"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
Meindert Sprang wrote:

This is not a myth or a point of argument. It is the truth. I learnt it
at
school that solder 'flows' when stressed in cold condition. And my
personal
experience proves me right too.

Almost everything "flows" under pressure. I like to think of the
process as the material being swaged or formed.

Doesn't the flow stop at some point in the process as the pressure
relaxes? After the crimp is made, a pressure equilibrium should develop
that is the point where the two pressures (the clamping force from the
terminal and the "flow" in the solder) stabilize.

There's a huge difference in flow between copper and solder. The equilibrium
with solder is on of very low pressure.


Anyway, I generally always tin stranded copper wire before I crimp a
terminal on. Have been doing it for years, and have not had any
systematic or recurring problems because of it.

Luck, I guess....

If you can give me a reference that states that tinning stranded bare
copper wires before crimping a terminal on is a bad thing to do I'll
reconsider my ways. Otherwise we are entitled to have differing opinions.

I cannot give you a reference, but I a professional installer told me that
in the Netherlands and the EU it is prohibited to tin wire before crimping.
And I wouldn't be surprised if the UL also has a similar regulation about
this.

Meindert