Hello! My name is Steve Floyd, Shop Foreman at InterConnect Wiring. Today we’re going to be soldering a wire to a switch on an internal cockpit lighting panel.
Wiring Harnesses – Aircraft Rewiring – Cockpit Panels – Console Wiring
Here we have our internal lighting panel. The first step in our process in soldering the wire to the switch is going to be to remove the insulation of the wire. We’ll start by determining the gauge with our strip tool. Next, we apply heat to the conductor strands then slowly apply the solder to the conductor, making it one, solid, core conductor. We always want to remove the remaining flux on the wire as it is a corrosive and hazardous chemical, which could later corrode wires. We take a little bit of isopropyl alcohol, and a small acid brush, and clean the conductor strands of our wire.
Next, we want to prep our wire for termination. This is usually determined by the amount of length that’s left over in the conductor to make a full wrap on the switches. So what I’m doing now is removing a little bit of the excess so that way I can complete the solder connection. Once we’ve completed our loop for the post on a switch, we can then solder the loop onto the post. It’s already got it’s loop in it, so it’s going to fit into the small hole on the post of the switch.
Next, we’re going to add a drop of flux. You want to use as little flux as possible as it is a corrosive material we will be cleaning after the end. Once you apply the flux, then you apply your soldering iron and heat to the conductor on the post of the switch. Next, you apply the solder once you’ve seen that the conductor has started to heat up.
Always allow for the solder to cool after you’ve completed your soldered joint. There’s a number of things you want to look for in a successful solder joint. You want to be sure there isn’t any cold solder or disturbed solder. You’ll see this by a different, grey, patchy area in the solder. You also want to be sure that you clean off all of the flux, as it is a corrosive material. With an acid brush, you can use isopropyl alcohol to remove the flux from the solder joint you just created.
Get one last look and self-inspect your work, then you’re done.
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