How good are you in soldering..

[scandtours]

How good are you in soldering?
I must admit that all my soldering looked terrible and I used tapes and shrinks to… hide my job. No matter how hard I try, soldering two wires together will look as if I had connected them with a hammer. It’s a technique I will never learn.
Here are some very nice videos regarding soldering. You can watch more at the end of each video clip.


Hand Soldering Techniques
Professional SMT Soldering: Hand Soldering Techniques - Surface Mount - YouTube

[jcarleto]

Soldering, like welding is a "time-behind-the-machine" thing. Still there are only four major things to know:

1. Solder clean surfaces only. Corrosion doesn't stick well.
2. Use the proper solder for what you are working on. Only ROSIN CORE for electronics and NEVER acid core. Even solid wire solder is not recommended for electronics.
3. Make a good mechanical connection first (twist, loop, crimp, etc.) with the wire/component. Then solder.
4. Heat the wire/component, not the solder. You must let the solder melt from the heat of the wire/component, not the heat of the soldering iron.

Number 4 is where most "rookies" make the mistake. It is also the difference between a strong solder and one that will break as well as the difference between a pretty soldering joint versus a lumpy mess.

It is good to use the proper size soldering iron for the job, but most generic low-cost soldering irons are about the right heat for the kind of wiring we generally use on gyros. The only time that a generic iron won't do is in soldering battery terminals or other large (greater than 12 gauge) wire.

[Mike484]

Thanks Jon. I too am terrible at this but I never tried #4 which is to heat the wiring. I've always tried to melt the solder onto the wire. I'll have to try your technique out next time I'm out at the hangar.

[aerobatic]

When you're not equipped with something we called a «third hand stand» in french, you could heat separately each part to be soldered and recovered them with a thin coat of solder. Then without the need to hold the solder wire in one hand, you just put the 2 pieces to solder in contact and heat them just enough so the solder will melt and fuse them.

Keep in mind also that a clean iron tip will conduct much better the heat and will help doing the job faster without burning sensitive electronic components. Use some kind of flux paste to remove corrosion form your iron tip from time to time.

When you're done with the job, put a generous drop of solder on you're iron tip so it will keep it out of contact from oxygen and will prevent corrosion before the next use.

Maher

[brett s]

I bought a soldering station a few years ago, got tired of cheap 20 watt soldering irons - well worth it as I use it pretty regularly.

[ylf]

At my job I often get students or faculty that have broken the connectors on their USB flash drives and of course have their life's work on them without backups. Here's a couple pictures of the toughest one yet. Two of the traces were pulled off the board so I had to add jumpers to an accessible area of the trace. The jumpers are single strands pulled from a 20 awg wire. The solder joints aren't pretty but they worked well enough to copy the files off and get me some thank you donuts

[James]

You also don't want what is called a "cold solder joint". I occurs when you move the wires before the solder cools. Can effect conductivity.

James Lee - TN

[farmer jim]

Mike -

I still have an awful LOT TO LEARN in the sodering department, but if I can GET PAID IN DONUTS, perhaps I need to GO BACK TO SCHOOL ?! (post #6)

FJ

[PW_Plack]

Also worth noting, you can't always spend 10 minutes getting the solder to flow without damaging other components with the excessive heat.

There are times when rule #4 has to be bent, simply because the only way to heat one side of the connection adequately is through the additional contact area you'll get with the solder. But if the iron is properly "tinned" (coated with molten solder) things go much better.

[Penguin]

This will open a can-of-whoop-a$$, but I believe that wire connectors are the preferred aircraft technique, not solder. Turns out they are more durable due to work hardening issues.

[bmoore2156]

Originally Posted by PW_Plack

Also worth noting, you can't always spend 10 minutes getting the solder to flow without damaging other components with the excessive heat.

There are times when rule #4 has to be bent, simply because the only way to heat one side of the connection adequately is through the additional contact area you'll get with the solder. But if the iron is properly "tinned" (coated with molten solder) things go much better.

To go along with this, if your soldering something that excessive heat will destroy, trying to do it at a lower temp is not the answer. It takes longer and more heat is transferred into the part. Get the iron hot and do it as fast as possible. Sometimes you can use needle nose pliers as a heat sink as well to keep it from going into the component.
Brad

[scandtours]

For me the most critical work with soldering was with throttle cables and Stop Swage for the Bing carburetors. Even though the finish looked terrible, they were strong and never failed anyhow.
Now of course you can buy them custom made and in any length.
I must also say that I am not the worst. I’ve seen cables with Stop swage just pressed together. No solder at all.
The funny thing is when you see somebody who knows how, it looks so easy.

[James]

The needle nose pliers is a good Idea. Use a rubber band to hold them closed. Put them between where you are soldering and the componant that (like a circuit board) should not get hot. The heat will (some, not all) will dissapate through the pliers.

[David Bliss]

Soldering stranded wire is also a special situation. The Heat applied and the amount of solder used can allow the solder to wick down the wire, under the insulation. where ever the solder stops, there is a stress riser location. Flexing and vibration can cause the wire to work harden and fracture at this point. If under the unsulation, locating the point of "open" or high resistance (partal fracture) can be a challange.

A great way to solder heavy cables.. If you have access to a battery with exposed cell jumpers, install screws in the jumpers and connect jumper cables to the number of cells needed to obtain you ideal soldering heat. Connect the ground to one side of the connection and the other.. You need to get a carbon rod (think "D" cell positive terminal) and sharpin to a blunt point.. positive jumper cable to the full dia end of your carbon rod. Touch the blunt point to the other side of the joint and watch the carbon turn red hot.. Just apply solder when the joint is up to temp.. Start at a low voltage, 2 to 4 volts, to test your contraption.. if you start at to high a voltage the carbon rod will tend to disapear (wear safety gear).. Back in the old days, I soldered 6 gauge stranded welding cable to steel plates.