I found I different way to SOLDER Connectors

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

I have 3 Weller brand Soldering Devices (2 guns, and a hot stick) which neither of them works worth a S#!+ for me. I've never claimed to have a real talent for soldering, but all 3 of them Weller's don't cooperate with me and cause alot of frustration. They either don't get hot enough, take to long to heat, or my damn finger gets a cramp holding that trigger down. Over the years I've cleaned tips, tightened tips, changed tips, used different solder gauges and tried everything else to get these so-called thangs to work right. Tonight I had enough of this crap and really needed to make a cable repair. After wasting about 45 minutes with no success I decided to go a different route.
My wife had set out some Christmas candles. I grabbed one and took it out to my work bench. Litt it . . . . let the tip of the flame melt that solder and BINGO, my problem was solved. Seems like a very ancient CAVEMAN type of solution but it worked and my guitar cable is now usable again. YIPPY !

Dan Robinson · From: Colorado, USA

Hi Nick,

Yep, FIRE can work. Best to heat the connection, remove heat, apply the solder so it melts and flows into the joint.

I had a small propane-powered soldering iron, about the size of a dry-erase marker. Don't know if they are still available.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I'm not sure what you're soldering, but for electronic parts most any Weller will work fine. You heat the metal, and the metal melts the solder.

Your method of melting solder with a flame will result in a cold solder joint. The metal itself has to be hot enough to melt the solder. If it isn't, you'll have a bad connection.

This is the one I use: www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC

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Cartwright Thompson · Posted 10 Dec 2016 2:48 am

What b0b said. Also, if the joint is not shiny when it cools, you've got problems.

Jack Stanton · From: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

For the longest time I had problems soldering, which I finally figures out was due to my impatience and not letting the iron heat up properly.
Plug that baby in and go do something else for at least 20 minutes.

David Weisenthal · From: Arizona, USA

Hi Nick, At work I apply a small amount of solder to the clean hot tip of the soldering iron. Then when you touch it to the joint, there is a lot more hot surface to heat the joint up. Otherwise, you're applying heat only through a tiny portion of the iron that's touching the joint. Also Any kind of grease on the connection makes for a more difficult solder joint. Even hand lotion. Also, Maybe your solder doesn't have enough flux.
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Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Or just use George L cable and plugs!

Randy Schneider · From: SW New Mexico, USA

And when soldering something like a plug or jack -- don't put it in a big metal vise. That vise serves as a huge heat sink to pull heat away from the device to be soldered. As b0b said, the metal has to be hot enough to melt the solder, but you want just the small area to be soldered to heat up quickly, melt the solder and be done.

Clean metal takes solder/flux much better than dirty/oxidized metal too.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

There is a reason that people learn how to do things and learn how to do them right. The correlation between doing them such as in the original post, and successful results is strictly coincidental and certainly temporary.
You can also fix plumbing leaks with some wraps of masking tape around the leaking joint.
Yep.

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

I use a 25w iron for circuit board work, and a 100 to 150w gun for larger work. I also keep a cotton rag to wipe off the tips, along with a tin of tip cleaner. I file all my tips to a flat chisel point, and use good quality fine electronic solder.

Let the iron get to temperature before trying to solder. Solder should flow easily and quickly.
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I used to have a NASA soldering certificate as I worked in a module repair depot for a short period.

I have a (cheap import) SMT desoldering/soldering station that I use on printed circuits. I have a unit like what b0b posted for most other soldering jobs. I haven't owned a soldering "gun" since my old Ham Radio days.

Larry Carlson · From: My Computer

A few months ago my soldering gun gave up.
I snooped around and bought what they call a hot air rework station. Never tried one before.
The darn thing works great.
It looks expensive but Amazon sells them for the same price as a decent soldering iron.
It has a soldering iron, which works great and it also has a hot air gun which directs a flow of hot hot HOT air wherever you want.
I have found it works great for re-soldering old connections and does a much neater job.
It has extra tips for the gun and several nozzles for the air gun.
I really like the darn thing.

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Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

If you're heating the joint until it melts the solder, you'll be overheating the component, most likely.

You have to have a wet connection to heat the component quickly... so the iron tip has to be tinned. Heat the iron and apply flux-core solder to the tip... get it good and wet before starting.

The magic ingredient most folks don't know about is the flux... solder has flux in the core, but you don't get to it until you melt the solder. Put the tip on the connection, touch the solder to the tip, then move the solder to the connection... this moves hot wet solder and flux onto the connection and allows for a faster job. The faster you do it the less the heat flows into the rest of the component, the less likely you are to melt/destroy what you're working on.

Also, you can buy flux separately from the solder... if you apply flux to the connection before soldering it gets real easy. Use flux designed for electronics, of course.
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Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Good advice! I'd like to add, that practicing your soldering skills on insignificant/old parts, instead of the actual project, is worth doing until you've developed your technique and confidence. There are some good tutorials on YouTube, if you haven't the time and money for school.
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John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

b0b, that's very similar to the solder station I use, but mine does not have adjustable range. I have 3 old Weller irons, each with a different heat range. I never could stand the guns! Too much waiting for them to heat up! I used to work at a small electronics company and soldered hundreds of connections a day. We used a lot of Amphenol plugs that had 64 to 128 connections.
Also, "tinning" is important, and so is keeping the tip clean. My station has a small sponge that you keep moist to wipe the tip on, then re-tin.
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Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

I use a soldering gun because every time I have tried to use a soldering iron I manage to get my fingers on the hot part and it hurts really bad!
Jerry
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Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Jerry, I use a helping hands device or a pair of locking forceps... Very Happy

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Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

Scott, the last time I used an iron I was working at the kitchen table and had the hot iron resting on a cheap little stand that came with it. I accidently hit the cord with my elbow and the iron was being knocked off the table and I instinctly caught it by the metal part.
I didn't hang onto it very long but got some bad blisters.
Jerry
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John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

At my job, I just didn't have the time to waste letting a gun warm up.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

DO NOT use a "gun" around solid state devices (transistors and IC's). The AC field that is around a gun can damage solid state devices. Only use a low wattage "iron".

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Gun soldering is a learned skill, like welding. A soldering gun isn't like a flashlight, you don't just hold the trigger down and go on your merry way, soldering things. To do it properly, you have to learn how to regulate the tip temperature by pressing and releasing the trigger, and how to gauge the tip temperature by looking at the tip. If you hold the trigger down too long, the tip overheats and the tinning burns off. Then the bare copper tip quickly oxidizes and the solder won't stick to it. And unless the tip is properly cleaned, tinned, and wetted, you won't get proper heat transfer and solder flow to the component. It ain't rocket science, but it ain't like lighting a candle, either. Laughing

p,s. Stephen Cowell's tip about using extra flux is a good one!

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Too much heat can destroy things like pots and capacitors, and supposedly the big ol' guns give off some kind of evil death ray that eats pickups... but just for soldering cord ends, there's no components to destroy, Weller 150 gun, bombs away! Back when I had my whammy on I used to be able to solder up a whole guitar with a gun, you use alligator clips on ALL COMPONENTS as heatsinks and work FAST. Yes too much heat destroys capacitors* - so don't use too much heat. As the man above says, you gotta get GOOD with your Weller Gun, practice, pay attention, it's kinda like a zen, kung-fooey thing, become ONE with your soldering tip...

*(You can drown in water, so quit bathing... Rolling Eyes

)

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

I use an iron for blasting ground wires, etc, and one of these for all the other work, from SMD on up to through-hole stuff. I still use my dad's two temp Weller. Brings me back to the 50's - he made a lot of money with it Smile

In addition to what many others have said -- please read this

http://www.elexp.com/soldering
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Carl,
I have the same unit and really like it. Very Happy

I have never gotten enough heat out of a candle to do any soldering.

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