Adam Savage's Quick Electronics Wiring Tips!

Solder Seal Wire Connectors: amzn.to/3FBYLzD
Dewalt Cordless Heat Gun: amzn.to/3z5SZnG
Wire Marker Tape Dispenser: amzn.to/3ExUcVP
Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.
Adam introduces two simple tools to help simplify your electronics wiring projects: solder seal connectors that eliminate the need for soldering wires together, and an essential wire labeler that can spare you headaches in troubleshooting down the line. Adam used both of these tools extensively in putting together his xEMU spacesuit electronics--simple and effective is sometimes the best way to go!
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Thanks for watching!

[@tested]

Solder Seal Wire Connectors: amzn.to/3FBYLzD Dewalt Cordless Heat Gun: amzn.to/3z5SZnG Wire Marker Tape Dispenser: amzn.to/3ExUcVP Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

[@tomhorsley6566]

I swear I saw a cord on the heat gun in the video, but your link is to the cordless one :-).

[@Denvermorgan2000]

I might have to order one of the kits.

[@nottinghamboardandwargames1558]

The clamps on the helping hands are jewelry welding clamps. Hope that helps. Find them really good for precise smaller work.

[@jamesfromwellington]

Hi Tested team, the Solder Seal wire connectors are very durable to the point that they are approved for military aircraft use. I was instructed on their use over 20 years ago and it good that they are very readily available now days

[@tjamick2647]

@@nottinghamboardandwargames1558 I posted an Amazon link for them. They're expensive, but Adam probably got the knock off versions in China.

[@LiqdPT]

For doing heat shrink, putting a hook shaped reflector (for lack of better words) on the end of the heat gun works awesome. You put it around the wires and run on the heat gun and it heat from practically all directions. Very little movement is needed, and you're also not blowing past the wire.

[@KateNesD]

This is a great idea, thanks! I’ve had to do a lot of heat shrink and crimp connectors in tight spaces where at least one end of the cable is already installed, having a reflector for the heat gun would have made the process a ton easier versus trying to awkwardly twist the wire around to get the back side.

[@wobblysauce]

More so when you cant get to the other side of the wires also.

[@Nisstyre56]

I usually just put kapton tape on the stuff I don't want to melt

[@basinstreetdesign5206]

Yup! Works for me!

[@Madthrax23]

I'm using a dremel versatip, it got a special "hook shape reflector" tip for this.

[@Hockeyguy8541]

I'm a commercial electrician and 3M also makes booklets of wire numbers. We use this when we're pulling in multiple circuits through a single pipe. We need to mark which neutral goes to which hot and if you have more than 3 circuits in there you'll have multiple black's red's blues' (or brown orange yellow's) and you need to keep track of it all. There are low number books (1-45) and high number books (i think it's 46-100 or something like that). They're cheaper than the tape dispenser and if you have a number like 35 you don't need a 3 and a 5 it's just one sticker. You can get them at home depot or lowe's in the electrical section.

[@robsdeviceunknown]

Good call man Thanks. The one he listed is stupid expensive.

[@vdjKryptosRock]

I have his wire marker. I keep it on a retractable lanyard on my belt loop. Worth the money if you’re pulling a lot of wire.

[@gorak9000]

I'm guessing if it's expensive at lowes / home depot, you can usually find them for less somewhere online (but not amazon, because lowes and HD match their prices to the penny of what you can find the same product for on amazon - or the amazon sellers match lowes/hd - whatever, either way). I used to print strips of numbers like the tape, but just on regular paper, and then put them on a piece of packing tape, or scotch tape, and wrap it around the cable. If you really want it to be durable, put a piece of clear heatshrink over it. Then I got one of those dispensers with the 3M number tape in it as part of a bunch of stuff I bought from a commercial cable installation shop that was cleaning out their warehouse - total gamechanger! So much nicer than hand cut number strips, but for a small job where you have just a few cables and can't justify the expense of the real deal, just print number strips on regular paper and use tape and or heatshrink.

[@gorak9000]

The other thing I've discovered recently is the little crimp on "bootlace" ferrules for stranded wire. I know whether people like them or not seems to be a really contentious issue, but I got a 4 sided crimper so the ferules come out square after they're crimped - I don't have any issue with them not holding into terminals that are designed for stranded wire. When you tighten the clamps down well, it actually squeezes the ferules down a bit too - they hold in a lot better than I thought they would actually.

[@mattgrabowski702]

@@gorak9000 Those things come in clutch in high vibration areas at my industrial worksite. Untouched stranded wire in terminals will barely last a week before breaking. The bootlaces last years. Everywhere else on site though is a big meh.

[@benny353]

You can slide the sleeve completely over one wire, push the wires together so they mesh and squish them neat, then slide the sleeve back and then apply the heat. It gets a slightly better joint, rather than have the strands side by side.

[@alphatripduce]

This! It is important interlacing the wires gives you the best possible joint with the lowest resistance

[@thedman1696]

Yep. I always pull one wire all the way through, spin them together, then bring the connector back to solder and seal. It's strong enough that tugging on it is more likely to break a different part of the cable after that

[@PETERGRlFFlN]

Yaaas! That is the most failure proof way. No need for the extra arms too.

[@audioupgrades]

Good point. Otherwise, the connection is through the solder only. Solder is a terrible conductor. It has about 1/10th of the conductance of copper.

[@alphatripduce]

@@thedman1696 it's less resistance when you don't twist but it strengthens the joint if you do

[@888johnmac]

' may all your electronics work first time ' ... now that is a maker blessing right there

[@envisionelectronics]

Using the curved heat reflector on the heat gun helps a lot

[@karlporath8904]

I have been using the low temp solder connectors on semi trailer light wiring. The colored rings are actually a Hot melt glue. In 5 years of extreme service I have yet to have a connection fail.

[@rionmotley2514]

Semi trucks? 5 years? Even with grit and salt and vibration? I'll take it! *adds to shopping cart*

[@corey6393]

Thanks for the testimonial. I have been considering these for while, and seeing this video and your comment pretty much answered my questions.

[@bobblum5973]

@@corey6393 Real-world testimonials always help.

[@karlporath8904]

I should add 5 years in Michigan home of the rust belt

[@licencetoswill]

A helicopter avionics tech put me on to these solder splices 10 years ago. they're fully aerospace rated so that was enough for me. I don't think I've ever done a solder butt splice since.

[@aanderson1991]

I work for an automotive OEM. We recently tested a bunch of those solder connections. Can say they hold up well in an automotive environment.

[@swissfreek]

There’s a version of that 3M dispenser that is different colors instead of numbers. So handy!

[@davidmccarthy6061]

Wow, I also forgot about these from using it decades ago.

[@swissfreek]

@@davidmccarthy6061 likewise. I even still have them in a drawer and as soon as I saw the container in the video I was like oh yeah!

[@IoriTatsuguchi]

That sounds great also! My country's amazon only sells numbered one for 300 USD lmao I can't find knock-offs neither so I guess I'll stay the way it were

[@anne_frank_]

Should check out the partex system. Numbers and colours that follow the usual electrical system you'll know from resistors (e.g. 37/orange purple), use them for wiring control panels. Just push them onto the wire.

[@lindeleasley]

I was exposed to the Solder Seal splices about 45 years ago, in the Air Force. We were quite impressed with them, and they can make quick work of a broken wire on a mission critical aircraft.

[@theflashjaxx]

3:1 adhesive lined heat shrink is a must have also, the adhesive lining helps release some of the stress on the solder joint itself

[@octoBadger]

I agree - bought some by accident years ago and haven't looked back

[@Cr125stin]

I came across those self soldering joints when I was searching for vintage military self soldering sleeves. I finally was able to buy a few boxes of the military self soldering joints last year for my collection. They are a copper tube with solder inside, but the outside is covered in a pyrotechnic composition that you can strike like a match in the outside of the box they come in. The composition burns and melts the solder inside. Apparently they were used for spicing radio transmission lines and Morse code lines out in the field. I think they were used from the 1950s into the 1970s. The ones I have are dated 1967. Someone did a really good video on them where they actually tested some of the vintage ones.

[@fliegenmann2562]

I saw that video by ElementalMaker too 👍

[@jaymzx0]

That's pretty amazing. It reminds me of the thermite train rail welding systems.

[@nobody77623]

I use the solder connectors sometimes for my job, and lately have been looking into a labeling system for the wires. They now have cartridges of heat shrink tubing that goes into a label maker, you just print what you want on a piece of heat shrink, and then put it on a wire.

[@InvadersDie]

"I hope all your electronics work on the first try" That felt very generous! TY!

[@martinmoeller9186]

But if you really think about it it was also a curse! I always get nervous when something (SW or HW) appears to work on the first try, it oftens means that whatever the bug you left in it is subtle and probably intermittent... On wire labeling the only sane aproach in a lab is to create unique pairs of labels,, one for each end. We use 3 letters/3 digit, CAT345 DOG135 . Brady sells sheets of wire label stock, one sheet is good for ~30 pairs. Any attempt to label wires by function or destination is almost immediately wrong and out of date. My favorite on a patch panel was "Nancy's old office", as if anyone would remember where that was, especially since she left 2 years ago.

[@Wythaneye]

Does anyone remember solder tape? Radio Shack used to sell it. They came in a pack of little strips that you could melt with a lighter. I used it on a lot of simple joints, and it worked surprisingly well. Seeing these solder connectors brings back memories.

[@kevinconnaughton2921]

You beat me to it. Yes it was great ! I cared it in my tool bag instead of a soldering iron and solder it was great. I fixed a clear com headset right before a performance. It was very cool.

[@ChrisLesmerises]

Ah, my RadioShack brothers!

[@necko2529]

I have 129 lights on my Great Dane trailer, recently (or maybe around this time last year) switched from pinch connectors to these and couldn't have been happier. So far, no wire rot at the connectors and it looks clean and neat.

[@Metazolid]

The helping hands crocodile clamps appear to be called GRS Third Hand. Here are two model numbers; G04570 G04546

[@zoopmamajuju]

Bless you kind soul

[@danielbot3602]

Been looking too. These seem to be the best , there are cheaper. Trying just to find the heads

[@zoopmamajuju]

@@danielbot3602 me too. Kinda expensive for me but they seem really good.

[@danielbot3602]

@@zoopmamajuju let us know if you find any

[@zoopmamajuju]

@@danielbot3602 will do

[@RobR99]

When I was working at 3m that was one of the products I made. Seeing that brings back memories of stuffing all 10 number (or colors for the color rolls) into the dispenser then applying the product label and stacking it in the box with the 100s of others I had made that day...

[@tested]

Wow!

[@gorak9000]

You only made 100s in a day? No wonder they're so expensive :-P

[@RobR99]

@gorak9000 It was more than a decade ago so I can not remember how many I made a day. But simple math is 8 hr per day. 60 min per hr is 480 min. That would be hundreds. If It's 2 per min that would be 960 theoretically. I say theoretically because you have to consider the time to do paperwork, restock supplies, move finished product to stock etc... So whats involved in making them, 1) grab new shell. 2) open all 10 slots. 3-13) insert rolls. 14) close covers. 15) add product label. 16) place in shipping box. 60 sec / 2 per min = 30 sec each. /16 steps = 1.875 sec average per step. Inserting the rolls is the fastest action and placing the product label (and getting it right) is the longest action. Oh and the rolls don't just drop in you have to snap them into place so they don't pop out when used. As for labor cost, I was making about $10/hr so if I made 100/ hr that would only be 10 cents per unit. And that sill leaves us at 100s per shift. Even if I made twice as much or was half as fast that would still only be 20 cents per unit. and if both 40 cents. Still only a small percent of the $25 (0.4%) to $60 (0.16%) price. So, why so expensive? Ask the molding department, the empty dispenser alone cost $20 to $40... In conclusion, as usual, the blame for prices goes to the slaves (err... employees) and not the corporate greed.

[@gorak9000]

@@RobR99 I wasn't blaming you, I was just saying in China, they would expect each person to make thousands of them per day, and pay less to boot! I can see that the holder is quite a complex molding (I have a bunch of those dispensers and refill rolls that I got basically for free from a place that did commercial cabling installation and was clearing out a warehouse), but I don't think $20 to $40 was their cost to mold it - that's the cost that the market will pay for an empty dispenser. Compared to all the other tools that each cable installer crew would need (full set of "basic" tools, a whole selection of specialized crimpers, strippers, fiber optic tools, etc) $20 - $40 is a drop in the bucket, and a no brainer to pay to have "the best" and the quickest solution to not waste time. I get it - it's a niche product targeted at a limited audience, so they can charge more - it's fine - there's nothing wrong with that. As a hobbyist, what I used to do was just print number strips on regular paper, cut a section of paper number off and stick it to some tape, and then wrap the tape around the wires - that works fine, and basically costs nothing, but is really slow, but that doesn't matter for the handful of times I'm pulling cables that need to be labeled. That waste of time wouldn't be acceptable on a commercial job, and even if they charged $100 for the dispenser, it would pay for itself on the first job. But now that I have the real tool, even as a hobbyist, I won't ever be printing paper number strips and using tape anymore :)

[@Proximax9]

I've used those heated little sock things for years now. highly recommend. you can also heat them up with a regular lighter, they can take the heat, so you dont need a hot air gun if you dont have one. They make a very strong bond, you can really pull on the wires and they wont come off. What I do differently from Adam tho, is that I rolls the copper wire around each other before putting on the sock and heating it up. That way I can be sure there is a connection and that it is very sturdy.

[@davidhogue100]

Love those solder sleeves!! We used to use them occasionally at work in avionics. I just recently got some for my home and hobby use. They will melt fine with I lighter too

[@caramelzappa]

These are great connectors for anything that doesn't eat a lot of amps. Did all of my 12v connections on my electric motorcycle with these and they work great. Fast, easy, waterproof, and secure. Love the tape dispenser. Always caught between knowing I should label my wires and not wanting to spend the time to do so. That makes labeling them fast and easy which will of course always save time troubleshooting later. Simple and brilliant.

[@JAG9100]

in reference to the wire marking tape, DYMO (and i'm sure other brands) makes heat shrink wire labels, 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" sizes. doing the wiring on my Voron 2.4 3D printers, these saved so much time. They're a little tricky to open up, since they come out of the label maker flat, but a sharp pencil tip can open them up easily.

[@shysterlicious]

So glad to see how you come back to “Tool Tip/ Favorite Tool” videos. They’re among the best subjects in your video repertoire.

[@erebostd]

Adam! You can’t do this to me any longer! Every frickin time you upload a video, i see cool stuff i need to have and order immediately. My poor finances 😁

[@tested]

We'll pass your message along! We hear it a lot; you're not alone (and the Tested crew isn't immune, either!)

[@erebostd]

@@tested haha, that's very kind from you! Don't forget to mention that this was meant as a funny comment, i love learning about cool tools and stuff! Many regards from Germany 👋😊

[@ross9170]

Been using these for the last year and a bit. Brilliant piece of kit. Also have been using those tape markers since forever. So good.

[@daveco1270]

I'm terrible at soldering wires, especially when it's something I can't bring to a work bench to do properly, like wires on a vehicle. Those solder seal wire connectors work well. I've used them on my motorcycle.

[@berryreading4809]

For automotive use I'd recommend un-insulated crimp connectors and marine grade heatshink 👍 no worries about brittle connections from over wicking the solder, completely idiot/fail proof, super strong and 100% waterproof... big name automotive stores have finally begun to stock the non-insulated connectors, although they are much cheaper online and honestly after trying many brands the harborfreight marine grade heatshink is hard to beat if you are doing low volume work and don't need a 50 or 100ft roll of one certain diameter 👍 ask any racing team or off-roader, solder is only attaching wires to circuit boards or fixed hard points! 😁

[@daveco1270]

@@berryreading4809 I agree...i use the stock style crimp-on bullet connectors with heat shrink and the rubber covers that come with them for most of the electrical work on my vintage motorcycles. I like to keep things as stock as possible for myself and for the next owner. I had two brake light wires fray and come apart a few months ago...because of the placement and where they broke, I used the solder connectors Adam showed in this video and they've held up nicely.

[@aserta]

Solder the ends first, then solder the wires together. Don't forget the shrinking sleeve.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Two things make great solder joints. 1. 60/40 Lead/tin solder. 2. Good quality heat shrink tubing. Especially one with internal adhesive for moisture sealed joints. Electrical tape is a bad joke and a total waste of time. Even Gaffa tape has a short lifespan, especially when exposed to heat.

[@berryreading4809]

@@daveco1270 another nice thing about the non-insulated connectors is that they are seamless unlike many of the insulated brands which are often hiding foil thin metal with poor plating 😡 but it makes it very nice for tight spaces where aligning the seem would be impossible... but they do require some leverage, a dedicated pin style crimp tool is nice, but for less than $20 you can get a nice "front of the pivot" commercial electrician crimper/wire cutter or the smaller automotive type which usually include a wire stripper, they kind of look like a pair of diagonal wire cutting pliers, but the head is completely flat, 3/16-5/16 thick depending on brand, but you can get airtight crimps without an enormous amount of hand strength 👍dorman (big name auto stores) and carlisle (from napa) are a nice compact design with the striper, but only for 16ga and under, bigger than that and you really need a longer electricians crimping plier for the leverage

[@NewAgeDIY]

Ever time Adam comes up with a cool product, all the hard core DIY makers are off to Amazon picking up the item. I all really put in a order for the Solder Seal Wire Solder Wire Connectors. But the Numbers tape is a bit expensive. Maybe a birthday gift 🎁 thanks Adam for stocking my workshop with goodie’s

[@stevewells2327]

Been an age since I've seen you up on ..what was once celluloid....Great to see the old passion hasn't wavered. Thanks for the great entertainment that was mythbusters !!

[@stevekoning6114]

installed a Painless wiring harness in my old 1973 Cj5 a few years ago and every wire in the set had #'s on it that matched up to the info in the install manual. Super helpful.

[@alexcrouse]

The solder seal connectors on all 3 of my trailers are doing fine years down the road. Life changing.

[@mikaelbeeche9041]

Thank You Adam so much for solder seal wire connectors, and the scotch code wire marker tape. I was once rewiring My Sister's 1970 Maverick ignition, and I also used a newer steering column. All the wires were color coded differently. When I had figured out where one wire went I would then forget what color wire corresponded to it in the new harness. I did finally use mailing labels to mark each wire.... I generally use inline crimp connectors to attach everything, as I don't solder that much. I could definitely use those solder seal connectors.... 😁

[@jakemj03]

I mark all my wires with a sharpie. If the wire is big enough, you can write numbers on the wire, if it is too small, put a number of marks indicating its number. The advantage of the sharpie is you can pull said wires through tight spaces, without ripping the stickers off.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

I can vouch for the wire labeling saving troubleshooting time. As an electrician, a small amount of time invested in labeling on the front side, can save a lot of time on troubleshooting during trim out if any problems arise from mistakes or damage by other trades. So many headaches saved

[@marklundeberg7006]

What kind of label materials do they let you use inside junction boxes? (Fire concerns / code / etc)

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

@@marklundeberg7006 generally speaking we label the panel/circuit in sharpie, inside the box or on the cover if it's just a junction box. That or wire labels from a label maker. Generally I think those are a vinyl of some sort, I'd have to check haha. As for what all materials are allowed, I'm honestly not sure off hand.

[@TheMasheenist]

Thanks for the tips, I never knew anything so handy as those connectors existed!

[@bergamt]

The helping hands look very much like GRS Third Hands, I think meant for jewelry soldering but just fine for wires. They’re not cheap (~$60 per hand) but I like them.

[@BJHeinley]

Those are the ones. I just looked them up myself then found your comment.

[@JohnSmith-ws7fq]

Thanks for the info!

[@TimFollick]

I looked it up also, there is an Etsy seller who makes this identical clip, nice setup, $46 for two.

[@firstmkb]

Thanks!

[@anne_frank_]

@@TimFollick alfindingsltd out of merry England the one you found? In any case alfindingsltd has two for 30gbp for European buyers with arms and a base to match.

[@DieCastoms]

In "The Tick" (2016), a tracking device is extracted from a character and 'left behind.' A close-up shot is given and it is fairly clear that the device is one of these low-temp solder shrink splices containing a single hearing aid battery and a single flashing LED bulb! I don't remember if it had been heated or not.

[@mattl1758]

Used the numbered tape for years but have never seen it in a dispenser. Always been in a little tablet of pages. Awesome !

[@MDigitalProductions]

I miss these tool tip videos, I've learned so much from them!

[@1Thatstrangeguy]

I bought a kit of these and they work very well for getting into tight places where you cant solder something properly.

[@edsherrod5216]

Your KZbin vignette's never cease to amaze and educate me! Thank you for sharing!

[@island03z]

Clear heat shrink over the numbers makes everything look really clean. Love those low temp solder joints, amazingly fast. Also using a mini lineman splice as well gives me reassurance for those high stress joints

[@GadgetAddict]

There was a channel that cut them open to see how well the solder flowed and it basically just did the outside of the wires. I can't remember if it was BigClive or another KZbinr. They seem great in theory but apparently aren't as good as a regular solder connection. Maybe it's still good enough for the average hobbyist 🤷‍♂️

[@buddhaman001]

If you want excellent penetration of the solder you need to slowly heat the component so the wires come up to temp as well. If it's something low voltage, low amperages then yeah you can just quick hit it and go.

[@secondarycontainment4727]

We used them in high voltage / low amp connections in the military (aviation weapons systems) ... take what you will from that.

[@mrwitn3482]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5_bdpevjJ2Fhpo

[@Code325]

Sounds better than a crimped butt connector though.

[@PVS3]

The use case for this is not "as good as a hand soldered connection" it is "more robust and durable than crimped connectors"

[@ZFISHTANK]

They are fantastic. A couple of months I ended up using them to wire up a few hundred RGB LEDs for a theatrical production. I found if you melt one end of the glue first the the solder it allows air to escape and get a full solder connection. If you ever need to have multiple people working with these I would highly recommend making sure the heat guns are on separate circuits. We unfortunately only had 2 circuits and 4-5 heat guns going at the same time.

[@xj_overlander]

I love those little heat shrink things. Used them for wiring up a stereo. This is more Motorsport related and definitely on the more expensive end, but consider looking into deutsch connectors! If you’re making projects that have more of a loom of wiring and you want to have a clean break, they’re a great option. A reliable plug that can easily be repinned or moved to a numerically larger or smaller pin out plug. In addition to being weather resistant.

[@nrtolv]

We have a similar type of connection at my work and i use these whenever i know this wiring has to be able to be unplugged etc. Great option!

[@Weird_Stealth]

I actually have a pack of those, and use solder seal connectors on a lot of my wiring projects, specially any wiring projects that might be exposed to weather. I also put the SSC on one wire, twist the two wires together to make a better bond, and then move the solder onto the connection point. I've also used a lighter to shrink/melt them, it takes some trail and error, but it can be done.

[@PedersonPantry]

I used the number tape when I worked in the fountain beverage installation industry! Amazing stuff

[@thecraftycollector2410]

I love that heat shrink tubing. It’s the best!

[@alpha_ray_burst]

I've been soldering for years, and considered myself pretty knowledgeable in the subject, but I had never seen shrink tubing with solder built in. That's pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing! If you have any more soldering tips I'd love to hear them.

[@videobeagle]

I've seen them, but wondered if they were any good.

[@gacha24]

@@videobeagle it seems there is no flux in there because the solder doesn't flow properly.

[@HDL_CinC_Dragon]

@@videobeagle They're pretty good for the most part. I use them from time to time myself on low-power low-importance connections but I also always make sure I twist my wires to make a Western Union splice first. I don't trust these for higher power connections or signal carrying connections though as I highly doubt the solder properly penetrates the splice, though I haven't done any major testing to check that. It's just better IMO to not have to ever wonder if your splice is the whole reason your circuit is failing.

[@PedalBox]

Those low temp solder connectors have been AMAZING working on thinning out the wire loom on the car. They're genius, and we've beaten them about a LOT too in the elements.

[@sombertrex]

Great vid! Ive been using scotchloks for my exterior lighting builds also.

[@deadpiratetattoo2015]

These are my favorite types of videos you do. Practical information for crafties.

[@jodalry]

Brilliant Adam, I love the Solder Seal Wire Connectors. Thanks for introducing me to them. 👍🏻😎

[@brandonyoung-kemkes1128]

Thanks Gary much for the amassing tips! I have never seen anything like those connections. Definitely on my list.

[@tommytookalook]

I discovered those connectors when a few came in a repair kit for a floor heating cable. They’re definitely so much easier than fiddling around with a soldering iron. On occasion I’ve made my own by cutting a short length of thin solder and poking it into a piece of heat shrink tubing with the wires.

[@johngulley5659]

Hey!!! Adam I love your show nice tip's on soldering heat shrink connectors definitely useful thanks!!! 👍

[@buddhaman001]

I used solder seal connectors to rewire a buddies ATV and add things like light-bars, and I also used them on other low amperage connections like winch control connectors. Silver soldered the high amperage winch motor connections and use large heat-shrink with a bit of silicon grease in the jacket and on the ends of the plug in connectors. I can't count the amount of times he has submerged that vehicle and run it completely on the snorkle, but 5 years later it's still running like a champ.

[@vikingnorm6935]

They worked really good when I made my wire longer from my ring video doorbell to my solar panel charger I bought & installed on the roof. So quick, thanks for the info

[@bobblum5973]

I've used both of those items, especially the wire marking tape, for quite some time. A variation on the splice is to use them on the end of a shielded cable to attach a pigtail to the shield braid while the inner conductor(s) come out as well. The number tape can be looped around the wire or cable and stuck onto itself, forming a little flag. That helps on smaller wires when it's hard to see the numbers on a tight curve. Plus as others mentioned, 3M also makes color-coded tapes in that same case, with the 10-color codes like on resistors (Black, Brown, Red, Orange...).

[@davidmarden4789]

I'm using both of these in wiring my latest car project. the 3M tape works great for identifying spark plug wires.

[@matthewn1225]

Had the number tape dispenser in a robotics lab in high school. Never really needed it then but I can only imagine how nice it’ll be to have in my toolbox now that I’m doing automotive wiring.

[@madison1828]

Ive been using those for over a year now and they are amazing and so easy!

[@nottinghamboardandwargames1558]

The soldering tubes are a great find, will grab some if those for a project. The number system tape is also useful, been using a label maker but it's time consuming.

[@nottinghamboardandwargames1558]

Have to say love these tips, it's a great concept of only knowing what you know, picking up those terms and words that allow you to find Tools or processes that help but could not find as did not know the core context of the idea.

[@bkbinj6320]

Great tips Adam. I wish I had a wire marker tape dispenser back when I was doing a lot of wiring projects. Lots of time wasted hand writing wire markers over the years.

[@benbennett6807]

I use these solder connectors on my truck for aux lights and onboard air electric stuff and ended breaking a light off my truck while off-roading and theses solder connectors held on an led light pod dragging down the trail for like a mile. Totally fine. 100% would trust these connectors in hard use.

[@MTXCraze]

been using those number tape tubes since i became an electrician 20 years ago. very handy for marking wires.

[@randycarter2001]

The DeWALT heat gun in the video is the best one I've ever encountered. Most heat guns regulate the temperature by adjusting the air flow, tend to overheat and burn out. That model actually regulates the temperature with what essentially a light dimmer. The air flow remains contestant, much more accurate.

[@_Naaraaja]

I've used those solder seals for 2 years in my work and I can 100% say that they make things alot easier and faster.

[@ToninFightsEntropy]

Thanks for the tip on the number system thing, Adam! :) Love your soldering station, too!

[@CombatGod]

FYI, you can get mini heat guns that just use a regular lighter. You can also get little refillable lighters for them. I use it these all the time for commercial door systems. I've had these in exterior doors through storms for years without a single issue. They are great!

[@quadcabdakota]

Adam, Brady,( and other companies I'm sure) make printable heat shrink for your labeler. The stickers are nice but can come off easily. The heat shrink costs a little more but is basically indestructible. Cheers!

[@diyfury]

Dymo has the Rhino series that can also print heatshrink tubing. I use it a lot, really handy

[@mr_gerber]

@@diyfury Oh man yes I got a DYMO Rhino a few years ago, just for the purpose of being able to print on shrinkwrap. Fantastic product. It also has functions for making other wiring-specific label templates, which comes in handy.

[@anne_frank_]

The brother P-Touch pte550 has got to be my favourite of the ones I've used. Lots of functionality for both cables (heatshrink, wraps and flags) but also general and custom label printing. Won't replace the Cembre machine that cost 3 grand but it very nearly could which is beyond impressive. I'm sure in a few years the potable ones will be worth having instead of the bench style.

[@kaksspl]

I'm seeing these connectors for the first time in my life and honestly it feels to me as genius as putting gunpowder and bullet into one neat and easy to use casing.

[@edwardpaulsen1074]

Those are solid products that have been around for decades and even improved upon... thousands of electricians and tech people use them in a wide variety of conditions and they survive even some of the harshest environments. When the actual wire fails before the connection, there is no doubt as to the quality. Then there are the wire markers. the books are great for a large amount of the same 1, 2, or 3 digit numbers but can get bulky and mixed up. When time is of the essence or you are standing on a tiny platform dozens of feet in the air, that small tube that can be hooked to a lanyard so it stays put and can make ANY number you need is a godsend and worth it's weight in gold. Yes there are cheaper options that can work just fine, but having the best tools for the job makes everything easier when you already have enough to worry about. Thank you Adam for bringing this to the attention of the general public and making things that little bit easier. Another great item are the multi connection, lever action, clips for solid wires. Those are fantastic for making temporary connections that can be easily released and do not tear up the wiring like wire nuts because of the twisting.

[@MyClutteredGarage]

Just tried the low temp solder / heat shrink for the first time. They definitely have their place. 👍

[@TheBlueArcher]

Oh yeah I love the solder seal connectors, I found out about them from a random youtube video about 4 or 5 months ago. they are AMAZING.

[@heyimamaker]

The wire markings are really cool, I immediately thought about aviation wiring.

[@aizeemifridgerunnnin]

Solder connections are only useful for low voltage applications.Do NOT use solder connections for 110V DC applications. If too much power runs through the wire solder connections tend to heat up and disconnect resulting in exposed wiring or a fire hazard.

[@treborrrrr]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say "low _power_ applications" in that case? Something like a quad can pull something like 150Amps from a 16V battery, that's more than a couple of thousand watts. That can get pretty damn toasty too if you don't have wire gauges and connectors to match. But, if you size your wires and connectors for the job it's not a problem to solder them. Crimping them might be a better option for other reasons, but I wouldn't say it's bad just in general. And I especially wouldn't use the voltage as the decider there. Look at any phone charger you're currently using, that's 110V (or 240V in my case) soldered directly to the input terminals of the circuit and those work just fine.

[@chiphill4856]

@@treborrrrr Agree it's the current, not the voltage. I've wondered about this type of failure. Looking for a good KZbin test video of these connectors.

[@g4njawizard916]

Very nice man! I wish I'll have these skills in some years too. Would love to build some stuff on my own.

[@atlanteprops]

Love those connectors, i found them about 2 years ago when i've restored an original DHD from the TV show Stargate and had 160 cables to solder together I am not a fan of the heat gun to shrink those connectors, i found that a small blowtorch do the job way better

[@bobblum5973]

Torch or heat gun, the biggest headache is if the wire insulation turns out to be cheap and melts before the shrink sleeve does! 🙄

[@MrTechblackdog]

Wire Marker Tape Dispenser, That lovely good thing/tool! that is useful tool (when it's needed). Who remembers 'Soldering tape' ?

[@pigidly]

I was waiting on Adam to try to pull them apart!!! It was in your hand! Do the test!!!

[@Ivanovitch2885]

The connectors are also available with a barrel connector in my industry that goes under the heat shrink for added strength. We use them under the hood for critical electrical components.

[@chiphill4856]

Sounds interesting! Do you have a product name or a link?

[@Ivanovitch2885]

@@chiphill4856 Doing some searching, it looks like we're using a bare butt connector under the heat shrink sleeve Adam posted. Most of them come with a hole to let the solder wick into the joint from the factory, since they're usually just stamped and rolled. You have the option of crimping, hot soldering, or just butting and heat-gunning the connection. Depending on what you need it to do. I'm a flux and solder kind of guy just because there's no kill like overkill.

[@chiphill4856]

@@Ivanovitch2885 Cool. Thx!

[@sloanNYC]

Those shrink wrap with solder connectors make life so much easier. Won't pass some standards but still, super convenient and solid.

[@DacotaWolf]

Those helping hands look suspiciously similar to snap ring plier heads. Fantastic as always Adam! You’re a favorite for sure.

[@firstmkb]

My thought exactly!

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

Adam Savage's Quick Marketing of Gadgets. I knew it was a bad idea clicking on a link to this guy.

[@billermanthegreat]

Those solder heat shrink is the best thing around for soldering! I have used so many on my van.

[@86fifty]

Low tech 90s solutions like that numbered tape dispenser are MY FAVORITE! That reminds me of the Band-Aid Size Sorter box I saw on thrift-haul Reddit a few years ago and never saw again... I want one so bad...

[@HyperactiveNeuron]

I did a quick check on Amazon for those butt connectors and found them. Definitely ordering some. I searched "waterproof internal solder wire connectors and the top item (sponsored) was a case of 200 in varying sizes. Great deal too.

[@RurouniKalainGaming]

Neat things. Thank you Adam, be safe!

[@pollepost]

They do a great job. I use them on my Honda XR650L and have been trough wather, mud and dust. Vibrations and heat. No issues with the connections

[@arubaguy2733]

I used the 3M adhesive tape numbers for years until I discovered white heat-shrink tubes that come on a sheet and can be fed through a laser printer, (words, numbers, and symbols that very nicely shrink along with the tubes after slipping over wires. Great for when you need more than a digit or two to ID the termination. I've made several templates to print out these wire markers, Avery Sticky Labels, and other sheets of marking products using a 25 year-old VISIO program. I appreciate Adam's love of good quality, intelligently heuristic products.

[@glockparaastra]

Those heat shrink connectors are amazing. I never knew they existed!

[@jeremyhess7977]

They've been around for 30+ years. Military equipment is full of them. LoL

[@Mitch3D]

Wago 221 lever nuts are my favorite thing ever. It's easy and tool less and for most things they're really secure. The only issue is the bulkiness of a bunch of Wago connections.

[@xoxo2008oxox]

I've found the WAGO's work well in receptacle boxes and take up less room than then wire nuts.

[@mfx1]

They make a more compact single inline version, also the Chinese make some good Wago knockoffs that Wago don't (but should have) make. Wouldn't entirely trust the Chinese ones for commercial mains electrical work though but they're almost certainly fine for this sort of work.

[@northwiebesick7136]

I'm thinking about getting some WAGO connectors eventually, myself, whenever I start working on a computer storage and shop room in my dad's barn... Will only be something like 8x17ft of space, but still, that isn't half bad, for how much computer stuff I hope to store there...

[@Mitch3D]

@@mfx1 wago finally makes online splice connectors, the 221-2401 but the Chinese knockoffs work fairly well

[@mfx1]

@@Mitch3D Isn't that basically what I said?

[@John-vk1ij]

These solder sleeves are fantastic. I used them in my car(of course not the battery main cord), in all my home 12V cables, in 110V cables. They all worked very reliably. Under high current(15A?), the temperature of the joint is even lower than the cable itself. But of course, you don't want to let them hold any weight

[@savagelife977]

I love you those connections I been using them for years great product

[@rockystonewolf]

I also used the 3M Wire marking tape dispenser back in the ninteys! Working on boats in the seismic oil industry.

[@jeeves744]

I have used those connectors to rewire the headlights on my car. It has held up perfectly even through years of northeast salt filled winter driving.

[@MLFranklin]

I just had a massive flashback to grad school. I had not used or even thought about those numbered tape dispensers for 25 years, and now I see it here.

[@zer001]

I am so glad that, I am not the only person how has to put the glasses away for soldering. :) Love your Videos!

[@andyrix54]

I was using solder seal butt splicers back in the late 70s and early 80 when I was running assembly lines for Tandy, building 5 1/4" floppy disc drives.