Soft Circuit Workshop

Technique Report: Using Insulated Wire in Soft Circuits

I came up with this method after having some failures in previous attempts to make soft circuits.  I wanted to use insulated wires, but I wanted to attach them to cloth.  My first attempt was using solid-core wire, which I bent into loops and twisted around itself after inserting it through a hole in the conductive cloth.  This worked fine, but solid-core wire is stiff and brittle, and the ends are easily broken.  So for the second attempt, I used stranded wire, which is more flexible, and put a blob of solder on the wire loop after inserting it through a hole in the cloth.  This didn’t work either, as it didn’t keep adequate contact with the cloth.  Finally, I came up with a method that works.

What you’ll need:

• Crimp ring terminals (found at Radio Shack or any place that sells electrical supplies)
• Either a crimping tool (best) or Vise-grips, or some other pliers if you don’t have a crimping tool.  I used my super-swanky German-made Knipex tool.
• Conductive thread
• Conductive fabric
• Fabric glue (optional)

Crimp the wires in the ring terminals.

Now place the crimped terminal on the conductive cloth.  Sew the ring terminal to the cloth with conductive thread.  Start with the exposed metal below the ring, sewing loops around it.  Then move to the inside of the ring and sew radial stitches.

You can then put a drop of fabric glue on the stitches to prevent fraying.

The resulting connection is not only strong structurally, but keeps great contact with the cloth.