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I am adding an E3D V6 hot end, which uses a heat cartridge.

The cabling from the heat cartridge will not reach up and then back down to the Rambo Controller.

I would like to solder it to a 4-pin connector (from motors) and then connect that to a cable connected to the Rambo controller.

This will would let me connect the E3D to the Rambo, and would make it easy to unplug the E3D (Hot End) and reconnect another.


However, the Rostock Assembly Guide says to NEVER solder the ends of the wires to the heat resistors in the hot end... doing that may cause a fire.

What should I do?

Crimp them.

Solder will melt at the temps the heater cartridge is capable of, so you have to use a mechanical connection.

The "never solder" rule is there because the solder joint is so close to the resistors that the constant heat will eventually evaporate all the solder out of the joint. That will cause intermittent connection problems.

You can easily use a crimp-on connector with the heater cartridges because they've got leads plenty long enough to make it both safe and practical. See here: http://seemecnc.dozuki.com/Guide/Max+Ha ... connect/32 for an example of how the wiring can be done. I did this a couple of days ago with a threaded thermistor and cartridge equipped hot end.

g.

So its safe to crimp the 4 pin connector to the 20" AWG cable to the Rambo.

Its just not safe to `tin` the leads on the 20" AWG cable to the Rambo?

I'm refering to the Warning on Page 211 of the Assembly Guide.

So then there's a difference between solder tin and the AWG cable? both are going to be different metals than the heat cartridge wiring.

Its the high-resistance tin that causes a fire hazard?

It's the screw terminal. Tinning the leads on a wire that goes into a screw terminal makes it more susceptible to loosening.

A crimp on connector will work fine and at the distance from the hot end we are looking at soldering would also work fine.
So if you have a solder type connector and you are 1 foot or more from the hot end go ahead and use it.

Eaglezsoar wrote:A crimp on connector will work fine and at the distance from the hot end we are looking at soldering would also work fine.
So if you have a solder type connector and you are 1 foot or more from the hot end go ahead and use it.

1 foot?? If the connector isn't right next to the heater, it's probably fine, when I wired mine that way I usually positioned the connectors slightly higher that the entry for the bowden tube.

As has been said, it's the proximity of the join on the resistor to the hot area that causes the problems. Most cartridges have a decent length of lead.

My printer has heater, fan and thermistor leads all running up a braided sheath which is clipped to the bowden tube. Up by the extruder I use an old fashioned automotive block connector (the one with the captive spade terminals) to allow for high current and because I'm cheap. The connections are all soldered and I've checked, they don't even get warm. No worries at all!

Polygonhell wrote:

Eaglezsoar wrote:A crimp on connector will work fine and at the distance from the hot end we are looking at soldering would also work fine.
So if you have a solder type connector and you are 1 foot or more from the hot end go ahead and use it.

1 foot?? If the connector isn't right next to the heater, it's probably fine, when I wired mine that way I usually positioned the connectors slightly higher that the entry for the bowden tube.

I wanted a worst type of scenario so that the users could always be safe. I personally am 4" from the hotend with a 4 pin soldered connector but I will not advise the user to do that.