45" Dumas Scarab

[Ken_NJ]

Battery connectors. Drilled spacers in scrap wood to use as holders. Soldered everything up and added the anti spark wire to the positive connector. Have to figure out how to protect the short positive bullet connector, don't have big enough shrink tube. Can use liquid tape but not sure yet. Any ideas? That is it for now. Look OK so far?

On the ESC I know I should have used a female on negative and male on positive but I didn't. All black to black and all red to red.

[Ken_NJ]

How should the cooling lines go on the Swordfish? Is this OK?

[flraptor07]

Yup that'll work...

[Ken_NJ]

Some things end up being simpler than you think. Thanks.

Next question. I tried silver soldering with Stay Brite, no luck getting it to work on the flex cable. So plan B is Loctite 603. Any tricks to this? Cut, clean, apply 603 and let it set for a while?

[flraptor07]

Some things end up being simpler than you think. Thanks.

Next question. I tried silver soldering with Stay Brite, no luck getting it to work on the flex cable. So plan B is Loctite 603. Any tricks to this? Cut, clean, apply 603 and let it set for a while?

Sorry I can't help you there, I buy mine already done and cut them to length.

[srislash]

Are you meaning putting a flex cable into a prop shaft? I use 638 but it should be fine. I clean and lightly file the cable and inside the shaft, then a couple drips in the shaft and a coating over the cable. Insert while spinning it slightly till it bottoms out, wipe off excess glue and let sit for 24hrs.

[Ken_NJ]

The shaft and flex is already joined. I need to cut the flex cable to length, so this is for the collet end.

[srislash]

Ahh, lots of Kester paste is the only way to get solder to stick. I suppose glue would work.

[Ken_NJ]

That's the problem, getting it to stick. I've tried two different types of flux. Gave up on silver soldering the flex cable. Although silver soldering scrap brass works fine. I'll have to practice on the scrap cable I cut off.

So I'll cut the cable today, put on the Loctite 603 and hope for the best. What more can I do.

[rickwess]

I've had no issues using a 60W iron, flux and silver solder. Make sure there is absolutely no grease on the cable. I used rubbing alcohol and a contact cleaner. I also do a light sand on the area i want the solder to stick.

You might have to start on a fresh piece now. If you have a few piece of scraps to practice on, do that.

[Ken_NJ]

I've got to be doing something wrong. I cut a new section. Sanded with medium paper. Wired wheeled it clean with a Dremel wire wheel to get between the strands. Soaked it in denatured alcohol. Wiped it and let dry. Applied the Stay Brite flux. Heated with a 140 watt soldering gun. Some of the silver solder stuck, most of it beaded off. None of the solder is being drawn in between the strands.

This is what I'm using although the Stay Brite cleaner did not come with mine.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Ken_NJ]

Did the same thing as before to prep the cable. This time used a lower wattage iron, must be 30-45 watts. I heated around the edge of the cable and fed the silver solder. Added drops of the Stay Brite Flux Cleaner as I rotated the cable. Had to wait and fiddle to get the solder between the strands. First pic is after soldering and wiping it off. Second pic is after it was filed down to 1/4" and tested fitted into the stuffing tube and collet. I now have a technique! Hopefully this solder job will hold. Through a magnifying glass it looks like the solder is where it is supposed to be. Now since this was a practice piece, I have to cut the cable to the right length and do this again.

Just to make sure I can repeat this successfully, I cut a section off and did it again. In the third picture, the end on the right is my second attempt. I could see the solder getting in between the wire. Now I'm a happy camper.

[flraptor07]

Oh ok it's the cut end, I've never done anything with those, all I do is cut it clean with the cutoff wheel then grind a bevel on the end. Be sure when your grinding, to grind in the direction it's wound..

[Ken_NJ]

Do you do anything else to the end cut? Everything I read says to use Loctite or silver solder the end to prevent the possibility of the cable unraveling.

[flraptor07]

No Ken, I've never done anything except grind the bevel and I've never had a cable unravel. And most of my boats I pull the flexes after every time I run and store them in the hull so the moisture drys out.