How To Solder

jimbo1421

via BoingBoing:

http://boingboing.net/2011/08/10/soldering-is-easy-cc-licensed-howto-solder-comic.html

http://mightyohm.com/blog/2011/04/soldering-is-easy-comic-book/

DON73

jimbo1421 wrote: »

via BoingBoing:

http://boingboing.net/2011/08/10/soldering-is-easy-cc-licensed-howto-solder-comic.html

http://mightyohm.com/blog/2011/04/soldering-is-easy-comic-book/

Soldering is the bane of my doing any audio repairs beyond refoaming a driver.
Not the actual soldering but preparing my iron. I can't tin it but I've followed every bit of advice I've found. I can't get the tip clean short of sanding or filing. I've decided it's a lost cause

TECHNOKID

DON73 wrote: »

Soldering is the bane of my doing any audio repairs beyond refoaming a driver.
Not the actual soldering but preparing my iron. I can't tin it but I've followed every bit of advice I've found. I can't get the tip clean short of sanding or filing. I've decided it's a lost cause

You probably driving your iron way too hot. When heat is properly adjusted tip routine maintenance should be a breeze if done frequently. Tip quality can also be an issue, check other type of tips. Sanding and filing the tips definitely worsen the task as you are removing the tip protective coat.

"tips for tips" ( ) maintenance; http://www.inlandcraft.com/uguides/tipfailure.htm

BTW jimbo1421, thanks the links, I provided them to all of our national branches. So called audio technicians (operators) think they are qualified to do soldering simply because they are called technicians ( ). I already received a couple positive response after I sent the links.

quadzilla

I use tips made for lead free solder. They stand up to everything better. I've been using the same set of tips for almost 2 years now, and all I ever have to do is give them a wipe when I'm done. They look new other than some discoloration higher up.

Jer.War

"Just tin the siht out of it" as my Electronics teacher would say. Tinning is important when holstering the iron between joints, and guards against oxidization during storeage. If a tip is not tinned while idle, it overheats the outer coating and it can be very difficult to get solder to stick to the iron tip.

DON73

Short of buying a new tip how should I clean a badly oxidized iron?
I've been using the max setting on my Weller iron with adjustable heat range.
I'll try turning it down a notch but most soldering instructions say soldering a joint should be quick.

Where do you find a tip for lead free solder?

cnh

Not much of a solder man. But I need to get up to speed because I may have to replace some caps on a number of vintage receivers, etc.

A friend told me that I would save a lot of headaches if I bought a Digital Controlled Solder station (catalog: Marlin P. Jones & Assoc. Inc. 320a Digital Solder Station: about 50 dollars?

Supposed to 'solve' a lot of the problems of using a soldering iron for those of us who are less than A++++ shop graduates!

cnh

TECHNOKID

A digital heat control soldering iron is not a bad investment as like a digital thermostat, the heat temperature should be bang on and not fluctuate so much. Both your PC board and iron tip are alergic to extreme heat as it may cause damage to both of them.

Soldering is actually a very easy task once you understand the concept. You are bonding 2 pieces together and in order to do it right, you must realize that heat must flow to both of the parts you want to bond together. The biggest mistake most people do is heating the solder instead of heating the pad and components lead(s) which in turns melts the solder and make it flow through. This is often the reason for cold solder joints. If you ever done plumbing joint solder, it is the same principle but using iron lower heat versus torching.

DON73

TECHNOKID wrote: »

A digital heat control soldering iron is not a bad investment as like a digital thermostat, the heat temperature should be bang on and not fluctuate so much. Both your PC board and iron tip are alergic to extreme heat as it may cause damage to both of them.

Soldering is actually a very easy task once you understand the concept. You are bonding 2 pieces together and in order to do it right, you must realize that heat must flow to both of the parts you want to bond together. The biggest mistake most people do is heating the solder instead of heating the pad and components lead(s) which in turns melts the solder and make it flow through. This is often the reason for cold solder joints. If you ever done plumbing joint solder, it is the same principle but using iron lower heat versus torching.

I do pretty well when my iron works as it should. Many years ago I taught myself to gas and arc weld but there was no iron that I had to tin that I can't tin:mad: A few months back I soldered the wires on the drivers in a pair of 7s and had 2 out of 3 irons that wouldn't get hot enough to even melt the solder much less get the wire hot enough to melt the solder.

quadzilla

DON73 wrote: »

Short of buying a new tip how should I clean a badly oxidized iron?
I've been using the max setting on my Weller iron with adjustable heat range.
I'll try turning it down a notch but most soldering instructions say soldering a joint should be quick.

Where do you find a tip for lead free solder?

Depends on who made your iron. Since you have a weller, you could start here:

http://www.all-spec.com/brands/weller/

Or just search for weller replacement parts until you find your model and a price you like. Tips are pretty cheap though.