What to look for in a soldering iron?
12-27-2012, 10:01 PM
#1
Thread Starter
What to look for in a soldering iron?
Hi all,
I need to replace my present soldering iron. It's just not cutting it. It's basically a $15 special from Home Depot and barely solders electrical wiring and won't work with brass strip or rod. I'd like to find something that will work well with electrical wiring and that I could also use to solder brass wire and strip. Rather than asking for a recommendation for a specific make or model, I think it will serve me and other new folks better to know what to look for. So, any help with what characteristics make a good soldering iron for this hobby?
TIA.
I need to replace my present soldering iron. It's just not cutting it. It's basically a $15 special from Home Depot and barely solders electrical wiring and won't work with brass strip or rod. I'd like to find something that will work well with electrical wiring and that I could also use to solder brass wire and strip. Rather than asking for a recommendation for a specific make or model, I think it will serve me and other new folks better to know what to look for. So, any help with what characteristics make a good soldering iron for this hobby?
TIA.
12-27-2012, 10:51 PM
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
If you want to upgrade I will suggest a Weller WES51 http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-A...older+stations
Used them in my work lab for years. I use a solder gun on bigger jobs like brass strip or tubes
My $.02 worth.
Bill
Used them in my work lab for years. I use a solder gun on bigger jobs like brass strip or tubes
My $.02 worth.
Bill
12-27-2012, 11:14 PM
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Honestly, it's often more the operator then the equipment. It take practice to become good at soldering. And prep is paramount.
Do either poorly and your solder job will show it.
For the majority of soldering a little 25 watt pen system will handle it.
You get into bigger stuff, like 10 gauge wire and heavier and silver soldering you may need to step up to 40 watts. Gotta use the proper tool for the job, just like trying too use to low of a wattage pen can be a bugger, using one too large can be even more of a problem.
Granted a cheap solder pen doesn't help, I like the Weller stuff. Not bad price, 7 year warranty if you read the paperwork that comes with them.
If it's something you plan on doing a lot of, look into a variable wattage soldering system.
Also something as little as the wrong solder can mess you up. Trying to solder some 22 gauge wire with a 25 watt pen can be a bugger if your solder is 1/8" thick. It takes too long to get the solder hot enough and you end up melting the wire insulation. Using the wrong style end doesn't help either, don't use a pin point when you should be using a chisel end, and visa versa.
Like said prep. Clean, clean, clean. What you are soldering and your solder tip itself. Either is dirty don't expect a nice solder job. And don't forget the flux.
And lastly, no matter the quality or brand, if you don't take care of your equipment don't expect it to work or last.
I just recently got into tanks, been flying electrics for nearly 10 years now, thousands and thousands of solder jobs. I've burnt out two 40 watt pens, and one 25 in that time. And I still have all the spare tips that came with em, and the ones in the burnt out pens were still good.
p.s. Just me, but the last thing I would recommend is one of those solder guns. Way too much wattage for our type of soldering. Makes a great foam/plastic cutter though.
Do either poorly and your solder job will show it.
For the majority of soldering a little 25 watt pen system will handle it.
You get into bigger stuff, like 10 gauge wire and heavier and silver soldering you may need to step up to 40 watts. Gotta use the proper tool for the job, just like trying too use to low of a wattage pen can be a bugger, using one too large can be even more of a problem.
Granted a cheap solder pen doesn't help, I like the Weller stuff. Not bad price, 7 year warranty if you read the paperwork that comes with them.
If it's something you plan on doing a lot of, look into a variable wattage soldering system.
Also something as little as the wrong solder can mess you up. Trying to solder some 22 gauge wire with a 25 watt pen can be a bugger if your solder is 1/8" thick. It takes too long to get the solder hot enough and you end up melting the wire insulation. Using the wrong style end doesn't help either, don't use a pin point when you should be using a chisel end, and visa versa.
Like said prep. Clean, clean, clean. What you are soldering and your solder tip itself. Either is dirty don't expect a nice solder job. And don't forget the flux.
And lastly, no matter the quality or brand, if you don't take care of your equipment don't expect it to work or last.
I just recently got into tanks, been flying electrics for nearly 10 years now, thousands and thousands of solder jobs. I've burnt out two 40 watt pens, and one 25 in that time. And I still have all the spare tips that came with em, and the ones in the burnt out pens were still good.
p.s. Just me, but the last thing I would recommend is one of those solder guns. Way too much wattage for our type of soldering. Makes a great foam/plastic cutter though.
12-28-2012, 02:25 AM
#4
Thread Starter
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Thanks for the input, guys.
@Glacier Girl...admittedly, part of the problem is the operator. I'm mostly self-taught by discovery. So, I need both the right tool and some help with techniques. Any tips you can throw about when to use what type of solder tip and type/size of the solder would be most helpful.
@Glacier Girl...admittedly, part of the problem is the operator. I'm mostly self-taught by discovery. So, I need both the right tool and some help with techniques. Any tips you can throw about when to use what type of solder tip and type/size of the solder would be most helpful.
12-28-2012, 03:16 AM
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
The biggest thing I found is tin the iron often, If you don't it takes way too long to heat up what your soldering. Keep the soldering iron clean. I use a 25 watt iron on most everything. When soldering brass strip or photoetch make sure you use a good quality flux
Mike EOT
Mike EOT
12-28-2012, 04:56 AM
#6
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
I have 4 or 5 irons, including a de-soldering iron. They range from 15 watts to I believe 45, with my Snap-On piece even higher.
So the answer is it just depends on what your soldering. If it's just wire to motors, then a 30 or 35 would be correct. If you're going to work on boards (like I used to) then a 15 watt is best... maybe a 20 watt for larger connections.
In the electrical section at WalMart they have 35 watt iron for only 5 bucks (and a nice brand too) that would do light work, but if you are going to do a lot then maybe a beefier piece from Lowes or Radio Shack. Irons do not cost that much these days but I would make sure you have an iron rest or station to place it on so that it doesn't roll off where you lay it.
~ Jeff
So the answer is it just depends on what your soldering. If it's just wire to motors, then a 30 or 35 would be correct. If you're going to work on boards (like I used to) then a 15 watt is best... maybe a 20 watt for larger connections.
In the electrical section at WalMart they have 35 watt iron for only 5 bucks (and a nice brand too) that would do light work, but if you are going to do a lot then maybe a beefier piece from Lowes or Radio Shack. Irons do not cost that much these days but I would make sure you have an iron rest or station to place it on so that it doesn't roll off where you lay it.
~ Jeff
12-28-2012, 05:51 AM
#7
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
I have everything from a 7w iron to a resistance solderer, but my go-to setup for general work with RC is a hot air rework station. It handles everything from low temp circuitry to heavy duty 'welding' of brass for schurzen, etc. And then you can blast shrink tubes too, all for about $80.
12-28-2012, 06:10 AM
#8
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Sounds like a sweet set-up.
I use the caveman approach... a grill lighter on the shrink tubes.
~ Jeff
I use the caveman approach... a grill lighter on the shrink tubes.
~ Jeff
12-28-2012, 02:31 PM
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Phil, some "tips" often it's pure common sense, if you are working on a board, you want a small pencil tip, vs a big old chisel tip. The exact opposite say you are soldering a pair of wires together. It's where do you want your heat to be if you think about it. On the board, one small spot, on the wires, over a broad area for a quick job. Sure you could use a pencil tip for wires, but like said your heat is concentrated in one tiny spot, till you get the rest of the area hot enough to melt your solder most likely you'll have a mess of melted insulation too.
On the board, big old chisel tip is like a bull in a china shop. You'll end up liquifying adjacent solder points trying to get your one spot done.
As for taking care of your equipment, some items. A damp sponge or wipe pad for the tip works wonders in keeping the tip clean and shiny. NEVER EVER use sandpaper to clean a tip.
If you have to touch up a tip, use a file. Sandpaper tends to imbed trash into your tip, a file shaves off the same. One way to keep your tip in tip top shape between solder jobs, when you are done, melt a blob of solder on the tip and leave it there for next time. This coating acts as a sacrificial anode to protect the tip under it. Next time you go to use it let the pen heat up and give your sponge a couple of wipes and you'll have a perfect tip ready to go. And the tip of the tip is the hottest part of your pen, use it, not the sides for soldering.
Oh let's see what else? Heat. you can get something too hot to solder, it will start to form a coating from the heat and the solder won't stick, just like your solder pen tip can do. You cook the tip and burn off the solder and your tip will turn black. Then it won't solder worth a darn as you can't get good heat transfer. Then it's cleaning time before you reattempt to solder. You'll be cleaning your pen and the items.
Flux is your friend. Oxidation, that evil black coating starts the instant, say copper, is exposed to air. Flux helps clean away that oxidation to give your solder a better bite, and to aid in heat transfer.
And don't forget tinning. Makes soldering two items together go a lot quicker.
If it's two dissimilar sized items to be soldered always heat up the bigger item first, then add the smaller item. Again back to the heat thing. If you heat up the small item first then get the big one hot enough and you have a melted mess of insulation, or worse a cold solder joint as by the time you saw all the insulation melting you still didn't get the big part hot enough, and your little part is just barely tacked in place to it.
Motion is a bad thing. You need to have the two items motionless until the solder cools. If something moves before it solidifies it causes minute fractures in the solder and you got yourself a joint just waiting to fail. Something a simple as a pair of wooden clothes pins attached to a board makes a great holding fixture. Plus it lets your hands free to hold the pen and solder.
And heat the item not the solder. You want the heat of the item to draw the solder towards the tip of your pen. Don't do the old get a glob of solder on the pen tip and try and stick it to say a pair of wires. The solder wants to go towards the heat not away from it. Sure you may get some solder on the wires, but you may not get solder all through the wire strands. Again another weak joint waiting to fail.
Practice, practice, practice. Can only make you better.
Also, it's the proper stuff for the job, correct size solder can make a world of difference in your solder jobs. Same for type, rosin core for electronics, acid core for plumbing. Don't mix them up. Then there's silver solder for more of a heavy duty bond. And there's aluminum solder and it's flux for when you get into repairing lipos.
Like I said it's the operator often, more then the equipment. Yes crap equipment can hinder you, but the best in the world isn't going to do a lot if you don't know how to use it.
Get good at it and you'll learn there are ways to "cheat" in soldering, doing something that shouldn't work, but with your skills it can be done.
Like one year at a fly in, I used a 16 penny nail, and a micro torch to solder an esc to a motor when my bud forgot his solder pen.
On the board, big old chisel tip is like a bull in a china shop. You'll end up liquifying adjacent solder points trying to get your one spot done.
As for taking care of your equipment, some items. A damp sponge or wipe pad for the tip works wonders in keeping the tip clean and shiny. NEVER EVER use sandpaper to clean a tip.
If you have to touch up a tip, use a file. Sandpaper tends to imbed trash into your tip, a file shaves off the same. One way to keep your tip in tip top shape between solder jobs, when you are done, melt a blob of solder on the tip and leave it there for next time. This coating acts as a sacrificial anode to protect the tip under it. Next time you go to use it let the pen heat up and give your sponge a couple of wipes and you'll have a perfect tip ready to go. And the tip of the tip is the hottest part of your pen, use it, not the sides for soldering.
Oh let's see what else? Heat. you can get something too hot to solder, it will start to form a coating from the heat and the solder won't stick, just like your solder pen tip can do. You cook the tip and burn off the solder and your tip will turn black. Then it won't solder worth a darn as you can't get good heat transfer. Then it's cleaning time before you reattempt to solder. You'll be cleaning your pen and the items.
Flux is your friend. Oxidation, that evil black coating starts the instant, say copper, is exposed to air. Flux helps clean away that oxidation to give your solder a better bite, and to aid in heat transfer.
And don't forget tinning. Makes soldering two items together go a lot quicker.
If it's two dissimilar sized items to be soldered always heat up the bigger item first, then add the smaller item. Again back to the heat thing. If you heat up the small item first then get the big one hot enough and you have a melted mess of insulation, or worse a cold solder joint as by the time you saw all the insulation melting you still didn't get the big part hot enough, and your little part is just barely tacked in place to it.
Motion is a bad thing. You need to have the two items motionless until the solder cools. If something moves before it solidifies it causes minute fractures in the solder and you got yourself a joint just waiting to fail. Something a simple as a pair of wooden clothes pins attached to a board makes a great holding fixture. Plus it lets your hands free to hold the pen and solder.
And heat the item not the solder. You want the heat of the item to draw the solder towards the tip of your pen. Don't do the old get a glob of solder on the pen tip and try and stick it to say a pair of wires. The solder wants to go towards the heat not away from it. Sure you may get some solder on the wires, but you may not get solder all through the wire strands. Again another weak joint waiting to fail.
Practice, practice, practice. Can only make you better.
Also, it's the proper stuff for the job, correct size solder can make a world of difference in your solder jobs. Same for type, rosin core for electronics, acid core for plumbing. Don't mix them up. Then there's silver solder for more of a heavy duty bond. And there's aluminum solder and it's flux for when you get into repairing lipos.
Like I said it's the operator often, more then the equipment. Yes crap equipment can hinder you, but the best in the world isn't going to do a lot if you don't know how to use it.
Get good at it and you'll learn there are ways to "cheat" in soldering, doing something that shouldn't work, but with your skills it can be done.
Like one year at a fly in, I used a 16 penny nail, and a micro torch to solder an esc to a motor when my bud forgot his solder pen.
12-28-2012, 02:56 PM
#10
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: Glacier Girl
Phil, some ''tips'' often it's pure common sense, if you are working on a board, you want a small pencil tip, vs a big old chisel tip. The exact opposite say you are soldering a pair of wires together. It's where do you want your heat to be if you think about it. On the board, one small spot, on the wires, over a broad area for a quick job. Sure you could use a pencil tip for wires, but like said your heat is concentrated in one tiny spot, till you get the rest of the area hot enough to melt your solder most likely you'll have a mess of melted insulation too.
On the board, big old chisel tip is like a bull in a china shop. You'll end up liquifying adjacent solder points trying to get your one spot done.
As for taking care of your equipment, some items. A damp sponge or wipe pad for the tip works wonders in keeping the tip clean and shiny. NEVER EVER use sandpaper to clean a tip.
If you have to touch up a tip, use a file. Sandpaper tends to imbed trash into your tip, a file shaves off the same. One way to keep your tip in tip top shape between solder jobs, when you are done, melt a blob of solder on the tip and leave it there for next time. This coating acts as a sacrificial anode to protect the tip under it. Next time you go to use it let the pen heat up and give your sponge a couple of wipes and you'll have a perfect tip ready to go. And the tip of the tip is the hottest part of your pen, use it, not the sides for soldering.
Oh let's see what else? Heat. you can get something too hot to solder, it will start to form a coating from the heat and the solder won't stick, just like your solder pen tip can do. You cook the tip and burn off the solder and your tip will turn black. Then it won't solder worth a darn as you can't get good heat transfer. Then it's cleaning time before you reattempt to solder. You'll be cleaning your pen and the items.
Flux is your friend. Oxidation, that evil black coating starts the instant, say copper, is exposed to air. Flux helps clean away that oxidation to give your solder a better bite, and to aid in heat transfer.
And don't forget tinning. Makes soldering two items together go a lot quicker.
If it's two dissimilar sized items to be soldered always heat up the bigger item first, then add the smaller item. Again back to the heat thing. If you heat up the small item first then get the big one hot enough and you have a melted mess of insulation, or worse a cold solder joint as by the time you saw all the insulation melting you still didn't get the big part hot enough, and your little part is just barely tacked in place to it.
Motion is a bad thing. You need to have the two items motionless until the solder cools. If something moves before it solidifies it causes minute fractures in the solder and you got yourself a joint just waiting to fail. Something a simple as a pair of wooden clothes pins attached to a board makes a great holding fixture. Plus it lets your hands free to hold the pen and solder.
And heat the item not the solder. You want the heat of the item to draw the solder towards the tip of your pen. Don't do the old get a glob of solder on the pen tip and try and stick it to say a pair of wires. The solder wants to go towards the heat not away from it. Sure you may get some solder on the wires, but you may not get solder all through the wire strands. Again another weak joint waiting to fail.
Practice, practice, practice. Can only make you better.
Also, it's the proper stuff for the job, correct size solder can make a world of difference in your solder jobs. Same for type, rosin core for electronics, acid core for plumbing. Don't mix them up. Then there's silver solder for more of a heavy duty bond. And there's aluminum solder and it's flux for when you get into repairing lipos.
Like I said it's the operator often, more then the equipment. Yes crap equipment can hinder you, but the best in the world isn't going to do a lot if you don't know how to use it.
Get good at it and you'll learn there are ways to ''cheat'' in soldering, doing something that shouldn't work, but with your skills it can be done.
Like one year at a fly in, I used a 16 penny nail, and a micro torch to solder an esc to a motor when my bud forgot his solder pen.
Phil, some ''tips'' often it's pure common sense, if you are working on a board, you want a small pencil tip, vs a big old chisel tip. The exact opposite say you are soldering a pair of wires together. It's where do you want your heat to be if you think about it. On the board, one small spot, on the wires, over a broad area for a quick job. Sure you could use a pencil tip for wires, but like said your heat is concentrated in one tiny spot, till you get the rest of the area hot enough to melt your solder most likely you'll have a mess of melted insulation too.
On the board, big old chisel tip is like a bull in a china shop. You'll end up liquifying adjacent solder points trying to get your one spot done.
As for taking care of your equipment, some items. A damp sponge or wipe pad for the tip works wonders in keeping the tip clean and shiny. NEVER EVER use sandpaper to clean a tip.
If you have to touch up a tip, use a file. Sandpaper tends to imbed trash into your tip, a file shaves off the same. One way to keep your tip in tip top shape between solder jobs, when you are done, melt a blob of solder on the tip and leave it there for next time. This coating acts as a sacrificial anode to protect the tip under it. Next time you go to use it let the pen heat up and give your sponge a couple of wipes and you'll have a perfect tip ready to go. And the tip of the tip is the hottest part of your pen, use it, not the sides for soldering.
Oh let's see what else? Heat. you can get something too hot to solder, it will start to form a coating from the heat and the solder won't stick, just like your solder pen tip can do. You cook the tip and burn off the solder and your tip will turn black. Then it won't solder worth a darn as you can't get good heat transfer. Then it's cleaning time before you reattempt to solder. You'll be cleaning your pen and the items.
Flux is your friend. Oxidation, that evil black coating starts the instant, say copper, is exposed to air. Flux helps clean away that oxidation to give your solder a better bite, and to aid in heat transfer.
And don't forget tinning. Makes soldering two items together go a lot quicker.
If it's two dissimilar sized items to be soldered always heat up the bigger item first, then add the smaller item. Again back to the heat thing. If you heat up the small item first then get the big one hot enough and you have a melted mess of insulation, or worse a cold solder joint as by the time you saw all the insulation melting you still didn't get the big part hot enough, and your little part is just barely tacked in place to it.
Motion is a bad thing. You need to have the two items motionless until the solder cools. If something moves before it solidifies it causes minute fractures in the solder and you got yourself a joint just waiting to fail. Something a simple as a pair of wooden clothes pins attached to a board makes a great holding fixture. Plus it lets your hands free to hold the pen and solder.
And heat the item not the solder. You want the heat of the item to draw the solder towards the tip of your pen. Don't do the old get a glob of solder on the pen tip and try and stick it to say a pair of wires. The solder wants to go towards the heat not away from it. Sure you may get some solder on the wires, but you may not get solder all through the wire strands. Again another weak joint waiting to fail.
Practice, practice, practice. Can only make you better.
Also, it's the proper stuff for the job, correct size solder can make a world of difference in your solder jobs. Same for type, rosin core for electronics, acid core for plumbing. Don't mix them up. Then there's silver solder for more of a heavy duty bond. And there's aluminum solder and it's flux for when you get into repairing lipos.
Like I said it's the operator often, more then the equipment. Yes crap equipment can hinder you, but the best in the world isn't going to do a lot if you don't know how to use it.
Get good at it and you'll learn there are ways to ''cheat'' in soldering, doing something that shouldn't work, but with your skills it can be done.
Like one year at a fly in, I used a 16 penny nail, and a micro torch to solder an esc to a motor when my bud forgot his solder pen.
Are you sure you're a girl?
Last female I knew that was fluent in electrical was my ex-wife.
And sadly, she is no longer with us.
Anyway, it's refreshing to see the opposite sex know something.
~ Jeff
12-28-2012, 08:18 PM
#11
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
The only problem is it not getting hot enough for the materials you weld/braze.
Getting it too hot can also be an issue but that you can get around with "iron control".
I've been using the generic radio shack ones for years. There are fancier ones out there but what's the point. You need heat; not a fancy rubber handle and a cool name
Getting it too hot can also be an issue but that you can get around with "iron control".
I've been using the generic radio shack ones for years. There are fancier ones out there but what's the point. You need heat; not a fancy rubber handle and a cool name
12-28-2012, 09:02 PM
#12
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
best soldering iron I have seen for the price this is a knock off of a hako ( hope i got the spelling right)
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24790__Soldering_Station_with_Adjustable_Heat_Ra nge_with_US_Plug.html
12-29-2012, 06:40 AM
#13
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: Panther F
Are you sure you're a girl?
Last female I knew that was fluent in electrical was my ex-wife.
And sadly, she is no longer with us.
Anyway, it's refreshing to see the opposite sex know something.
~ Jeff
Are you sure you're a girl?
Last female I knew that was fluent in electrical was my ex-wife.
And sadly, she is no longer with us.
Anyway, it's refreshing to see the opposite sex know something.
~ Jeff
12-29-2012, 06:51 AM
#14
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: ausf
I don't know the sex of the poster, but Glacier Girl is the name of a P-38 recovered from Greenland after 50 years or so. I met one of the pilots of that squadron once in a Home Depot.
I don't know the sex of the poster, but Glacier Girl is the name of a P-38 recovered from Greenland after 50 years or so. I met one of the pilots of that squadron once in a Home Depot.
Aaahhh, thanks for the heads up.
That's what I get for being naive and assuming. [
]I certainly meant no harm.
~ Jeff
12-29-2012, 10:45 AM
#15
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RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
One comment I'll make, which is partially a question for those of you who do a lot of soldering on electronics, is make sure your flux is for electrical components.
Not sure what happened, but even though I live out in the middle of nowhere, you would *think* you could find electrical solder. You used to be able to. All I can find anymore is solder for plumbing, which the ones I saw, specifically state not to use it on electronics.
You might be able to find it at Radio Shack still. As has already been mentioned, flux makes a HUGE difference. It is indeed the difference of near instantaneous soldering (with the tool up to temp) or sitting there and getting frustrated while nothing happens, and/or the soldered joints turn out poor. Let the tool warm up properly. If the solder doesn't melt when you touch the tip, its not up to temp, or you are using too large of solder for the tool. Make sure the tip, however it is secured to the tool, is tight. Loose connections will result in uneven operation. And with the amount of heat these things deal with, the connection between tip and tool can/will get worse.
I have a soldering pen and a gun. But when I start getting into big wire, I use a butane pen torch. Anymore, if I'm joining large stuff, it's going to be a crimp connector (with or without solder) not just solder. Then again, I try not to have any joints if I can get away with it. I'd rather replace the whole wire than deal with connections if feasible.
Not sure what happened, but even though I live out in the middle of nowhere, you would *think* you could find electrical solder. You used to be able to. All I can find anymore is solder for plumbing, which the ones I saw, specifically state not to use it on electronics.
You might be able to find it at Radio Shack still. As has already been mentioned, flux makes a HUGE difference. It is indeed the difference of near instantaneous soldering (with the tool up to temp) or sitting there and getting frustrated while nothing happens, and/or the soldered joints turn out poor. Let the tool warm up properly. If the solder doesn't melt when you touch the tip, its not up to temp, or you are using too large of solder for the tool. Make sure the tip, however it is secured to the tool, is tight. Loose connections will result in uneven operation. And with the amount of heat these things deal with, the connection between tip and tool can/will get worse.
I have a soldering pen and a gun. But when I start getting into big wire, I use a butane pen torch. Anymore, if I'm joining large stuff, it's going to be a crimp connector (with or without solder) not just solder. Then again, I try not to have any joints if I can get away with it. I'd rather replace the whole wire than deal with connections if feasible.
12-30-2012, 02:37 AM
#17
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Yep, flux is a must for electrical, and tinning also must be done prior to making the final connection.
Remember... a mechanical connection is much better than just solder but the two combined is perfect.
~ Jeff
Remember... a mechanical connection is much better than just solder but the two combined is perfect.
~ Jeff
12-30-2012, 04:20 AM
#18
Thread Starter
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
okay another question...I'm looking at these soldering stations and they control temperatures. Any general guidelines temperature ranges for different applications (22-gauge wire, etc)?
TIA
TIA
12-30-2012, 04:33 AM
#19
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
You're not talking about solid hook-up wire are you? That is not going to apply to our hobby as it is not very flexible and needs more of a mechanical connection than soldering.
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
~ Jeff
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
~ Jeff
12-30-2012, 05:00 AM
#21
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
Like I said Brad... I meant no harm with the assumption and you didn't burst any bubble.
There aren't any left inside of me.
So I guess my late ex-wife remains unique as she and I took the same course back in the day.
~ Jeff
There aren't any left inside of me.
So I guess my late ex-wife remains unique as she and I took the same course back in the day.
~ Jeff
12-30-2012, 08:11 PM
#22
Thread Starter
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: Panther F
You're not talking about solid hook-up wire are you? That is not going to apply to our hobby as it is not very flexible and needs more of a mechanical connection than soldering.
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
You're not talking about solid hook-up wire are you? That is not going to apply to our hobby as it is not very flexible and needs more of a mechanical connection than soldering.
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
Thanks for the weblink.
12-31-2012, 05:59 AM
#23
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: philipat
No, multi-strand wire or some photo-etch.
No, multi-strand wire or some photo-etch.
The best thing for photo etch is a resistance solderer. I used to solder functional 1/35 tool clamps with one. It doesn't heat up like a traditional iron, the heat is instantaneous at right at the point of contact. It's a great system, but the pricetag is a bit high (mine was $400). The problem with photo etch is it's so thin, too much heat will destroy it, so if you use a traditional iron, use the same techniques you would with electronics, lowest heat and time possible with the thinnist lead solder you can find and lots of flux.
12-31-2012, 06:35 AM
#24
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: philipat
No, multi-strand wire or some photo-etch. Wiring, though, would be limited to what we have in the tanks - motor wires, headlight/LED wires, etc.
Thanks for the weblink.
ORIGINAL: Panther F
You're not talking about solid hook-up wire are you? That is not going to apply to our hobby as it is not very flexible and needs more of a mechanical connection than soldering.
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
You're not talking about solid hook-up wire are you? That is not going to apply to our hobby as it is not very flexible and needs more of a mechanical connection than soldering.
Here's a website for some more explanation: http://www.ehow.com/how_5939074_solder-gauge-wire.html
If you are going to solder a wide range of materials, then I guess something to control the temperature is important but for what we are doing a 35 or 40 watt iron is enough and more cost effective too.
Thanks for the weblink.
For thick multi-stand wires such as 10- or 8-gauge motor/ESC/battery wires, use 80-100w iron.
I found it is acceptable to use flux to speed up the flow of tin, as long as you wipe out the residue afterwards.
01-01-2013, 12:01 AM
#25
Senior Member
RE: What to look for in a soldering iron?
ORIGINAL: Glacier Girl
Panther F, I'm as much a girl as you are a feline.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Brad
Panther F, I'm as much a girl as you are a feline.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Brad
Another fantasy ruined.... I was hoping for brains and beauty.
