Joining & Soldering Dissimilar Wire Inline - Trick

Intro: Joining & Soldering Dissimilar Wire Inline - Trick

I was installing an auxiliary power socket and LED driving and spotlights on my BMW R1150GS. I ran a 10 gauge silicon wire from the Battery and I wanted to place blade fuse inline where I could access it easily should the fuse blow.

STEP 1: Pushing the Wires Together

Problem was the fuse holder and silicon wire types are different. I want it inline so the couldn't be a bump else it would eventually rub through on dirt roads I ride. How to get Around this issue? Mmm....

My solution was to push the two dissimilar wires into each end into end. I tried to wind them but that didn't work 100%

STEP 2:

Problem now was how to hold them together will soldering them. Then a simple light bulb moment, a cable/zip tie.

I placed a piece of heat shrink over the thicker silicon wire, as the heat shrink will shrink during soldering due to the joint being so close.

I used the holding power of a zip/cable tie to effectively hold the wire together and as a bonus it's joint is perfectly round

STEP 3: Soldering the Joint

I soldered the two together, cut the cable tie off and bingo, perfect inline join.

I cleaned off the excess strands where I pushed the together and pulled the heat shrink the joint.

STEP 4: Finishing Off

lastly I shrank the heat shrink over the joint.

Job done, simple and effective...

And this is my first Ible on the mobile app... interesting

Comments

[wes_van]

Great idea, the sacrificial zip-tie. I do a fair bit of wiring myself and this shall be very handy indeed. Thanks for sharing.

[midnightrebel68]

Lovely idea. I have done many end to end splices before. That fine strand wire is quite a challenge. I tripled the open length of the coarse copper wire, separated a couple of strands and then cut the rest to splicing length. I used the two extra strands to wrap and hold the splice together for soldering. The zip tie method would have saved a bit of time.

[krieglers]

Thanks, best is I didn't burn my fingers