26 -awg30 and have never melted wire at 1-3a. nor have i heard of anyone doing this.. but yes theoretically at some point it should happen. You'll find there are def parts of this hobby that seem to have been refined to science, and parts that are still very open to experimentation, imo all o it is and thats half the fun of it! im quite sure even 32awg could withstand a 3a current, but i feel like the wires may be too fragile for dueling. You may well try them and find that they work fine, or that they melt. if you do let everyone know and we can all save 10cents on wire!

[acerocket]

http://circuitcalculator.com/wordpre...er-calculator/

[FenixFire]

FJK,

This type of chart also probably falls into the 60% rule that we discussed prior; where the published specification and/or recommendations fall at or below the 60% max at failure point.

I now work with one of the electrical engineers who worked on the development of the CREE XP and XP2 leds, and when we were discussing how the sabersmiths are driving his leds...he about flipped and started educating me on how LEDs work...long story short they were never even tested out to 1A because all simulation showed them melting down long before the temperature that 1A generates...he cant believe they are lasting more than a few minutes of use without overheating. He also brought up 20 minutes of lecture why using Ohms law and resistors to drive an LED...well lets say he said it can be done but not pleased with it. Though he was impressed with the work all you have done and may be working on something to help out the smiths...

[Silver Serpent]

Heh. How long have we been building LED sabers? How many years ago did this hobby make the switch from EL blades?

I'm pretty sure the technology works the way we're trying to use it, even if it wasn't designed that way.

[Nirraven]

It doesn't work like that.

Thats not helpfull. So my question is still open. I don't know exactly what my wires can handle.

As I said earlier, I use VERY fine pencil style tips

Nope, you "only" said that you use fine tips. Thanks for the advice with the pencil shape.

As fort the soldering temp, I go a little over 700F settings - about 725F.

Thanks for temp

[FenixFire]

Heh. How long have we been building LED sabers? How many years ago did this hobby make the switch from EL blades?

I'm pretty sure the technology works the way we're trying to use it, even if it wasn't designed that way.

Its a testament to the quality of the heat-sinks and the LED holders extending the thermal transfer out to the hilt. That is actually from his mouth not mine.