Hitchcocks Forum

What type of solder and flux should I buy in order to modify cables ?

I usually use a blowlamp and "wire" type solder with a flux core.

60:40 leaded solder is the type you want. Lead-free solder is forced upon manufacturers of electronics kit these days, but it's not anywhere near as good for our purposes.

Not so sure I agree Thack, I've been using Nick which is a nickel based solder without lead used principally for soldering up beer lines and vats for food use. It's lovely and hard and works beautifully for cables. I'm not sure the solder matters as much as the quality of the tinning and that you splay the cable end properly and solder it well into the countersunk hole in the nipple.

Oh, sorry! I thought Bulleteer was referring to electrical cables, for which 60:40 tin:lead is the best stuff. However, it is far too soft for control cables, so please ignore what I said and follow Simon's advice instead.

I wouldn't use a blowlamp, it's too easy to overheat the wire and lose the temper and/or burn the flux.

I have never had any problem using a blowlamp for soldering nipples onto cable ends. Cable as far out of the outer as possible. Plasticene to seal around the outer and cable at the "join," to stop water running down inside the outer.
Wet rag wrapped tightly above the plasticene, and you can use an amount of heat on the nipple you can't replicate with a soldering iron, and the solder reached parts it otherwise would not.

I did mean control cables, not electrical
Is hard plumbers solder OK ?

In a word, no. Just buy solder wire with resin flux inside it, designed for electrical work. Oh, and use a soldering iron, not a blowlamp.

Doh!! I should read the last post first!! Please ignore my reply - I was talking about electrical cable! Where IS that edit button............?