On Sun, 18 May 2008 11:55:09 -0400, Jack Erbes
wrote:

Richard Casady wrote:
On Sat, 17 May 2008 16:42:39 -0700 (PDT), Bob
wrote:

I hear it works well. But after seeing how the non tinned existing
cables got all puffy at a nick I can see the advanges of all tinned
wire.

Welding cables must be very flexible, so they are made of a zillion
very fine wires. This gives them a maximum surface area to corrode.
The ends of any marine cable have to be covered with waterproof
plastic, either something you paint on, or a heat shrunk sleeve.
Otherwise salt will crawl into the cable from the ends.

And this is where I start the never ending, never to be won, argument
for tinning the ends of a wire (either tinned or bare copper) before
putting crimp on terminals on. I do that regularly and have been doing
it for years. I like that it gives you a solid object to crimp down on
and it also keep corrosion from getting started in a bundle of loose
strands.

You could solder the joint after crimping. No chance of a corroded
connection that way. They make 375 F melting solder 95% tin and 5%
silver.Fill up any air space with solder instead of, eventually, salt.

Casady