Learn how to solder wires with ease using this handy step-by-step guide.
Whether your wire is too short, you need to split a connection, or you have a repair to perform, knowing how to solder wires together is an essential skill for any electronics enthusiast. Let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to solder two wires together—or three or more wires if needed.
For the first step in this process, you need to cut your wires to size and strip their ends to expose the metal cores within. Being generous with the lengths of wire you use can save headaches down the line.
As shown in the image above, use your wire cutters/strippers to remove 2cm of insulation from both of your wires, being careful not to cut the wires all the way through. Gently twisting the ends of each wire will make them easier to work with.
Adding heat-shrink tubing to your wires may only be possible before you solder them together, as the other ends of the wires may be attached to something. Simply slide the heat-shrink tubing over one of the wires and let it rest.
This step is essential to the strength of your joined wires, and this makes it crucial that you take care to do it correctly.
Place the wires so that the tips form an X shape, just like the image above. From this position, you can carefully twist each wire around the other, going in opposite directions with each wire to ensure a strong connection.
Soldering three or more wires together is similar to soldering two, but you need to plan ahead to make sure that you can make a strong connection between each wire. We will be soldering three wires together in a Y shape.
Start by placing two of your wires next to one another, with their stripped tips overlapping slightly, like in the photo above. Twist the ends of these wires together before placing the third wire between them, like in the photo below.
Following this, you can twist the third wire around the other two to form a strong connection.
Soldering wires together is usually easiest with a broad soldering iron tip, as this will give you a large surface area to heat your wires. You can use rosin flux to improve the adhesion of your solder to the wires, though we find that this isn’t necessary with the wires that we are using.
Press your soldering iron tip into the exposed wires for a second or two to heat them up. Once heated, you can begin to feed solder into the joint between your wires, being careful to let solder sink into the wires as it melts. You may have to turn your wires once or twice to get an even spread.
For some more soldering pointers, check out our guide on learning how to solder with simple tips and projects.
Once you have finished soldering, it will be time to perform your finishing touches. Slip your heat-shrink tube over the joint you have just made before using a heat gun to seal it to the wires. You should now have a perfectly soldered, protected joint for your wires.
As you can see, soldering wires together is easy with the right know-how. These skills can take some practice, making it worth finding some old wires to join before you do this for an important project.
Samuel is a UK-based technology writer with a passion for all things DIY. Having started businesses in the fields of web development and 3D printing, along with working as a writer for many years, Samuel offers a unique insight into the world of technology. Focusing mainly on DIY tech projects, he loves nothing more than sharing fun and exciting ideas that you can try at home. Outside of work, Samuel can usually be found cycling, playing PC video games, or desperately attempting to communicate with his pet crab.
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