Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

I have a pair of quite expensive (well by my reckoning) Bose noise
Cancelling Headphones.

The 3.5mm 3 pole stereo plug needs replacing - intermittent contact of
one core.

Bought a quality gold plated right angle plug, which comes with neat
stress relief bushes.

The issue is the flexible cord itself .... it is a thin very flexible
item ... the cores once exposed are not individually sheathed in pvc ...
but what seems like a woven sheath thst just frays if you try to strip
with a knife.

The overall diam of cable is 1.9mm
The diam of each insulated core is 0.39mm

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Don loads of cable soldering in the past ... but prepping the ends on
this cable is proving difficult

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

Am 12.01.2013 17:06, schrieb Rick Hughes:
[soldering problem]

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Just an idea (may be a bad one): Try to burn off the insulation with a
pencil torch or even (if not at hand) a lighter.
May work, if the insulation is cotton-based.

Hope you understand, what i'm trying to say.

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.
Greetings
Matthias

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

"Matthias Czech" wrote in message
...
Am 12.01.2013 17:06, schrieb Rick Hughes:
[soldering problem]

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Just an idea (may be a bad one): Try to burn off the insulation with a
pencil torch or even (if not at hand) a lighter.
May work, if the insulation is cotton-based.

These cables can sometimes be a bundle of thin enamelled copper wires, with
the varnish in different colours for identification. The idea is to give a
thin flexible cable that survives bending well. It's often used in RF
applications (Litz wire) as it has good high frequency characteristics,
although this will be of rather less impotance at audio frequencies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litz_wire

Soldering it mainly involves getting the end of the bundle hot enough to
cook off the enamel - so a decent sized iron, at a slightly higher
temperature if possible, usually does the trick.

Charles F

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, Rick Hughes
wrote:

I have a pair of quite expensive (well by my reckoning) Bose noise
Cancelling Headphones.

The 3.5mm 3 pole stereo plug needs replacing - intermittent contact of
one core.

Bought a quality gold plated right angle plug, which comes with neat
stress relief bushes.

The issue is the flexible cord itself .... it is a thin very flexible
item ... the cores once exposed are not individually sheathed in pvc ...
but what seems like a woven sheath thst just frays if you try to strip
with a knife.

The overall diam of cable is 1.9mm
The diam of each insulated core is 0.39mm

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Don loads of cable soldering in the past ... but prepping the ends on
this cable is proving difficult

It's tinsel wire and is very difficult to deal with.
What I do is to try to tin it with the iron anf hopefully melt the
insulation, then find the finest strand of copper wire you can get
your hands on and wind it around the end then apply a little mote
solder on order to make a sort of bootlace ferrule.

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--

Cheers

DrT
______________________________
We may not be able to prevent the stormy times in
our lives; but we can always choose whether or not
to dance in the puddles (Jewish proverb).

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 17:53, Graham. wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, Rick Hughes

Don loads of cable soldering in the past ... but prepping the ends on
this cable is proving difficult

It's tinsel wire and is very difficult to deal with.
What I do is to try to tin it with the iron anf hopefully melt the
insulation, then find the finest strand of copper wire you can get
your hands on and wind it around the end then apply a little mote
solder on order to make a sort of bootlace ferrule.


+1, although I have also sometimes used a tiny gas torch as another
poster suggested. Another technique which used to be used on Litz wire
was dipping the end in meths and setting light to it, followed by gentle
scraping (but that was an enamel, not a fibrous insulation)

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 17:12, Matthias Czech wrote:
I am a Kraut.

Herzlichen Dank mein Herr

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 17:48, Charles Fearnley wrote:


These cables can sometimes be a bundle of thin enamelled copper wires, with
the varnish in different colours for identification.


That what is appears to be ...

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 22:15, newshound wrote:
On 12/01/2013 17:53, Graham. wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, Rick Hughes

Don loads of cable soldering in the past ... but prepping the ends on
this cable is proving difficult

It's tinsel wire and is very difficult to deal with.
What I do is to try to tin it with the iron anf hopefully melt the
insulation, then find the finest strand of copper wire you can get
your hands on and wind it around the end then apply a little mote
solder on order to make a sort of bootlace ferrule.


+1, although I have also sometimes used a tiny gas torch as another
poster suggested. Another technique which used to be used on Litz wire
was dipping the end in meths and setting light to it, followed by gentle
scraping (but that was an enamel, not a fibrous insulation)


I have a micro gas burner I'll try that

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 20:41, DrTeeth wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--


There are a mass of wires in each core ... as I try to scrape they just
all come open and stand a real risk of shorting.

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/13 22:47, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 17:48, Charles Fearnley wrote:


These cables can sometimes be a bundle of thin enamelled copper wires,
with
the varnish in different colours for identification.


That what is appears to be ...


worse sometimnes it 'tinsel' which is wires interspersed with fibres
good for flexcibility: almost impossible to solder at all

--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/13 22:49, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 20:41, DrTeeth wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--


There are a mass of wires in each core ... as I try to scrape they just
all come open and stand a real risk of shorting.

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

crimping or a solder pot


--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:15:26 +0000, newshound wrote:

On 12/01/2013 17:53, Graham. wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, Rick Hughes

Don loads of cable soldering in the past ... but prepping the ends on
this cable is proving difficult

It's tinsel wire and is very difficult to deal with.
What I do is to try to tin it with the iron anf hopefully melt the
insulation, then find the finest strand of copper wire you can get your
hands on and wind it around the end then apply a little mote solder on
order to make a sort of bootlace ferrule.


+1, although I have also sometimes used a tiny gas torch as another
poster suggested. Another technique which used to be used on Litz wire
was dipping the end in meths and setting light to it, followed by gentle
scraping (but that was an enamel, not a fibrous insulation)

Oh, I remember that. Winding IF transformers...



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:53:52 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 12/01/13 22:47, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 17:48, Charles Fearnley wrote:


These cables can sometimes be a bundle of thin enamelled copper wires,
with
the varnish in different colours for identification.


That what is appears to be ...


worse sometimnes it 'tinsel' which is wires interspersed with fibres
good for flexcibility: almost impossible to solder at all

Early telephone switchboard cords had to be highly flexible and
durable. They consisted of very fine strands of tinsel (cadmium copper
or bronze) spun around mercerised cotton. It was then served with
layers of silk or rayon, then covered with soft cotton braiding.
The only practicable way of terminating these reliably was binding the
end with fine tinned copper wire formed into a loop, virtually
crimping it, to attach to the screw connectors of a "jack plug", or
crimping on a spade connector for the fixed end of the cord.

Later cords used tiny crimped brass eyelets at the plug end.

Certainly solder didn't come into it at all :-)

Obviously all three conductors of the cord were then lapped in soft
cotton and finished with a layer of glazed cotton of the correct
colour.

It all kept the cotton industry going!

--
Frank Erskine

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

In message , Matthias Czech
writes
Am 12.01.2013 17:06, schrieb Rick Hughes:
[soldering problem]

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...0112_155950_zp
saac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Just an idea (may be a bad one): Try to burn off the insulation with a
pencil torch or even (if not at hand) a lighter.
May work, if the insulation is cotton-based.

Hope you understand, what i'm trying to say.

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.


Winkelschleifer !


--
geoff

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 13.01.2013 17:22, geoff wrote:
In message , Matthias Czech
writes

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.


Winkelschleifer !

;-)
There are three things in this world that you need: Duct tape, WD-40 and
Beer. Duct tape for things that move and aren't supposed to. WD-40 for
things that don't move and are supposed to. And Beer if it doesn't fit
into the first two categories.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

In message , Matthias Czech
writes
On 13.01.2013 17:22, geoff wrote:
In message , Matthias Czech
writes

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.


Winkelschleifer !

;-)
There are three things in this world that you need: Duct tape, WD-40 and
Beer. Duct tape for things that move and aren't supposed to. WD-40 for
things that don't move and are supposed to. And Beer if it doesn't fit
into the first two categories.


One wall free
--
geoff

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 12/01/2013 23:54, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

crimping or a solder pot



But as it stands it is insulated ... if you crimp on it, there would not
be a good connection .. they must treat the ends somehow ... and in this
instance they were soldered at the plug.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

In article ,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
worse sometimnes it 'tinsel' which is wires interspersed with fibres
good for flexcibility: almost impossible to solder at all

Normally crimped.

--
*They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 13/01/2013 16:49, Matthias Czech wrote:
On 13.01.2013 17:22, geoff wrote:
In message , Matthias Czech
writes

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.


Winkelschleifer !

;-)
There are three things in this world that you need: Duct tape, WD-40 and
Beer. Duct tape for things that move and aren't supposed to. WD-40 for
things that don't move and are supposed to. And Beer if it doesn't fit
into the first two categories.

It's a standing joke here that you need a Winkelschleifer for almost
anything.

Andy

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

In message , Andy Champ
writes
On 13/01/2013 16:49, Matthias Czech wrote:
On 13.01.2013 17:22, geoff wrote:
In message , Matthias Czech
writes

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.


Winkelschleifer !

;-)
There are three things in this world that you need: Duct tape, WD-40 and
Beer. Duct tape for things that move and aren't supposed to. WD-40 for
things that don't move and are supposed to. And Beer if it doesn't fit
into the first two categories.

It's a standing joke here that you need a Winkelschleifer for almost
anything.

I think that grimly and myself originally stole it from UKRM

many, ... many ... years ago

but I'm going to post the above up at work


--
geoff

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:54:28 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 12/01/13 22:49, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 20:41, DrTeeth wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--


There are a mass of wires in each core ... as I try to scrape they just
all come open and stand a real risk of shorting.

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

crimping or a solder pot

Does anyone remember those wiring pens we used to use for bread
boarding?
It dispensed what looked like 38SWG enamelled wire, but the enamel
would melt as soon as you touched it with an iron.

I seem to remember a warning about cyanide poisoning as well.



--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

Graham. wrote:

It dispensed what looked like 38SWG enamelled wire, but the enamel
would melt as soon as you touched it with an iron.

I seem to remember a warning about cyanide poisoning as well.

It was coated in polyurethane, hence the cyanide warning.

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:22:02 +0000, Graham. wrote:

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:54:28 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 12/01/13 22:49, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 20:41, DrTeeth wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue
is stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--


There are a mass of wires in each core ... as I try to scrape they
just all come open and stand a real risk of shorting.

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

crimping or a solder pot

Does anyone remember those wiring pens we used to use for bread
boarding?
It dispensed what looked like 38SWG enamelled wire, but the enamel would
melt as soon as you touched it with an iron.

I seem to remember a warning about cyanide poisoning as well.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/1054626/

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

Matthias Czech writes:

Am 12.01.2013 17:06, schrieb Rick Hughes:
[soldering problem]

If that helps give an idea of cable type ...I have taken a pic:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaac86758.jpg

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue is
stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

Just an idea (may be a bad one): Try to burn off the insulation with a
pencil torch or even (if not at hand) a lighter.
May work, if the insulation is cotton-based.

Hope you understand, what i'm trying to say.

BZW: I apologize for my bad English. I am a Kraut.

That's not bad English, it's very good English. Far better than the
Google-translated German I had to use last year when ordering from
Germany!

--
Windmill, Use t m i l l
J.R.R. Tolkien:- @ O n e t e l . c o m
All that is gold does not glister / Not all who wander are lost

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On 13 Jan 2013 23:41:40 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:22:02 +0000, Graham. wrote:

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:54:28 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 12/01/13 22:49, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 12/01/2013 20:41, DrTeeth wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:06:52 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Rick Hughes disturbed my
reverie and wrote:

Is there a particular technique to soldering these ...... the issue
is stripping the cores, it just seems to fray and get in a mess.

A delicate touch is required. A sharp modeling knife/scalpel would
help.
--


There are a mass of wires in each core ... as I try to scrape they
just all come open and stand a real risk of shorting.

Wonder how they manage during manufacture

crimping or a solder pot

Does anyone remember those wiring pens we used to use for bread
boarding?
It dispensed what looked like 38SWG enamelled wire, but the enamel would
melt as soon as you touched it with an iron.

I seem to remember a warning about cyanide poisoning as well.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/1054626/

Ah Verowire 34AWG which = 37SWG. I said 38. Not bad.




--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Soldering flexible cord (headphones)
 

On Sunday, January 13, 2013 1:23:52 AM UTC, Frank Erskine wrote:
snip


Early telephone switchboard cords had to be highly flexible and
durable. They consisted of very fine strands of tinsel (cadmium copper
or bronze) spun around mercerised cotton. It was then served with
layers of silk or rayon, then covered with soft cotton braiding.
The only practicable way of terminating these reliably was binding the
end with fine tinned copper wire formed into a loop, virtually
crimping it, to attach to the screw connectors of a "jack plug", or
crimping on a spade connector for the fixed end of the cord.

Later cords used tiny crimped brass eyelets at the plug end.

Certainly solder didn't come into it at all :-)

Obviously all three conductors of the cord were then lapped in soft

cotton and finished with a layer of glazed cotton of the correct

colour.



It all kept the cotton industry going!

As I recall the plaited leads that were used with the old bakelite phones (200/300 series) were also made using tinsel. These days you can buy replacements for use when restoring phones, but most of the ones I've seen seem to be pve covered wire just given an outer braided covering - doesn't work the same way at all.