Bread Board Wire

Many years ago - well, nearly 40 years ago, we used a fine solid copper wire which was insulated to make connections on 'Spot board'. There was no need to strip the insulation off when soldering as the heat of the solder melted the insulation and didn't seem to upset the solder joint to a component.

Anyone know what it is called and can you still get it ?

BobH

Were ‘bread boards’ not just plug in as temporary circuit arrangements?

The insulation would not pass through veroboard holes, where the conductors were soldered on the back side of the board. Never came across a ‘spot’ board. What did I miss?

Try "Solderable enamelled coper wire". for instance this one from Farnell

Bill

Note that it needs a very hot iron to self-flux. If you have a variable temp iron remember to turn the temp down afterwards as excessive temperature seems to kill bits.

A search for “self bonding copper wire” will give you dozens of hits. Many self bonding enamelled wires are directly solderable.

I forget the name of it, but the stuff we used in the seventies gave off toluene di-isocyanates (TDIs) when heated, which could cause lung sensitisation and breathing problems. I hope the new solder-through insulations don't do things like that.

Mind you, the resin flux (colophony) wasn't very lung-friendly either. I look back in amazement at the perpetual fog in the wiring shop and think of the effect it must have had on the wiremen and women who were in it all day, every day.

George

Might explain why some of us have breathing problems now !! Workshop conditions in those far off "happy" days were far from ideal. H&S ? Who are they ?

Kynar was a wire I have used that could be soldered without stripping.

Mike

I think these days wire strippers are very advanced and do the job so well. No need to poison yourself just get a good set of strippers.

Bri

I think the wife might complain..

Thanks guys, found small reels on A bay at an acceptable price.

BobH

I knew it a Verowire. I wonder how long the insulation lasts as I still have some.

I have not used my breadboard in thirty years since I made my first metal detector. I used to strip the thin multi coloured wires from telephone cable and solder a Veropin on each end - very handy those colours when identifying what goes where!

Rik