Tricks for soldering

[mysta2]

This is driving me crazy. Sometimes it takes five seconds and works beautifully. But sometimes this stupid stuff never melts and I just sit there in an awkward position for what feels like half an hour and nothing ever happens except the shrouding all swells, sweats and melts off.


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[mysta2]

Using rosin soldering flux, rosin core solder (.032 dia) with 22ga multi strand (AWM) crimped into female blade connectors, with a Weller WP35

 

[firebane]

For doing small wire like 16-22awg and such a finer tip works better and make sure its tinned well.

 

[xb33bsa]

also make sure the set screw connection is tight, after time they come loose and heating of the tip is compromised

 

[Sonreir]

And don't feed the solder into the wire from the start. The solder should be applied directly to the iron and capillary action will draw it up onto the wire. After melted solder has started to move through the wire, then you can feed the solder into the wire and away from the iron.

 

[mysta2]

And don't feed the solder into the wire from the start. The solder should be applied directly to the iron and capillary action will draw it up onto the wire. After melted solder has started to move through the wire, then you can feed the solder into the wire and away from the iron.

Nice, I've always wondered about that. I always felt like melting it on the iron directly was cheating and me being impatient. I always have thought that you would want the solder applied opposite the iron so it would draw toward the heat source. Maybe that's why I'm sometimes melting sheathing before solder.

 

[Sonreir]

The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep the iron on the wire for a little while after the solder is "sucked" into it. A good solder joint should be shiny, not dull. If it's not shiny, it didn't get hot enough.

 

[plagrone]

Also, I could swear solder sticks better to clean wires. If your wiring is old and crusty, give it a clean first. That helped me

I can't verify that this is true, but it helped me and it couldn't be a bad idea anyways.

 

[mathil]

I thought a proper joint was created by applying solder to the wire, heated by the iron to a melting temperature.

Most things I've read recommend tinning the iron, tinning the components and then putting a small blob of solder on the tip to help conduct the heat to the component. Once the wire/pad is hot enough add solder to the component/wire.

I am no expert, however, that's just what my reading has shown me.

 

[frogman]

Clean wire is by far the best way. Grease, oil, corrosion, etc. will not let solder stick.

Learned a trick a long time ago about tinning flux and it is still my cheat method for hard to reach or stubborn wires. Dip the bare end in the flux, heat with iron, and as the flux melts it deposits solder right on the wire. Then just solder the wires as normal.

http://www.oatey.com/products/copper-installation/flux/no-95-tinning-flux

Just make sure it is NOT acid based flux.

 

[mysta2]

I don't like to pre tin my wires because l like to hook the bare wire around the little tang in the middle of the blade connectors that I have, or at least flare it out a bit ahead of the crimp (which is usually crimped onto the sheath)

I don't know if I'm using a different solder than you Sonreir, but mine always cools matte. I know it flows because I stop feeding it when it starts to come out of the back of the connector, but it's only shiny when it's hot.

 

[mathil]

Pre-tinning stranded wire is supposed to avoid inclusion of air when twisting the 2 different wires.

 

[frogman]

The amount of lead in solder dictates the shininess. Using 50-50 lead-tin will make nice flexible strong solder joints but they are not as pretty as 100% tin or silver solder.

FWIW, I've been soldering for around 25 years now and I always either tin my wires or LIBERALLY use flux on my terminals. I also heat one side of the connection and apply solder to the other. Solder follows/flows towards heat so it will flow towards the iron and fill in the wires or the spaces. Same applies for sweating copper should you ever need to do some plumbing.

 

[mysta2]

I've now decided that map gas and a blow torch outrank a soldering iron. Obviously not an option when watching your backgrounds. But for assembling a harness on the bench... awesome!


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