CHAPTER 22 ■ SOLDERING AND CONNECTING
- Slide one of the black tubes over the soldered black wire on the negative motor
terminal. - Add the white and black tubes to the other motor.
- Before shrinking the tubing in place, be sure you’ve tested the motors. Although
it is possible to remove the shrunken tubing by cutting it across its length, it’s a
bit of a pain to do so. - Obtain a hair dryer or a heat gun (see Figure 22-10).
Figure 22-10. Ordinary hair dryer and paint stripper heat gun
Heat guns are often available at hardware stores for stripping paint. They get very hot and are capable
of starting fires (as can hair dryers). However, heat guns are faster and do a better job of shrinking the tubing
completely.
- Take the motors and hair dryer (or heat gun) to a location away from combustible
materials. I use my concrete basement floor. - Turn on the hair dryer and position a motor so that the heat-shrink tubing is
near the front grill of the hair dryer. If you’re using a heat gun, keep the motor
(and your hands) at a more comfortable distance. You may need to experiment to
discover the optimal location. - The heat-shrink tubing contracts within four or five seconds with a heat gun, a
bit longer with a hair dryer. Rotate the motor in the hot air stream to shrink the
tubing equally on all sides. - Let the motor and the tubing cool. The tubing should conform to the shape of the
terminals and solder (see Figure 22-11). It shouldn’t be loose at all. Reapply heat
if necessary.