Soldering

[flyingron]

You're correct, of course, that they go to the inside. I'm basing my observation/guess on the typical switch design having the lugs held in place by the plastic case itself, so that if the lug is overheated much it'll deform the case...and my own experience from ages ago wiring up small switches and devices before I had a temp controlled iron.

Anyway, glad OP got this straightened out.

I was soldering up a microswitch like this and I heard a pop once. Some internal spring gave way. I was using a butane portable iron for some reason rather than my temperature controlled desk unit.

 

[Gary Ward]

I have made quite a few battery, starter, and hydraulic pump cables out of welding cable. Only I use a map gas torch to melt the solder until the copper end is full of molten solder, then slowly stick the welding cable into the cable end. Works good. Uses a lot of solder.

 

[kontiki]

Depends on how old your plane was. Mine was full of cloth and rubber coated wiring, much of which dated back to 1950 when it was built (or older, we found a rubber hose with a date stamp of 1947).

Understood. Old airplanes rarely have much wiring repair guidance in their manuals. If your only guide for wiring electrical repairs is the 4313 it still shouldn't be used. There is no advantage in using lesser grades. I would have no idea what the specs are or what they say for wiring in amateur built aircraft though.