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Soldering Iron Issues

#21
Never had any luck with any hardware store solder...even stuff that should have worked. Radio Shack 60/40...their thinnest rosin core stuff was always my favorite.

Get the right solder. Make sure your iron is clean and shiny...well tinned. Buy good iron clad tips. Make sure what you are soldering is clean. Heat your work, not the solder.

Other tips...solder is not an adhesive. Have a good mechanical connection before you solder.

That being said, I don't follow it all the time. And I haven't had joints held with solder break.

I often use a little extra flux. I have a couple cans of Kester flux I've had for many years. Their solder is excellent as well.

The new lead free solder. I dislike it. I have some, and when needed I use it, but I don't like it. I do have a sneaking suspicion my dementia may be the result of years of inhaling lead solder fumes.
 
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#23
Frank77 said:
As mentioned earlier, you need to tin your tip first, otherwise it'll be near impossible to solder. If the tip is dirty, it'll be harder to tin. I recommend using something like this to clean it (and/or a wet sponge):

Tip_Cleaner_VTSTC.jpg
Click to expand...

I use a wet Scotch-Brite pad.
 
#25
Joey Cash said:
View attachment 693742 I'm trying to learn to solder so I can install new pots and whatever else I need... Well this happened.
It's the stock tip on a Weller 40w iron. Is it from overheating, or is it just the tips that are junk?
Click to expand...
Just talking out loud...the tip isn't temper A). It wasn't tinned B). It doesn't look cleaned C).
A) temper the tip...leave the iron plugged in for 5 minutes.
then using a wet sponge, or a soaked doubled over hand-towel; wipe the tip by placing the tip on the sponge or towel and pull the iron towards you in short strokes. Or you can wrap the tip in the towel (the towel HAS to be soaked and wrung) and pull towards you about 3 or 4 times. when the tip stops sizzling it's too cold...let it heat again for a few seconds and repeat
C) if you did A) correctly you've cleaned the tip
B) you posted you know how to tin.

It won't tin because (the manufacturing crap left on the tip) or the tip isn't seated well.

If you rake the tip over a wet sponge or towel it will sizzle and you'll know by the sound it's hot.

If you're showing us the tip is fractured? It was too hot and maybe placed against a cold/cool surface. the tip shape is just a preference. personally, I'll use any tip that's in the wand. although they do have different uses. just like playin bass..just go with it.

ben soldering since I was 8...I'm alot older than that now.
 
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#26
Gashouse said:
Just talking out loud...the tip isn't temper A). It wasn't tinned B). It doesn't look cleaned C).
A) temper the tip...leave the iron plugged in for 5 minutes.
then using a wet sponge, or a soaked doubled over hand-towel; wipe the tip by placing the tip on the sponge or towel and pull the iron towards you in short strokes. Or you can wrap the tip in the towel (the towel HAS to be soaked and wrung) and pull towards you about 3 or 4 times. when the tip stops sizzling it's too cold...let it heat again for a few seconds and repeat
C) if you did A) correctly you've cleaned the tip
B) you posted you know how to tin.

It won't tin because (the manufacturing crap left on the tip) or the tip isn't seated well.

If you rake the tip over a wet sponge or towel it will sizzle and you'll know by the sound it's hot.

If you're showing us the tip is fractured? It was too hot and maybe placed against a cold/cool surface. the tip shape is just a preference. personally, I'll use any tip that's in the wand. although they do have different uses. just like playin bass..just go with it.

ben soldering since I was 8...I'm alot older than that now.
Click to expand...

I see... Well I may not have cleaned the tip very well at all, then. I just plugged it in until it would melt the solder and tried making it work. I guess I should have looked into this a little more before just going for it.
 
#28
+1 to cleaning the tip, including touching it to a damp sponge or paper towel to sort of "shock" the accumulated oxidation layer off before re-tinning.
 
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#29
BassLife77 said:
I only use Kester lead-free
Click to expand...
why? is it a requirement where you are?

frankly, lead-free makes sense for mass production of stuff that's gonna end up in landfills someday, but not for guitar work.

@twofathomsdeep, here's the stuff to get if you want this to be easy to do:
31VZuFCN56L.jpg


i linked the little tube for home use where the big roll would be pointless.

the "63/37" part is what you want because it's "eutectic", meaning it melts straight from solid to liquid, with no "ketchup" stage in between like 60/40. 60/40 is pretty much the old standard, people use it because old specs still call for it and because it still works. given the choice, you want 63/37.
 
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#30
Joey Cash said:
I see... Well I may not have cleaned the tip very well at all, then. I just plugged it in until it would melt the solder and tried making it work. I guess I should have looked into this a little more before just going for it.
Click to expand...

practicing as mentioned previous (on other post): you can tin twisted wire ends as a first practical effort. ALSO, this also is an indicator if the tip is burnt out or the tip isn't hot enough. If at all possible I try to strip some 18g or 20g stranded wire and tin it to see if the iron tip is hot. (it's like throwing warm-up)

GL!!
 
#34
S-Bigbottom said:
This is a great video on how to solder. Watch the whole thing, it has great info, then practice before doing it on your guitar.

Click to expand...

good stuff! get past the "troy mcclure" voiceover and the info is solid. notice though, how the 63/37 solder is still considered sort of an exotic thing, as are temperature-controlled irons; neither is true anymore.

(edit: i just watched a batch of the lessons, good stuff; thing is, they're copyright like 1980 or '81! going by the suit, hairstyle and background music i would have guessed more like 1965! i guess being engineering types, the producers weren't exactly "hip".)
 
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#35
Another note is that for larger surface areas like pot chassis, a higher-wattage gun is best, say 100-200 watt range. A lower-wattage iron can't bring larger surfaces to rapid solder melting point quickly enough or sometimes not at all. And the more heat transfer contact area the better, so a spade or chisel tip is best for this. The goal should be to spend no more than a few seconds on the target.
 
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#38
I once had the great honor and privilege of visiting Walter Woods in his home workshop. At one point in the course of the 1-2 hours I spent there he did some soldering on his lap (!). Came out perfectly. I don't remember what kind of equipment he used. In his case I don't think it would make any difference.
 
#39
Your solder wasn't getting hot enough.
I'm a plumber and while plumbing and electrical solder are miles apart methods wise (plumbing is waaaaay more fun) solder acts the same in both.
If its melting, globbing, and then falling away you're right at the cusp of it going all liquid terminator.
Also I concur that lead free sucks, but electrical and plumbing code requires it now. Now none of us are pulling permits on our basses so we're fine but if this stuff goes the way of plumbing solder (between 95-5 and 97-7 acid core stuff) the lead stuff is gonna go away.
 

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