ufo31
New Member
Old electrical wiring on my boat has a black coating of oxide (?) on the wires making it impossible to solder. Apart from mechanically removing it, how can I clean them chemically?
How to clean oxidised electrical wires
- Thread starter ufo31
- Start date
oldsaltoz
Well-Known Member
G'day Nic,
and welcome to the forum.
That would be tinned wire.
Avagoodweekend......
and welcome to the forum.
That would be tinned wire.
Avagoodweekend......
reeac
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
G'day Nic,
and welcome to the forum.
That would be tinned wire.
Avagoodweekend......
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't understand .... is old tinned wire impossible to solder?
G'day Nic,
and welcome to the forum.
That would be tinned wire.
Avagoodweekend......
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't understand .... is old tinned wire impossible to solder?
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Don't laugh but I have heard that Coca-Cola will brighten up tarnished copper coins. I have never tried this but if it's true it should work on copper wire. If it doesn't you can always drink the stuff!
Malish
Well-Known Member
Methinks oldsaltoz is saying replace with tinned. Cleaning old wire can be done with a bit of fine wet and dry but the problem will return. Chemicals? well a splash of nitric acid would remove the oxidation but it is not the route I would take - handling issues, removing it completely afterwards and leaving a nice etched surface to corrode again are three reasons why not.
Gwylan
Well-Known Member
normally some flux will get it clean enough for the solder to take
bobgosling
Well-Known Member
Believe it or not HP Sauce works a treat ( probably just the acetic acid in it ). Because it is gloopy it stays on the wire overnight then can be rinsed off with a bit of soapy water. Really depends on just how corroded. As a previous post suggested, the only real solution is to replace with tinned wire.
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
We cut back my old corroded copper wire by almost a foot, looking for something that would take solder. Gave up then and re-wired the whole boat. Being a cheapskate, I used copper again but smeared the joints with silicon rubber and heatshrink...so far so good!
cliff
Well-Known Member
The oxide you are refering to is Cupric Oxide a.k.a. Copper(II) oxide which as it is a basic oxide will dissolve in mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid to give the corresponding copper(II) salts:
CuO + 2HNO3 --> Cu(NO3)2 + H2O
CuO + 2HCl --> CuCl2 + H2O
CuO + H2SO4 --> CuSO4 + H2O
It can also be reduced to copper metal using hydrogen or carbon monoxide:
CuO + H2 + heat --> Cu + H2O
CuO + CO + heat --> Cu + CO2.
Failing that one could use a decent flux such as "Tenacity #5"
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Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
CuO + 2HNO3 --> Cu(NO3)2 + H2O
CuO + 2HCl --> CuCl2 + H2O
CuO + H2SO4 --> CuSO4 + H2O
It can also be reduced to copper metal using hydrogen or carbon monoxide:
CuO + H2 + heat --> Cu + H2O
CuO + CO + heat --> Cu + CO2.
Failing that one could use a decent flux such as "Tenacity #5"
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bigwow
Well-Known Member
Barry uses Cilit Bang on telly to clean a copper coin
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
Does cupric oxide conduct electricity?
Salty John
Well-Known Member
There is a school of thought that says soldering stranded wire makes it into a solid wire and ,therefore, subject to breaking under vibration as with a solid wire.
If the wire strands are discoloured but otherwise undamaged you can use good quality connectors applied with a ratchet type crimp tool. Connectors with heat shrink tube attached, or adding separate heat shrink tube, will help keep moisture out of the new joint.
If the wire strands are discoloured but otherwise undamaged you can use good quality connectors applied with a ratchet type crimp tool. Connectors with heat shrink tube attached, or adding separate heat shrink tube, will help keep moisture out of the new joint.
DickB
Well-Known Member
I used that P60 fibreglass cleaner that takes stains out. The Oxalic acid cleaned the copper sufficiently to allow the solder to flow.
I did have to leave it on for a while though... (10 mins)
I did have to leave it on for a while though... (10 mins)
jrt
Well-Known Member
It is very, very high resistance. that is why bow lights dont work, but when you test with a meter you can detect the voltage still there.
Best course is to replace the wire with tinned copper wire, and make the joint with the old wire (where the wire is still bright copper) somewhere dry and warm. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Best course is to replace the wire with tinned copper wire, and make the joint with the old wire (where the wire is still bright copper) somewhere dry and warm. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
rob2
Well-Known Member
Just to clear up an apparent misunderstanding -
"tinned wire" is referring to wire in which each individual copper strand is individually tinned before the bundle becomes a wire. Therefore it remains flexible and not brittle. Lasts pretty much forever, but costs an arm and a leg even if you can remember to order it before you do the job! Generally unavailable locally.
"tinned wire" is referring to wire in which each individual copper strand is individually tinned before the bundle becomes a wire. Therefore it remains flexible and not brittle. Lasts pretty much forever, but costs an arm and a leg even if you can remember to order it before you do the job! Generally unavailable locally.
starfire
Well-Known Member
Fill the crimp with vaseline & then crimp it. add glue lined heatshrink on top. You can now find crimps with the heat shrink & glue as part of the connector. crimp it & then heat to shrink. works a treat.
ShipsWoofy
Well-Known Member
192 pins
All crimped.
That was how many one of the biggest aircraft plugs I regularly replaced had.
192 !
my fingers, neck, back and eyes would be raw at the end of that.
All crimped.
That was how many one of the biggest aircraft plugs I regularly replaced had.
192 !
my fingers, neck, back and eyes would be raw at the end of that.
cliff
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Does cupric oxide conduct electricity?
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, but not as well as Cu.
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Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
Does cupric oxide conduct electricity?
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, but not as well as Cu.
---------------------
oldharry
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does cupric oxide conduct electricity?
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, but not as well as Cu.
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Maybe, but I have just rewired my boat because of blackened wire tails which were not conducting at all. And once its there, it comes back very quickly. Like rust on the car.
[ QUOTE ]
Does cupric oxide conduct electricity?
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, but not as well as Cu.
---------------------
Maybe, but I have just rewired my boat because of blackened wire tails which were not conducting at all. And once its there, it comes back very quickly. Like rust on the car.
