fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (03/01/85)
*** AC T YOUR AGE *** Having read several followups and letters regarding my "Just Wrap" query, I've concluded that the thing is not for me. Some respondants have had success with it, most have not. Evidently, this tool relies on the sharp corners of the pins to cut into the insulation and make contact. This doesn't always work, and it's useless if you're wrapping anything but square pins. I use wire wrap for just about everything, e.g., making connections to TO-220 devices like power transistors and voltage regulators - you can wrap right on the legs if you're careful. Anyway, the $30.00 or so they want for this tool will buy a lot of pre-cut. Looks like we'll have to wait a while longer for a better mousetrap. There are some professional power tools that do quite nicely, but that'll have to wait; I'm still trying to get a good deal on an oscilloscope for my little workshop, and I don't have the money to spend on a professional tool. Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond. /_\_ Bob Fishell ihnp4!ihlpg!fish
ksbszabo@wateng.UUCP (Kevin Szabo) (03/01/85)
In article <214@ihlpg.UUCP> fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) writes: >I use wire wrap for just about everything, e.g., making >connections to TO-220 devices like power transistors and voltage >regulators - you can wrap right on the legs if you're careful. This is a very bad practice that will get you back in the end. Wire wrapping requires that microscopic cold welds form at the wire-pin interface. The square pegs insure that the necessary pressure occurs. A round pin does not create the pressure and a non gas tight connection results. I have fixed many wire wrap projects (for others) that have involved wrapping to round pins, a quick dab of solder on the connection usually corrects things. This is often the way I go, wrap and then a dab of solder. If your components fit onto a dip header use that instead. Kevin -- Kevin Szabo watmath!wateng!ksbszabo (U of Waterloo VLSI Group, Waterloo Ont.)
crs@lanl.ARPA (03/04/85)
> > Evidently, this tool relies on the sharp corners of the pins to > cut into the insulation and make contact. This doesn't always > work, and it's useless if you're wrapping anything but square > pins. I use wire wrap for just about everything, e.g., making > connections to TO-220 devices like power transistors and voltage > regulators - you can wrap right on the legs if you're careful. > I had hoped to quote from a Gardner-Denver publication that came with my wire-wrap(r) tool but, naturally, I can't find it. CONNECTIONS WRAPPED ON TERMINALS WITHOUT SHARP CORNERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TEMPORARY AT BEST. Please be aware that solderless connections of this type *depend* on the sharp corners of the post biting into the wire for the gas tight connection. This is true with STRIPPED wire too. If you wrap onto a terminal without *sharp* corners, consider it *at best* a temporary connection only slightly better than if you had wrapped the turns with your fingers. That's why wire-wrap posts are either square or rectangular and have been, well before the existance of the tools that are supposed to bite through the insulation. Wire-wrap(r) is a registered trade mark of Gardner-Denver. Charlie ...!{cmcl2 ihnp4}!lanl!crs crs@lanl.arpa
fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (03/07/85)
> > I use wire wrap for just about everything, e.g., making > > connections to TO-220 devices like power transistors and voltage > > regulators - you can wrap right on the legs if you're careful. > > > > CONNECTIONS WRAPPED ON TERMINALS WITHOUT SHARP CORNERS SHOULD BE > CONSIDERED TEMPORARY AT BEST. > *** AC T YOUR AGE *** I had neglected to mention that I solder the wires after wrapping them onto anything other than the square pins designed for the purpose. Considering the number of reactions I got to my original statement, I thought I'd set the record straight. Wrapping a wire onto a pin is a pretty good way to get it to hold still while you solder it. It also gives you a way to connect off-board components that are heat-sinked to the chassis without fussing with edge-mounting them. Unfortunately, the connection is somewhat prone to metal fatigue if you're going to be playing around with the board a lot. What I wish I had is a tool that would make it easy to solder 24 AWG *stranded* wire onto component leads, but I've yet to see anything like that. /_\_ Bob Fishell ihnp4!ihlpg!fish