Editing How to solder electrical connections

==Some things you'll need and good addition to your tool box==

* A good controlled-output soldering station
* De-solder / soldering tools & braid
* About a pound of 60/40 solder, (I use 24 gauge for harness making, and it works well for circuit board assembly also, a good mid-sized gauge) 
* Some resin, a pin vise, hemostats, small brass (about the size of a toothbrush), acid brush, a dental pick is also handy, 
* Heat gun 
* A GOOD set of automatic strippers with a depth gauge
* Various sizes and COLOR heat shrink tubing (cheaper in bulk) 
* a GOOD tie wrap gun, various tie wraps
* Bulk (5000 at a time) ring terminals in the 3 popular sizes, that are NOT insulated

==The procedure==
* Strip the wire to fit the terminal sleeve, with about 1/4 inch showing.
* Without twisting the stripped end, tin it until a good silver coat appears.
* Then, tin the terminal, with just enough solder to flow and leave a silver coat INSIDE the sleeve.
* Next, get two pieces of shrink tubing -- black for the first insulator, and a selected color for the top to slide over the black, about a 1/4 inch SHORTER than the bottom; cut and slide them on the wire.
* Next, solder the wire to the ring terminal, "wicking " the solder up into the terminal sleeve, until it is filled, smooth, and shiny silver.
* Next, crimp the terminal.
* Finally, slide the black (longer tubing) flush with the end of the terminal sleeve on the ring end, and shrink it (keeping the wire straight until it cools, unless a pre-bent angle is required).
* When cool, slide the colored tubing (for example: red) over the first, and flush with the ring end, and shrink it down. Net result is you have a terminal with a red marker and about a 1/4 trailer behind it. Looks professional, and lasts forever.
* To extend a wire, just strip a good length from both wires, make a good mechanical connection by placing the stripped ends parallel to each other, wrap one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Solder until you have a good flow and coverage and silver (not gray) appearance, then install shrink tubing.

Even on crimp terminals, solder AND crimp.