How to reconnect cartridge tag

arturo

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As per title, one wire has detached from it’s tag.  I have a soldering iron coming soon, but am nervous about stripping the wire back a little bit.  Anyone have any tips?  

 

Lurch

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I had to do this for the 1st time a week ago and was also nervous of snapping the fine wire. In the end I gently rolled the wire with my thumb over a penknife blade, then held the wire behind the cut with a small pair of needle nose pliers, and picked the cut section of the insulation of with my fingernails. 

For soldering I taped (masking tape) the cartridge tag to the top of a stack of cd cases so I had both hands free. (one for the soldering iron the other for the pliers again, to direct the wire to where I wanted it).

 
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uzzy

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As per title, one wire has detached from it’s tag.  I have a soldering iron coming soon, but am nervous about stripping the wire back a little bit.  Anyone have any tips?  
If you are not proficient with a soldering iron leave alone - pay the local repair man to do it.

Stripping back the wires is scary on a tonearm .. I used a stanley knife to cut round the insulator and then gently teased the insulator off ..use some long nose pliers to hold the insulated part of the wire so as not to pull it through the arm and damage it and use tweezers to pull the cut bit off (so as not to be able to grip the wires underneath too tightly and just wrench them off too) .  Ensure you tin the tag and the wire before soldering the two together.

Buy a small tool called helping hands which has clips to hold the tag and the wire to make soldering the two together easier https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Third-Hand-Soldering-Solder-Iron-Stand-Holder-Magnifier-Helping-Tool-Stati-MJ69/174383782766?hash=item289a155b6e:g:F~sAAOSwCWte4KQ9

 
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myles

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I find cleaning the tag of the old solder first by heating it up in a pair of pliers and using a solder sucker, braid or knocking it against the table when hot clears the old solder away. Leave the tag in the pliers with the rear part sticking out; heat it up and get it 'tinned' and if you are quick enough get the wire into the hot solder - if not, heat it again and sink the bare end of the wire into the tag.

Don't leave the wire near the heat or solder for too long or the sheath will just peel back like a banana!

 

arturo

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Sounds like good advice.  Thanks so much chaps. 

Just ordered a 3rd hand thingy.  What's the worst that can happen  . . .

 
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arturo

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I did it!  Another tip, which I used, is to set fire to the insulation!  Probably a dozen reasons why this is not recommended, but if you know the wires in the Ace Space arm, they’re thinner than a hair, or so they look to me.  A millisecond in a tiny flame was enough to melt away the plastic, leaving a few mm of bare wire.  The soldering was not too difficult, thanks to the clamp I bought off Amazon.  Thanks uzzy for that idea.  Managed to put it all back together, listening now, very pleased with self. ☺️

 

rabski

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Wait until you have to do it with stuff like Kondo 'fairy wire'. It's coated, about as think as a gnat's pubic hair, and the wire itself has a melting point seemingly about 1 degree higher than silver solder. The wires on the Well Tempered are now so short after a couple of breakages that another cartridge change is likely to mean an arm rewire, which even J7 doesn't want to do.

It's a safe bet that the current cartidge is going nowhere, barring disasters.

 
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arturo

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Which raises the question, why?  What’s so special about wire so thin and unmanageable that it has to be used by arm designers?  

 

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Which raises the question, why?  What’s so special about wire so thin and unmanageable that it has to be used by arm designers?  
It's to keep the arm mass and friction low. I use the iron to strip the wire because of how delicate it is, then tin it carefully before applying it to the tag and soldering it while holding it with tweezers.

 

JD68

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If you are not proficient with a soldering iron leave alone - pay the local repair man to do it.

Stripping back the wires is scary on a tonearm .. I used a stanley knife to cut round the insulator and then gently teased the insulator off ..use some long nose pliers to hold the insulated part of the wire so as not to pull it through the arm and damage it and use tweezers to pull the cut bit off (so as not to be able to grip the wires underneath too tightly and just wrench them off too) .  Ensure you tin the tag and the wire before soldering the two together.

Buy a small tool called helping hands which has clips to hold the tag and the wire to make soldering the two together easier https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Third-Hand-Soldering-Solder-Iron-Stand-Holder-Magnifier-Helping-Tool-Stati-MJ69/174383782766?hash=item289a155b6e:g:F~sAAOSwCWte4KQ9
That is a great tool, I never knew such a thing existed. I've just bought one for next time I change my cartridge. I have previously broken THREE of the tags on my Space Arm wires. Bloody nightmare soldering them back on.

Cheers Uzzy.

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

 
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uzzy

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That is a great tool, I never knew such a thing existed. I've just bought one for next time I change my cartridge. I have previously broken THREE of the tags on my Space Arm wires. Bloody nightmare soldering them back on.

Cheers Uzzy.

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk
 
My pleasure .. that is the great thing about the Wam - we all try to help each other (mostly)  :hug:

 
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Dave Brown

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Great advice all.

Personally - and I may do a dozen or so a week - I never use any sort of tool for stripping tonearm wires (caveat - I only touch the Pro-Ject tonearm wires which are very thin flexible wires with PVC insulation). I rely on finger nails. I take off about 4mm or so, twist the wire, then importantly tin the wire, then snip back to about 4mm as tinning will remove more insulation. With the tag, try and hold it with the solder tag pointing down, as it's very easy for solder to flow up the part that clamps the cartridge pins ruining the whole lot.

 
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