soldering tutorial?

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i was messing with a non bike project, and was having alot of problems soldering wires together. as many questions as i see here about led conversions, there has to be an expert here, and im probably not the only one with soldering defiecencies. (i cant spell real good either :oops: )
 
not sure, the label is long gone from the container the solder is in, it came with a cheap solder iron from walmart, so its probably pretty low grade. so which is better? thanx for answering.
 
Go to Radio Shack or some other Electronics Hobby Store and ask for their thinnest Rosin Core Solder. Clean your Soldering Iron by sanding the crud off the tip. Heat it up to optimal heat range. If you have a sponge or an old wash cloth or shop rag, moisten it with water and then you can clean the Iron Tip with it. It helps to "tin" the tip after you clean it. Here is a link to show you how. After you "tin" the tip, you can heat up the bare wire while feeding solder on to it. That sould get you going.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5344102_tinning ... -tips.html
 
I would also pre tin the wires. I also prefer to use a non rosin core but I use a gel like flux and just a little at that on my joints. Also stay away from acid core solder.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
 
You are probably getting a cold solder joint and they are not sticking together. I had the same problem when I started learning.
The "secret" is that you have to get the wire hot enough to melt the solder, if you don't you get a cold solder joint.

hold the hot tip against the wire, and melt a little bit of solder onto the tip and the wire. that helps the heat flow into the wire.
when the bare wire is hot enough to melt the solder, you are good.
as already said, pre-tin each end of the wire, that means put a thin coat of solder on each wire end individually.
then hold them together and heat both ends up at the same time until the solder on the wire starts to melt evenly, then apply some addition solder to flow around the wires.

don't forget to slide the heat shrink tubing over one wire before you join them together. :oops:
 
Another couple of small but significant things to consider are the tip size and temperature of the tip if the iron is adjustable. The tip needs to be sized properly otherwise the joint can be overheated or can be cold. Good soldering is like good welding and depends on having the right tools as well as having the skills (although I'd much rather have a solder joint let go than a weld!).

If the tip doesn't seem to be getting hot enough even when you are not heating a wire or solder pad, carefully loosen and then remove the tip. Clean the threads with a brass brush and apply some anti seize compound for soldering tips. When the tip threads get coated with carbon the element can't transfer heat efficiently.

There was a time I had all kinds of certs for MIL SPEC soldering. My hands shake so much now I use the "bigger the glob, the better the job" method. My instructor would be ashamed....
 
1st gather your iron, a clean dry rag, a damp sponge, some small rosin core solder (60/40 is good)and some non acid paste flux. Make sure your iron is clean and hot. Dip the end of the iron right into the flux and then wipe it off with a dry rag. touch the tip with solder until it is just a large blob. Leave it on there while you prepare your wires. Carefully strip your wires. realign them the way they lay while sheathed. In other words, restore the twist. Dip each wire in the paste flux. Now pick up your iron, wipe the end of it with the dry rag and briefly tap it on the wet sponge. This knocks the oxide off of the iron and allows maximum heat transfer. Apply the iron to the wire and add some solder at the same time. Drawing the wire through the small blob on the tip of the iron works well. This will leave a shiny surface on the wire. It only takes a second or so. Do not overheat the wire. If it didn't work go back and follow each step exactly making sure every thing is clean and the wires were fluxed properly. Tin all of your wires at once. Add another big blob of solder to your iron and set it aside. This is called idling your iron and should be done every time you put it down and when you put it away.

To join two wires slip some shrink tubing over one of them being sure it is large enough in it's relaxed state to fit over your splice. Now take each wire and bend a u shape in the end. Needle nose pliers work best for this. Interlock the two u shaped ends and gently crimp them closed with the pliers. No need to really smash them together. Now take your hot iron, wipe the tip on the dry rag, tap it on the damp sponge and apply it to the prepared joint. Touch it with the solder. It should flow immediately. remove the solder and the iron. You should be on the joint for 3 seconds or less. No need for a big blob of solder here. In fact a big blob of solder will cause joint failure under vibration. Idle your iron and set it aside. Wait for the joint to cool and slide the shrink tubing on it and heat the tubing all the way around. Use a heat gun not your idling iron.

When you are all done remember to add that blob of solder to your iron before unplugging it and let it cool with that blob on it. If you properly do this each time it will be real easy to clean your iron for next time and it will allow maximum heat transfer at all times.

U.S. Navy 3M certified soldering instructor.
NASA Certified electronic component engineer
Electronics technician/engineer/researcher for 38 years. :mrgreen:
 
thanx fellas, this is why i asked, i knew there were experts here. my project this time was the severed charging cord for my laptop, obviously it worked, but i'll be practicing these new to me techniques so when i do something important next time, it should be perfect. l knew there had to be some tricks to it. oh, im gonna build my own set of helping hands,they would be invalueable even for the everyday around the house stuff that needs fixed.
 
Iceboy133 said:
1st gather your iron, a clean dry rag, a damp sponge, some small rosin core solder (60/40 is good)and some non acid paste flux. Make sure your iron is clean and hot. Dip the end of the iron right into the flux and then wipe it off with a dry rag. touch the tip with solder until it is just a large blob. Leave it on there while you prepare your wires. Carefully strip your wires. realign them the way they lay while sheathed. In other words, restore the twist. Dip each wire in the paste flux. Now pick up your iron, wipe the end of it with the dry rag and briefly tap it on the wet sponge. This knocks the oxide off of the iron and allows maximum heat transfer. Apply the iron to the wire and add some solder at the same time. Drawing the wire through the small blob on the tip of the iron works well. This will leave a shiny surface on the wire. It only takes a second or so. Do not overheat the wire. If it didn't work go back and follow each step exactly making sure every thing is clean and the wires were fluxed properly. Tin all of your wires at once. Add another big blob of solder to your iron and set it aside. This is called idling your iron and should be done every time you put it down and when you put it away.

To join two wires slip some shrink tubing over one of them being sure it is large enough in it's relaxed state to fit over your splice. Now take each wire and bend a u shape in the end. Needle nose pliers work best for this. Interlock the two u shaped ends and gently crimp them closed with the pliers. No need to really smash them together. Now take your hot iron, wipe the tip on the dry rag, tap it on the damp sponge and apply it to the prepared joint. Touch it with the solder. It should flow immediately. remove the solder and the iron. You should be on the joint for 3 seconds or less. No need for a big blob of solder here. In fact a big blob of solder will cause joint failure under vibration. Idle your iron and set it aside. Wait for the joint to cool and slide the shrink tubing on it and heat the tubing all the way around. Use a heat gun not your idling iron.

When you are all done remember to add that blob of solder to your iron before unplugging it and let it cool with that blob on it. If you properly do this each time it will be real easy to clean your iron for next time and it will allow maximum heat transfer at all times.

U.S. Navy 3M certified soldering instructor.
NASA Certified electronic component engineer
Electronics technician/engineer/researcher for 38 years. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...


ATTENTION CLANCY:
You better put this tutorial in the how to section. Best soldering tutorial I've ever read. SAVE! Gary
 
If Iceboy133 is still following this thread I have a request. Can you write up a similar tutorial on silver soldering? I've been repairing WW1 German iron crosses and had to do some "easy" silver soldering. "Easy" temp wire was anything but easy. I got it done but with diffuculty. I have "medium" and "hard" silver solder also but don't have a clue how to make it work. Hot Hot!
Silver soldering might have a few bike applications but not sure. Thanks, Gary
 
I am still following this thread. I must sadly admit that most of my soldering is done on electronics and very little in my field requires silver soldering. I can't imagine it is very different from tin/lead soldering with the exception of higher temperatures and type of solder. Best of luck finding something on silver soldering though and if you find something good, please post it here. I will be learning it somewhat this summer as I have a few projects it would work well with. Jim......
 
Thanks anyway. I'll keep looking...and experimenting. When you touch rosin core solder to a hot tinned wire, the solder "jumps" right on the wire and flows. With silver solder, when you touch the solder to the item you are soldering it runs the other way! I may have to go to a small jeweller size oxy-acetylene rig to get the heat I need. I'm using MAP Pro now which is hot enough for the easy silver solder but fails with the medium and hard. Gary
 
silver soldering is just brazing with high content solder, look for a brazing tutorial .

in my experience, the biggest thing is cleaning the parts, i use muratic acid, but there are many things that work. I also use a tin of powder flux instead of the flux coated rod as the flux on the rod is rarely in good shape when i get around to using it. just heat the end and dunk it in. And get the right size torch tip for your work piece. if you have it clean and the right temp its pretty easy. :wink:
 

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