soldering?

[R0dzilla7]

Well I've never soldered anything before so I bought a sears soldering iron and some 18 ga wire to play with before I install my o2 sim. I must be developmentally disabled because it's just not working. I hold the iron to the wire for about a minute and then try to put solder on it and nothing. If I had three arms then I'd be able to maybe but since I don't I'm fu8ked. What am I missing here folks. tips...hints for the disabled please

[runerules05]

First off plug the iron in and left it heat up for about 5 minutes. After that get a wet sponge of whatever type and tin the tip so it will solder better. After that it should work, unless its defective and wont heat up.

[06Sport]

Use some flux and it will flow right in. Are you even able to get the solder to melt? Flux isnt nessesary but it sure helps a hell of a lot. Some solder has flux in it also. You need good contact with the wire and the iron to heat it properly. Then touch the solder to the joint where the iron and wire meet.

[R0dzilla7]

Well if I can't get it to work then I'm going to just have to use wire nuts and electrical tape because my headers are going in Sat morning. I won't have time to do it tomorrow. It's actually kind of funny....I remind myself of an early hominid trying to start a fire in the woods with my bare hands . I'm sure it's not that difficult, there has got to be a method to the madness.

[BillBrasky]

+1 for flux. connection will be much stronger and more solid.

Make sure you're using the right size solder for your application and your gun/tip. I like the really small stuff cuz it 'melts' faster.

[Fluxaholic]

Rod, it sounds like your first attempt at soldering went about as well as mine. Just keep practicing and it won't be long before it clicks and you get the hang of it. I got pretty frustrated in the beginning.

[R0dzilla7]

Originally Posted by BillBrasky

+1 for flux. connection will be much stronger and more solid.

Make sure you're using the right size solder for your application and your gun/tip. I like the really small stuff cuz it 'melts' faster.

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What the hell is flux?

[Pb]

http://www.mediacollege.com/misc/solder/

[Pb]

Originally Posted by R0dzilla7

.



What the hell is flux?

I just use flux core solder. It has flux made right into the solder.

Flux cleans the surface, and removes oxidation so that the solder will bond. Many metals oxidize when they contact air, but sometimes you can't really see the oxidation.

Flux also assists the heat transfer from the solder iron tip to the copper wire. Solder will not stick until you have the wire hot enough. Solder is attracted to heat. You want the solder to stick to the copper wire, not the soldering tip.

[R0dzilla7]

Originally Posted by Pb

http://www.mediacollege.com/misc/solder/

Yeah I read that same website before I started practicing and it still doesn't work. I'm thinking that I got too high a melting point solder or a cheap ass sears iron. I purchased two types of solder one melts at 430, one melts at 460. both are fine electrical solder. One is lead free one has 60 % lead. Go figure

[Pb]

What kind of soldering iron?

[runerules05]

Yeah I solder daily at my job and i guess it comes second nature to me. You just have to practice until you get it right. You thought soldering wires were hard, try soldering a pin on an IC that you cant see until you look under a microscope!!! You dont really need flux but as PB said it REALLY helps with the heat transfer. G/L with whatever you do.

[runerules05]

Well typically the lead free solder takes more heat to get melting and the solder with lead melts faster, but the smell from it is horrible. Most soldering irons go up to about 5-600 degrees, im not sure cause the ones i use at my job heat up to 750.

[R0dzilla7]

Originally Posted by Pb

What kind of soldering iron?

It says 750.

[Pb]

Link? 750 degrees is more than enough to melt most solder.