Paperclip as circuit bridge

Since someone on here will know any given fact...

I have a circuit board I'm building that requires a ~2 cm long bridge. I'd like to bend a paperclip into the right shape and then solder it in rather than trying to use some ugly, floppy wire. I've done this in the past and it worked great, but it just occurred to me to worry about galvanic corrosion. Would this be a problem?

I don't know what my paperclips are made of but they're shiny so probably nickel plated or something. I'm using lead solder, and the PCB is a normal commercially printed stripboard.

There shouldn't be any problem with galvanic corrosion unless there is moisture present. Hopefully there won't be any water on the board.

If you can solder to it, it will probably be OK. Paperclips are steel. Steel doesn't solder very well.

I brought my Rolex in to a jewelry store once because the band clasp pin was broken. Guy takes it in the back, tap tap tap, brings it back out. Fixed, here. "I used a paperclip." I felt like saying, "You fixed my four thousand dollar watch with a paperclip? Pray, tell, was it stainless?" But I just said "What do I owe you?" and left.

No facts here, just an opinion.

It seems to me the wire would be a significantly more reliable and consistent conductor and better solder bond, with no potential for dissimilar metals corrosion or other issues.

I'd be more concerned with good performance than with the issue that the "floppy wire" might not be pretty.

I'd use a paper clip to jimmy a lock, but I'd use wire in a circuit board.

Considering a paperclip is solid and about 5x as thick as the wire used in most small electronics, I can't imagine why it would be a worse conductor? I used literally the same clips as bridges in an analog synthesizer I built a while ago, so I know they work well enough (at least in the low-voltage applications I've been building.) No signs of corrosion on that board so I guess I've got a year or so of hard data on how well they hold up.

The nice thing about using a paperclip is you can bend it into the shape you want and it stays there while you apply heat to it. Very easy to do and makes really tidy bridges.

@Hess: your watch repairman sounds like he would fit in fine here.

My electronics box is littered with the excess leads that I clip off of resistors, capacitors and whatnot. Most of those are at least 30mm long and obviously take solder very well. I just use them whenever this situation arises.

Steel isn't as good a conductor as copper or silver or gold, but it's unlikely it's bad enough to cause a problem. If you've a short, heavy piece of copper wire such as you might find in a piece of romex, you could use that to similar effect.

Reasons solid-core wire are better than a paper clip:

*insulated, so no accidental shorts

*takes solder better

*better conductor - not only better material, but lacks stress fractures, etc from previously being a paper clip. who knows when those old bends are going to snap.

*proper tool for the job

I hate intermittent connections and IMHO, a paper clip is just asking for that.

If I didn't have excess leads like ditchdigger, I'd use solid core wire. I'm prototyping some stuff on a breadboard for work and bought a box of assorted color/length solid wire jumpers. <$8 in Manhattan, probably about $2 anywhere else

I save leg trimmings from resistors, diodes and so on to use for that type of thing. Much easier to solder to than zinc coated steel will be. Easy to bend to fit for clean looks too.

I'd only use paper clips in "just get me home" mode, not on a new build.

I've seen improvised conductors made from paper clips, aluminum foil, gum wrappers, safety pins, and assorted tools. The right wire/conductor makes a difference.

Whatcha building, Jay?

ditchdigger wrote: My electronics box is littered with the excess leads that I clip off of resistors, capacitors and whatnot. Most of those are at least 30mm long and obviously take solder very well. I just use them whenever this situation arises.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Solid core wire is what you want. They have it at your local Radio Shack for a couple bucks, at least mine did.