see comments below ...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Julian Burden" <jburden@CONSULTANT.COM>

> 2.  Solder is not as good a conductor as copper, there should be minimal
distance between copper strands as possible >(the strands should be
touching). "Tinning" the wires (applying solder before the wires are joined)
means the wires >cannot be twisted around each other and that there is a
relatively thick layer of solder between the two wires (when >joining one
wire to a clip etc is another story). Ideally the wires would conduct
current and hold together without the >solder - the solder's job is to hold
the wires in place and stop impurities getting between the strands.

this seems ultimately very true, but unless you have a poorly done joint,
the added resistence of a well done, but not especially 'tight' joint may be
of very slight impact in this situation ...

> 3. Solder should never be applied to the iron and then taken to the
wires - the flux evaporates before the joint is made >you do want the flux
out of there, but only after it has done its job), and the copper is not as
hot as it should be when >he solder is applied.

ya.  seems like the best way is to heat the wire, and then apply the solder
to the heated wire ...

> 3. Strip at least 1/2" of the insulation of each wire (longer for thicker
wire).
> 4. (This is hard to describe without a diagram, sorry . . .) make an X
with the wires so that the centre of the stripped wire is at the
intersection of the X (the insulation should be about 1/4" away from the
intersection). Tightly twist the wires around each other so that each free
end is wrapped towards the insulation of the other wire - you should NOT end
up with a T shape, imagine a single wire with 1/2" of the insulation
stripped off the centre of the wire.
> 5. Heat the wire with the iron. Once the wire is HOT, apply the solder to
the wire rather than the iron (really close to the iron) - the copper should
suck up the solder.

the above sounds like a REALLY good method.  it also, incidentally, solves
some of the inherent awkwardness of soldering ...

-steve and buster