OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) I've had loads of goes. always messy and the solder comes off the base of pots etc .. Any clues? What sort of iron should I use? What's the best/easiest solder - type? make? sources -Maplins? Is there a book? Youtube instructions? Online tips and stuff? Anyone near Cardiff offer to teach me? Thanks Edited October 15, 2007 by OldGit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) [quote name='OldGit' post='74611' date='Oct 15 2007, 02:57 PM']I've had loads of goes. always messy and the solder comes off the base of pots etc .. Any clues? What sort of iron should I use? What's the best/easiest solder - type? make? sources -Maplins? Is there a book? Youtube instructions? Online tips and stuff? Anyone near Cardiff offer to teach me? Thanks[/quote] A small 15w iron from maplin will do. Solder is solder - get the thin stuff. Get a solder iron stand with sponge, makes life easier. Thats all you need. Best thing to do when soldering wires on to pot cases is roughen the metal case first with a small file or screwdriver. This will give the solder something to bite onto. Edited October 15, 2007 by neilb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odub Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 A decent quality iron is always good, it's hard to be neat with something wide and cold. then, practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Cheers Do I need flux in a tub? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='OldGit' post='74615' date='Oct 15 2007, 03:06 PM']Cheers Do I need flux in a tub?[/quote] Not unless your doing the central heating pipes too! Electronics solder is fluxxed already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='neilb' post='74616' date='Oct 15 2007, 03:09 PM']Not unless your doing the central heating pipes too! Electronics solder is fluxxed already.[/quote] Ok I just love that smell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='OldGit' post='74611' date='Oct 15 2007, 02:57 PM']I've had loads of goes. always messy and the solder comes off the base of pots etc .. Any clues? What sort of iron should I use? What's the best/easiest solder - type? make? sources -Maplins? Is there a book? Youtube instructions? Online tips and stuff? Anyone near Cardiff offer to teach me? Thanks[/quote] make sure you have a good surface for the solder to take, most solder nowadays for use in the electronics industry has flux in the solder so follow this wee rule. apply the heat apply the solder take away the solder take away the heat nice clean joint.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I would recommend at least a 30watt iron myself, simply because it will maintain temperature better should you happen to blow on it, or should a moth flutter by unexpectedly The best advice I can give when soldering is to heat the joint, not the solder. When soldering wires, twist them together and heat them with the iron, then apply the solder and if the joint is at the correct temperature it should flow evenly through the joint. Be careful when applying heat to components where the heat may cause joints inside or further down the wire to melt, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='OldGit' post='74611' date='Oct 15 2007, 02:57 PM']I've had loads of goes. always messy and the solder comes off the base of pots etc .. Any clues? What sort of iron should I use? What's the best/easiest solder - type? make? sources -Maplins? Is there a book? Youtube instructions? Online tips and stuff?[/quote] I'm sure the wonderful chaps at Expert Village would be able to help... Nah, what everyone has said already makes sense. I'm still rubbish at it tho for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Soldering onto the back of metal pots is a little tricky because the mass of the pot shell dissipates the heat. For this job you need a bigger iron - probably 30 Watts minimum as 15 Watt iron might not have enough power. The thing about soldering is that all surfaces need to be hot enough for the solder to melt on them - that means the metal pot shell has to get hot enough locally for the solder to melt onto it. It can take a good few seconds for this to happen. You'll know when it does as the solder will flow onto the metal. When it reaches this point work quickly to get the wire soldered onto the pot. As soon as you remove the heat everything will cool down - make sure the wire cannot move until the solder has set - sometimes it helps to hold the wire down with a small screwdriver while it sets (a 3rd hand is useful here). A good solder join is smooth and shiny. A bad one is dull and grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cl5QI4pqKc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cl5QI4pqKc[/url] Soldering 101 ... I should have tried searching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I use one of these puppies.... Never have a problem with not having enough heat...... It helps having a 5h1t load of practice too! [url="http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=68224&group_ID=12178&store=uk&dir=catalog"]http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P6...amp;dir=catalog[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogueporn Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Spend a little more and get solder with silver content, cheaper solder gives a duller finish. a screwdriver in the mouth works well as a 3rd hand. Wear safety glasses if your going to do this. I usually scrub the backs of pots before soldering to them, sometimes use a little flux to help the solder flow a little better. Always keep the soldering iron clean, and don't try and reuse solder thats already been melted once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Great tips thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHA Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='OldGit' post='74812' date='Oct 15 2007, 09:45 PM']Great tips thanks[/quote] Glad to see that no one suggested the 100W solder guns. They are great for some jobs but never get them near your pick-ups as they can de-magnetise them, end of pick-up. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 May I suggest a 100w solder gun. I used one to do some work on the mains fusebox in my house. I'm in Ward 4B if you want to pop in and say hello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) Those 100W gun types are not for fine electronics such as guitar wiring, they can cook your components too. One tip I learned is: keep your iron's tip clean and tinned: wipe off on a wet sponge regularly, then immediately apply a little solder (with flux). That way, it makes good thermal contact with the surface you're soldering. As noted, heat the contact, then apply to solder to the contact, not to the iron's tip. Edited October 15, 2007 by bnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I use an Antex Gascat butane gas iron for everything, it's bloody marvellous. Use it anywhere, no mucking about with mains and such... just the job for that emergency cable repair at the soundcheck. It's brilliant for heat-shrink sleeving too. I've got several different tips for it ranging in style and size, so I can use the one iron for lots of different jobs. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I like to use a tiny bit of flux here and there... I know modern multicore solders have flux in them, but for some things a little bit extra really helps the solder flow and makes for a clean joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Rich' post='74837' date='Oct 15 2007, 10:23 PM']I use an Antex Gascat butane gas iron for everything, it's bloody marvellous. Use it anywhere, no mucking about with mains and such... just the job for that emergency cable repair at the soundcheck. It's brilliant for heat-shrink sleeving too. I've got several different tips for it ranging in style and size, so I can use the one iron for lots of different jobs. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I like to use a tiny bit of flux here and there... I know modern multicore solders have flux in them, but for some things a little bit extra really helps the solder flow and makes for a clean joint.[/quote] hey Rich Pop over and show me how and I'll let you play through the Shroeder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 tisk 100w? I use a TIG welder........ not really, the theory is the same. the fumes are very bad for you, use ventilation. the things you want to solder must be grease free. apply a bit of solder to iron (which you cleaned last time you used of course) this will help the heat transfer better make hot. if joining a big thing to a small thing the big thing will take longer than the small. both have to be hot as the solder will move towards the heat. make the bits hot. you can solder things together with them cold and they will kinda work but to work well they need to be joined propperly. apply solder. just a wee bit remove iron. then either tadaa! or swear at the thing and repeat a few thousand times till the damn thing sticks. as far as i know theres no problem with remelting old solder and using it agian. easy try brazing a small set of railings 10mm high made out of thin copper rod. thats fiddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Don't forget the solder sucker, to git rid if the old stuff if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Yeah, I'd also +1 for a 25/30w iron, I'm going to redo the pots on my Les Paul Project and "when I come to replace my stock fender pup's" on my Aerodyne, so I'll be going to my local maplins before hand if the archaic 30w in the garage is broken. I personally make sure my solder is fluxed, but I've got a large tin of flux sitting by as my Father has got tons of older solder (He's got solder that's about 8 mm thick iirc for some odd reason, I reckon he aquired it from a plumber) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 [quote name='steve-soar' post='75228' date='Oct 16 2007, 07:48 PM']Don't forget the solder sucker, to git rid if the old stuff if need be.[/quote] +1 One of the best things I've ever got my hands on. On a side note, anyone know where you get replacement tips for them, mine's getting a little burned away now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elros Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 [url="http://hallgeir.no/hmt/soldering/soldering.html"]May I link to my own pictorial soldering guide?[/url] Silly question I know. It is important to have a clean soldering iron, and clean parts. I use Multicore Crystal 400 solder, and an Ersa soldering station (with electronic temerature regulation). But the "secret" is the skill, you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulyB Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 If you're doing loads of leads and the like this is a useful bit of kit: [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=4017&doy=17m10#overview"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Module...=17m10#overview[/url] saves trying to hold four things at once and burning your fingers as the connectors heat up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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