How to Solder Banana Plugs?

[fgarriel]

I'm looking for a resource on soldering banana plugs.

I bought 8 solder-type plugs, but I don't know how to solder them. I bought a handheld, battery-operated soldering gun and 4oz of electrical solder. I have no idea what I'm doing, and it's not as obvious as I expected it to be.

I thought all I had to do was melt some solder, drip it into the plug and I'd be on the road to a corrosion-free, durable, easy-to-use cable end. Now I'm thinking that I should just toss the plugs, eat the $8 loss and just go with bare wire.

Anyone have any clear instructions or tips on how to solder banana plugs?

 

[markw]

If you don't have any experience soldering, I suggest you get some that don't require soldering. There's a bunch of good ones out there.

As for soldering, it may sound simple to those that never tried it, but it's a learned art that takes skill and practice. After all, doing a root canal is only drilling and filling, right? How difficult can that be?

Solder is not used to make a connection, only coat a pre-existing solid physical connection to provide an air-tight bond between the component parts. You must first make a good, solid physical connection between the two items being soldered. Then, you heat the connection (not the solder) until the connection itself is hot enough to melt the solder. The solder should melt and freely flow in and around the join. If you simply melt the solder and drop/glob it over the connection, particularly a physically questionable one, you're asking for trouble.

 

[fgarriel]

You must first make a good, solid physical connection between the two items being soldered

It looks like the wire just sits in the plug. I'm not exactly sure where I solder the wire to on the plug. Tips?

If you simply melt the solder and drop/glob it over the connection, particularly a physically questionable one, you're asking for trouble.

I asked for, and I received said trouble.

[rhetorical] So if I'm heating the plug and the wire, how do I hold it? [/rhetorical]

I tried doing exactly that, but my little battery operated Weller iron doesn't do the trick. It just doesn't get the plug or wire hot enough.

Nonetheless, I feel compelled to make this work. I'd rather truck through a bunch of mistakes and come out soldering like a champ than to give up and buy the more expensive screw-in type. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the point of getting these plugs was to prevent corrosion.

Shopping List:
- 100 Watt Soldering iron (plug-in type)
- Some sort of clamping rig to hold the speaker wire and banana plug simultaneously

 

[markw]

Again, practice makes perfect. I've pretty much laid out all the basics but each case may be different in how to apply them

Not all banana plugs are the same and not being able to actually see what you're up against makes it difficult to offer any assistance. In any case, the basics from my previous post stay the same.

Also, not all soldering irons are created equal. the more metal you neeed to heat, the bigger the iron needs to be. It could well be that the physical mass to be heated may be beyond the abilities of your iron. Pencil irons are great for circuit boards and such but for heavy duty use, I use a big old Weller 150 watt soldering gun, which plugs into the wall.

And remember, that "clamping rig" will absorb a LOT of heat from that iron. Isn't there a way to securly wrap the wire around something?

I still think you're better off getting non-solder bananas. These might not be the best way to cut your teeth if they are difficult to work with. If you really want to learn to solder, practice on some inexpensive kits or such.

 

[genesis471]

Use a block of wood, and drill the proper size hole(s) in it to put the tip of the Banana plug in.
I did that, and used a tiny hobby torch to heat it and the wiring. Just be careful not to melt the insulation. Much quicker then a soldering iron or gun, and pretty easy to use. Hold the wire with one hand, and the hobby torch with the other. You can adjust the flame to vary the heat and size.

Mike

 

[Jack Hammer]

Soldering can be tricky and if not done right the wire might fall off the connection after a while. I don't think a banana plug is a good item to learn how to solder with, it's too big and needs a lot of heat. If too much heat is used, you'll see the insulation start to melt/burn off the wire and you may see permanent discoloration on the plug.

I think your best bet is to go to your local Radio-Shack with all the parts and pay the manager to solder them for you. A lot of times they will do this for a reasonable price (cheaper than a new solder gun) and they usually know what they are doing.

Good Luck

Jack