Soldering revelation

[Guest]

I struggled mightily when trying to solder terminals onto wires, or solder two wires together. I could never get the pieces to heat up quickly enough to melt the solder without melting the insulation a bit first, and could never get a clean result. This was true with a 140/100 soldering gun and a 25 watt soldering iron. I then read about lead-free vs. leaded solder. I was using lead-free so bought a roll of 60/40 leaded. WOW! What a difference. This solder melts sooner and flows readily, before the wire gets hot enough to damage the insulation. Suddenly soldering is easy!

 

[fbody_mike]

You should try some 63/37 eutectic solder, works like a champ.

 

[Steve]

Make sure you have CLEAN wires and connectors. A little bit of flux doesn't hurt, either.

.

 

[posplayr]

Make sure you have CLEAN wires and connectors. A little bit of flux doesn't hurt, either.

.

+1 Liquid flux.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QPT8R2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[posplayr]

I struggled mightily when trying to solder terminals onto wires, or solder two wires together. I could never get the pieces to heat up quickly enough to melt the solder without melting the insulation a bit first, and could never get a clean result. This was true with a 140/100 soldering gun and a 25 watt soldering iron. I then read about lead-free vs. leaded solder. I was using lead-free so bought a roll of 60/40 leaded. WOW! What a difference. This solder melts sooner and flows readily, before the wire gets hot enough to damage the insulation. Suddenly soldering is easy!

Something else that helps keep from melting insulation. You clip this close to where you are heating to prevent heat from going up the wire and melting the insulation and the solder from wicking (up the wire)


https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...o9FMLMD0B5-twFXyshkhvLFvfNgkPxohoCtA0QAvD_BwE

 

[BigD_83]

Something else that helps keep from melting insulation. You clip this close to where you are heating to prevent heat from going up the wire and melting the insulation and the solder from wicking (up the wire)


https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...o9FMLMD0B5-twFXyshkhvLFvfNgkPxohoCtA0QAvD_BwE

That's ingenious! I always wondered if there was a way to prevent that from happening or if was just poor technique on my part. Just in time for me to wire a new head unit into the Subaru.

 

[posplayr]

That's ingenious! I always wondered if there was a way to prevent that from happening or if was just poor technique on my part. Just in time for me to wire a new head unit into the Subaru.

Clip it on the insulation, not the bare wire, you will never get the wire hot enough to melt the solder.

 

[850 Combat]

Something else that helps keep from melting insulation. You clip this close to where you are heating to prevent heat from going up the wire and melting the insulation and the solder from wicking (up the wire)


https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...o9FMLMD0B5-twFXyshkhvLFvfNgkPxohoCtA0QAvD_BwE

Excellent tip. Thanks.