temp isnt that important..a 50 watt iron will do..apply heat to the pot..or components..use a heat sink..eg..alligator clip on caps and resistors ect..heat the component till the solder flows...do NOT stick the solder to the iron tip..the components must be hot enuff to accept the solder flow..so u dont get a cold joint which can cause resistance and poor operation
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Quick soldering question.
- Thread starter G19Tony
- Start date
the curly..steel wool? works better but ive gotten away wit a wet paper towel in a pinch lol
oh btw..sry i have a weller 250 watt gun and a 75 watt pencil iron..i only leave either on the connection as long as i have to...usually the gun to un solder and the iron for new work..braid is a good idea but im old school so i blow or shake it off..the main thing is if its used to....have it clean for the re solder
hold the wire over the soldering tip and apply solder till it melts..this will give u an idea of how long it takes..and if u properly tin..ie..solder a wire it will go on to the other connection easier ..if you do the same to the other connection..this sometimes works better because if u have solder on both connection points...less heat to put them togetherMy first training event will be just tinning scrap wire. Then, I'll move to soldering them together. And watching YT videos.
I've been using my SMD soldering station a bit recently, it has a pencil tip with the temp set to 375 degrees centigrade, and a hot air blower set to 470 degrees C for removing those SMD chips.
Since my eyesight is not like it was, I also use a headband magnifier x 10 and x 20.
My regular 40 watt iron does all the other regular leads and plug repairs, and travels to gigs with me.
A plunger/spring solder sucker is handy for those circuit board component removals.
You can tell when I have been de-soldering on plugs, heat and flick, there are usually solder blobs stuck to the carpet that won't vacuum off.
Since my eyesight is not like it was, I also use a headband magnifier x 10 and x 20.
My regular 40 watt iron does all the other regular leads and plug repairs, and travels to gigs with me.
A plunger/spring solder sucker is handy for those circuit board component removals.
You can tell when I have been de-soldering on plugs, heat and flick, there are usually solder blobs stuck to the carpet that won't vacuum off.
Funny this thread was sitting near the top this morning, I had a bit of a late night last night getting some quarter pounders soldered up. I know nothing about the niceties and nuance of soldering. I am a chimp with an iron. But I am learning.
Got out my new, albeit cheap, soldering kit, freshly acquired from the campers flew market at Levi Jackson State Park.
Anyway, installed the pickups, had buzz coming through the tone knob, it goes away if I turn the tone knob down or if I touch anything metal on the bass like bridge, string, etc. Shielding? Certainly not poorly done soldering....
Got out my new, albeit cheap, soldering kit, freshly acquired from the campers flew market at Levi Jackson State Park.
Anyway, installed the pickups, had buzz coming through the tone knob, it goes away if I turn the tone knob down or if I touch anything metal on the bass like bridge, string, etc. Shielding? Certainly not poorly done soldering....
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On Ebay you can find sets of used Hakko tips or packs of Chinese knockoff tips for fairly cheap. I recommend starting with them and experimenting with how they work. If you have the Hakko FX-888, the 900M or T18 tips will work, though the T18 tips are supposed to work a little better.
That's fine. You want to use a small chisel tip for what you'll be doing with guitar wiring.
D
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SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Thanks so muchBOOM. Asking the real questions...
For solder, can't go wrong with a spool of Kester 60/40. Thinner is better, much easier to control heat and melt times. 1lb will keep you set for quite a while.
As for a beginner kits, set aside a couple of bucks and just order a few from Amazon (doesn't really matter what). This will help in a couple of ways. First they'll be simple circuits and you'll get a to see a light blink or a get a buzzer to buzz, which will provide some gratification for completing something. Second, they're not the highest quality - PCBs will melt, pads will be on one side and lift easily, and things won't heat evenly. Basically, if you can make one of these mongrels blink or buzz, you're in good shape for getting something of actual value to work.
Cables are always good practice too. Get 20-30 ft of nice instrument cable (e.g. Mogami, Canare) and some quality ends (e.g. Switchcraft, Neutrik, Amphenol) and treat yourself. For $15 you can make a cable that someone would gladly charge you $50+.
Also invest in aloe. You WILL burn yourself.
or you could really screw it up and do it like Guitar Center would [if they let them play with hot tools], heat up the solder and let it fall on the joint and then go to lunch. (Who cares if the solder falls off in 5 minutes or 1 week)
Temp depends on the solder you are using- leaded or non-leaded.
I run all the Hakko irons in my Lab at my Day Job between 700-750F.
At home, I use an ancient Weller no-adjustable station. Not sure what the temp is on it, but it has no problem with leaded or non-leaded (I typically use 5% silver solder for audio electronics- let that one sink in for a bit...).
I run all the Hakko irons in my Lab at my Day Job between 700-750F.
At home, I use an ancient Weller no-adjustable station. Not sure what the temp is on it, but it has no problem with leaded or non-leaded (I typically use 5% silver solder for audio electronics- let that one sink in for a bit...).
This is correct. Higher wattage irons don't generate more heat. They just lose less heat when they come into contact with much colder metals and so are able to solder larger wire, pots, etc.
I used to have a Weller workstation, but it took a vacation in El Crapoville...
... replaced it with a 25w HF cheapie, and it solders joints, just fine...
... couldn't tell you what it heats up to, temp wise, but let's just say... it's gets hot...
Some like it hot...
... replaced it with a 25w HF cheapie, and it solders joints, just fine...
... couldn't tell you what it heats up to, temp wise, but let's just say... it's gets hot...
Some like it hot...
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Great info here thanks everyone and to the OP for starting this thread
BOOM. Asking the real questions...
For solder, can't go wrong with a spool of Kester 60/40. Thinner is better, much easier to control heat and melt times. 1lb will keep you set for quite a while.
As for a beginner kits, set aside a couple of bucks and just order a few from Amazon (doesn't really matter what). This will help in a couple of ways. First they'll be simple circuits and you'll get a to see a light blink or a get a buzzer to buzz, which will provide some gratification for completing something. Second, they're not the highest quality - PCBs will melt, pads will be on one side and lift easily, and things won't heat evenly. Basically, if you can make one of these mongrels blink or buzz, you're in good shape for getting something of actual value to work.
Cables are always good practice too. Get 20-30 ft of nice instrument cable (e.g. Mogami, Canare) and some quality ends (e.g. Switchcraft, Neutrik, Amphenol) and treat yourself. For $15 you can make a cable that someone would gladly charge you $50+.
Also invest in aloe. You WILL burn yourself.
I do have a couple tubes of Kester 60/40 .020 on the way. That's a great idea about beginner kits and cables... and Aloe.
.
That works for me too. I use the lower temp for electronic components and PCB work and the higher temp when soldering larger things like cables, jacks, and lugs on pots.
@OP - It's not melting the solder that's the issue. Solder melts very easily. It's heating whatever you're soldering in order to get a good flow and a solid joint on (without heat damaging it) that's the trick.
That works for me too. I use the lower temp for electronic components and PCB work and the higher temp when soldering larger things like cables, jacks, and lugs on pots.
@OP - It's not melting the solder that's the issue. Solder melts very easily. It's heating whatever you're soldering in order to get a good flow and a solid joint on (without heat damaging it) that's the trick.
Go through this video training series, then practice.
Click>Basic Soldering Lessons 1 - 9 - YouTube
Yes it is a series of cheesy ol' training videos, but it is from one of the leaders in soldering equipment and was the industry standard for training.
Enjoy.
Click>Basic Soldering Lessons 1 - 9 - YouTube
Yes it is a series of cheesy ol' training videos, but it is from one of the leaders in soldering equipment and was the industry standard for training.
Enjoy.
