Tinned solid copper for bus wire

[hesamadman]

Looking for a link to buy some of this if anyone has a supplier?

[sluckey]

Many gauges available.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261353940532?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[hesamadman]

Many gauges available.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261353940532?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks. Im going to guess you used 16 in your ac15 build for the pot buss?

[sluckey]

I used 17AWG steel electric fence wire. You can find it at Tractor Supply or most any farm co-op store.

I prefer 16AWG tinned copper though.

[shooter]

Might look at your fav home improvement store, I like/use 16 or 18ga "thermostat" wire, 3 or 5 strand solid copper or stranded. fwiw

[hesamadman]

Might look at your fav home improvement store, I like/use 16 or 18ga "thermostat" wire, 3 or 5 strand solid copper or stranded. fwiw

Does that come pre tinned? I havent seen that before. Being an electrician, i have tons of 14awg copper. I just wasnt sure if bare copper would corrode enough to affect my connections.

[PRR]

Bare copper is fine. Pre-tinning is a slight convenience. If the bare copper is old cruft you pulled out of houses, you will need to scrub the oxide down before solder+flux will "take". Fresh T-stat wire bought this year and peeled out of the insulation will probably be very-clean already.

As an electrician, you know that bare copper doesn't rot-THROUGH all that fast, even in weepy locations.

#14 is not needed anywhere in guitar-amp land. I have used it, for the same reason (excess abundance), but it is at the upper limit of what most electronics-type soldering irons can heat, it is very awkward for small work, and extra-fat doesn't magically fix poor ground routing.

[DummyLoad]

http://www.alliedelec.com/belden-8019-000100/70004226/

[sluckey]

Being an electrician, i have tons of 14awg copper

I've also used 20AWG scraps from fluorescent fixtures. It's usually tinned. But I prefer 16AWG.

[EL34]

I just strip the jacket off the solid core wire I sell
http://hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/WireCable.htm

For some reason, bare bus wire is more expensive than wire with a jacket

[hesamadman]

I've also used 20AWG scraps from fluorescent fixtures. It's usually tinned. But I prefer 16AWG.

I have a bin full of it. Ha ha Mine is all 18awg non tinned. I use it for breadboard. Unless I install a new ballast and cut a bunch of excess, then I will use it in a build.

I just strip the jacket off the solid core wire I sell

I did that with my last bit of cloth wire I ordered from you. Ill most likely just do that again.

[markmalin]

I just strip the jacket off the solid core wire I sell
http://hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/WireCable.htm

For some reason, bare bus wire is more expensive than wire with a jacket

+1 on that.  I just strip the insulation off and am good to go.  Nice thing is, sometimes I want to leave a short run of insulation on it so it doesn't contact other things.

[sluckey]

It's also very easy to tin your own 14AWG (or other sizes) if you have a BIG iron or gun. I use a 250W Weller gun. Just stretch a length of wire between two screws or nails on the bench. Shine it up with some #0000 steel wool. Coat it generously with flux. Start at one end applying solder. Don't worry too much about how it looks but be sure to coat the entire length. Now reheat the wire to melt the solder again, slowly sliding the gun tip down the length with one hand and chasing behind the gun tip with a cotton cloth to wipe excess solder away. Clean up with denatured alcohol and you should have a nice shiny, tinned buss bar. Takes about 5 minutes to make a 2 foot long buss.

I still think the spool of 16AWG is a good deal. It's about 32' long. That would last me a lifetime!
 

[pompeiisneaks]

Is there a specific reason to tin it across the whole length?  Does it reduce the chance of corrosion?  I had some extra braided around I just stripped for mine, and twisted it up before tinning around the posts but not the entire length.  Should I go back and tin it all?

[sluckey]

It's just easier to tin the full length of solid conductor buss. Tinning makes later soldering of component leads or wires much easier. If the entire buss is tinned I can easily make connections anywhere along the length. Bare copper is fine if you clean it and use flux before soldering, but bare copper will tarnish and become dull. When it does it will need to be cleaned again before soldering again. Pre-tinned buss stays pretty clean and only requires a small amount of flux to get a really good solder connection.

And I like the silver color better than dull copper color.   

[Ed_Chambley]

Still using the steel electric fence wire.  The stuff I have is fairly rigid and stays where you put it.  I prefer it over copper.  I used to just pull copper from Romex and tin it all the way.  Tinning the steel is a little more difficult, but I use a pencil torch, flux and solder and only takes a few seconds to get a nice tin.

[sluckey]

Still using the steel electric fence wire.

Me too. I've now used it on my last four projects, AC-15, Dual Lite, Plexi 6V6 and L'il Maggie. I only have about a quarter mile left. Hope I don't run out!