Soldering Help
 

Ok,

I've read everything I've can and still seem to be really bad at this!! My solders mostly end up "cold". Also I seem to not be properly tinning my tips as they keep pitting.

I've been using a Weller 40w with chisel tips.

Suggestions? Or does anyone know someone that does this for a service?

What are you trying to solder exactly?

I use a cheapo 45watt iron with a small chizel tip (only about 5mm wide, if that ) and it works fine; I find that for smaller stuff you need to turn the heat down otherwise the solder just overheats and shoots off all over the place- that shit stings when solder balls land on your hand or fingers. I've done 5.5mm bullets with 12g & 10g wire and butt-joints with 10g wire, get a great result everytime pretty much. What solder are you using too- I use rosin cored lead free stuff, flows nice & easy I find..

I started struggling with my weller40 when I had to switch from 60/40 to the crappy leadfree stuff we get now, its just about workable even with 8gauge wire but you have to preheat the wire and connector for a long time which burns you fingers, holding the wire with pliers is essential and its a risk for any electronics on the other end of the wire, I have upgraded to a weller80 now I'm using 8gauge a lot and only de-soldering 12gauage or under for fatter replacemnets. My tips have also started pitting much worse than they used to and require taking a file to the tip every few jobs and regular tip replacement, I put it down to the $h1tty leadfree solder we have to use now being more corrosive than 60/40, just a guess but I already don't like it due to its higher melting point and poor wicking so its an easy thing to blame.

As a recommendation never file you tips. Most are plated and that plating is what for the most part carries the currant to conduct the heat. After soldering leave some of the excess solder on the tip don't clean it. This will prevent oxidation and prolong the length of the tips use. If you need to file the tip weller makes a cleaning bar that is less abrasive.

My recommendation for hard to solder, 8 gauge type, pain in the butt things is to tin the tip of your solder pen/gun with a lucrative amount of solder. Rest the wire onto this little pool and wait till the wire reaches temp, which is a bit quicker this route than without the extra solder, then feed the solder onto the wire end. After you have done this place the wire to the connecter and heat the wire to the connecter, which again may take a bit so if you need tin the tip of your pen/gun a bit to speed up the heating procedure.

All of this i do on a regular basis with a weller 60 watt solder pen/station. If your leads are presoldered than the more the better

First of all, you should pick up one of these: :yes: Helping Hands

It's sooo much easier to solder when you don't have to hold 4 different things at the same time! Make sure the iron tip is tinned, and heat up the area to be soldered before applying solder to the joint. Otherwise you end up with a "cold" connection. Like reno said, don't use a file to clean the tips. I use a 150 grit sanding sponge- just a few swipes and the tip is perfectly clean AND it stays tinned.

Flux can help alot as well. If the tip doesn't want to stay tinned, then dip it in some flux. Same goes for wire. If you have a wire thats being difficult and you can't tin it, then just dip the end of the wire in some flux and the solder will stick to it like no tomorrow.

Speaking of soldering, I just soldered this up last night. :mdr:

http://i42.tinypic.com/10z1bp0.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/29bddhj.jpg

Its the dome light for my car. These things will be brighter than the surface of the damn sun. :mdr:
I still have to get some resistors for it, but other than that its done.

Show off :lol:

A good tool I saw for cleaning the end of an iron ( solder wont stick unless its clean and shiny, just balls up and drops off ) was thing cool little box with rotating brass wire brushes; stick the tip of your iron in there and it cleans off all the crud/ carbon & then you can tin it up really well. Better than a damp sponge as that cools down the tip. I keep on meaning to make my own ( cost like $60 or something silly ) from a couple of dremel wheels and some random small 380 class motors I have, then mount it in an enclosure with a hole in the lid & switch + 9v batt.

I've found that flux is imperative to have, I also used the cheaper irons with mixed results at best. The best thing I did for my soldering was spend the money on a high qaulity adjustable heat iron. My Hakko 936 has simplified and made all soldering chores fast,easy and trouble free, Best 100.00 I have spent on RC yet !

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053