tarnished boat wiring

[ericcs]

i think most people that play around with there wiring has come across the copper conductor being tarnished dark brown.
is is there a process to make it solderable again, because solder just won't stick.
i usually dip it in acid which takes away the tarnish, but it still doen't help much, so i end up fanning out the strands and sand them down with emery paper to get it clean again. it's a paistaking job, which only just gets it useable.
any ideas?

[truth stretcher]

You can try acid core solder , this can work , just get the joint super hot and feed solder into it the brown stuff will ooze out but too much heat will melt the insulation on the wiring .
ou can try sanding it then using acid core not perfect but wil get you going again.

[Roughasguts]

How about replace the wire! or at least a few inches of the effected wire.

At least then you should have a decent join and a good contact.

Is ot the Earth most effected by wicking ?

Cheers

[rayken1938]

Replace with tinned wire and keep it out of the salt water is the only long term alternative.
Cheers
Ray

[WalFish]

I used to have a brown bottle of some flux - looked like a small medicine bottle of about 150 ml - think it was called Baker's Soldering Flux.

You could get solder to stick to just about anything with a bit of heat and a dab of that stuff. Not sure if they make it anymore, but if you find some it will do the trick.

[Captain Seaweed]

yep replace with tinned copper wire IMHO.

[ericcs]

I used to have a brown bottle of some flux - looked like a small medicine bottle of about 150 ml - think it was called Baker's Soldering Flux.

You could get solder to stick to just about anything with a bit of heat and a dab of that stuff. Not sure if they make it anymore, but if you find some it will do the trick.

i remember that flux, can't say i've seen it for a very long time
i'm using hyrochloric acid, which takes it back to a dull copper look, but the flux cored solder still doesn't take properly

polarity doesn't matter, it's on both + and -, and it's on the factory qiuntrex loom, so was hoping to not have to chase the bad wire and end up rewiring the lot.

[truth stretcher]

i remember that flux, can't say i've seen it for a very long time
i'm using hyrochloric acid, which takes it back to a dull copper look, but the flux cored solder still doesn't take properly

polarity doesn't matter, it's on both + and -, and it's on the factory qiuntrex loom, so was hoping to not have to chase the bad wire and end up rewiring the lot.

Use proper acid core not flux core

[Gon Fishun]

Had the same problem a few weeks back.
I have an old blow torch with the copper headed irons tucked away and with it soldering flux.
With the wires I found stripping them back the coating kept on so I scrounged in the soldering box and found a bottle of "Pacweld 62 Flux" . It is fantastic, removed all the oxidisation on the small cables and the battery cables. Was able to solder them all with ease.

[ericcs]

thanks for the advice, might try trade tools or some plumbing wholesalers

[Fed]

i usually dip it in acid which takes away the tarnish, but it still doen't help much, so i end up fanning out the strands and sand them down with emery paper to get it clean again. it's a paistaking job, which only just gets it useable.
Is it a critical part of the wiring?

If you don't want to change it then fan it sand it & solder it, you don't have to sand each strand individually just fan, sand then re-fan & sand at 90 degrees.
Are you a solderer or a dabber, sounds like it could be a skills problem.

[ericcs]

no skills problem here, been soldering as a sparky for 30yrs, just asking if there's a better method

[Noelm]

tinned wire will still got to sh!t, cutting back "a few inches" will also not help, it will be way along the wire, only option is to replace and be done with it, cleaning the end with sand paper will work, but the only clean bit is the end, the rest of the wire will still be brown crap, been down this road a thousand times over a few decades.

[netmaker]

i'm no sparky but agree replacing is the best option. i too have discovered a quick fix is not a long lasting fix once corrosion sets in. i have wired my boat up twice now;). electrical faults on the water are annoying, rip it out and do it properly.