In aircraft work, if at all possible, the connection is crimped, and 
solder is not preferred by a whole lot! As mentioned solder makes the 
joint more likely to break, and then there is the issue of flux 
corrosion. A good wire stripper also is worth it. I have a speedex that 
cuts the insulation without nicking  the wire (important), grips an 
inch  away and pulls the insulation off nicely. There are others out 
there, make sureit doesn't cut strands or nick.

peiserma@ridgid.com wrote:
> piclist-bounces@mit.edu wrote:
>   
>> My current technique is to carefully strip my wire, crimp the
>> connector to the insulation then  solder the wire. 
>>     
>
> first question is how do you crimp the wire? Are you using pliers? From
> your question below, I gather you do not have a tool for this.  The pins
> on the website look very similar to Molex's KK series. For a hand tool,
> try Molex PN 63811-1000
>
> Digikey P/N WM9999-ND, lists for $50.75
> Mouser P/N 538-63811-1000, lists for $38.36
>
> Jameco probably carries this too, or something similar. 
>
> second, are you crimping on both the insulation and wire? I found this
> brief description with pictures
>
> http://www.marvin3m.com/connect/#good
>
> If you do the crimp correctly, you should not need to solder. In fact,
> soldering makes the connection stiff and likely to break.
>
>   
>> I would really like to get a proper tool to do the job but
>> would like to avoid being locked into a specific brand of
>> connector or a very expensive tool.
>>     
>
> The hand tool I listed above can do a couple of different sizes and
> styles. I use it a lot for various Molex and AMP connectors. But bear in
> mind a 'proper' tool should always be matched to the type of connector
> you are crimping.
>
>
>   
-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist