My wife needs to tin about 15,000 pieces of 22awg wire on one end. The length of the exposed wire is going to be a little over a 16th of an inch. I saw some solder melting pots and was wondering if it she just dipped the wire in the solder.

 

I've only used a solder pot a few times, but I think you will need to flux the wire first, then dip it in the solder.

Ken

 

Is it copper wire?
Is it insulated?

 

I just can't think of a better method than: Dip in flux, dip in solder pot, dip in flux remover...or drop the short pieces of wire in an ultrasonic cleaner filled with flux solvent. Tedious to say the least!

 

Don't know how much it would speed things up but you might consider putting a number of the pieces of wire in a clamp so you can perform the tinning function on more than one wire at a time. You would have to space the wires slightly, of course, so they aren't touching.

 

The wire is copper stranded insulated 22awg. I thought it would work. After the tinning they will be soldered to a .66" x .66" board so I will wait to clean till after the final solder.

 

You will find some nasty stuff floating on top of the solder in the pot. It's normal, just have a metal paint scraper handy to shove it aside to have a clean (bright and shiny) space to poke the wire thru.

A clamp would be more trouble then it's worth. Just grab sever wires, use the table to align the ends, then rest your arm and dip em in.

Flux is nasty stuff if left to lay around. I'd have a tray of isopropyl nearby to drop them into after tinning.

 

Just buy pre-tinned wire (prebonded/overcoat/topcoated,etc...) The cost of new wire is probably less than the cost of the time to tin what you have.

Or just solder without tinning it first.. Personally I don't see the point in tinning wire thats going to be soldered anyways.. It might save milliseconds in the soldering process but requires time to tin them anyways. its a wash IMO..

 

Depends on where you put that wire, if it is trough hole then untinned wire will often split when you put it in the hole and that you have to take it out and redo.

 

Just buy pre-tinned wire (prebonded/overcoat/topcoated,etc...) The cost of new wire is probably less than the cost of the time to tin what you have.

I never thought i would hear someone named Mcgyver opt to buy something rather than make it in the field. However, I do agree with him. Time is money and pre-tinned wire is readily available.

Unless she is looking to a long and boring experience, then she should give up. 15000 is a lot of pieces. Repetitive labor is mind numbing. You can't just add up the hours it will take her at some rate, you also have to add up the breaks, the complaining and the fatigue that will last long after the project is complete - if it will ever be completed.

If she grabs them in bundles, she may save time but the quality will definately go down as they stick together and melt the insulation back beyond here required dimensions.

The very best solution is to have someone with automated equipment do it for you...
http://www.milspecwireonline.com/services.html

 

I never thought i would hear someone named Mcgyver opt to buy something rather than make it in the field.

I can do it ALL myself and most of the time do (heck I'm even a man with a sewing machine).. But like you said time is money and some things just aren't worth the time to get that "self-satisfaction" of DIY.

Tinning really only ensures a quicker soldering time and a slight extra insurance against burning the wire insulation. Just take the time you would have spent tinning the wire and use it to practice soldering a bit more.
Just dip the wire in some flux first, stick it in the hole and solder it and move on IMO.