Soldering Help!~

[Nicholasim]

Hi guys, i need your help on a matter.

I've recently bought myself a 40W solder with a coil of 60/40 rosin core solder.

I heard that tinning the tip of the solder is very important before and after soldering. So when I first turned on the solder, i waited for it to heat up and i tinned the tip. It tinned nicely.

After that, i proceeded with the pickup installation which turned out great. During the process, i was constantly wiping down the tip on a damp sponge to clean it as i have read online that it is important to do so during soldering.

However, my problem now is that after i'm done with all the soldering i needed to do, i tried to tin the tip before storage again but now the tip wont tin! What worse is that it isnt as hot as before, as in it takes longer for it to melt the solder. The tip has also turned from shiny silver to black and oxidised and this was only after 1 session of use! It isnt dirt or anything as i am not able to clean it off. I tried cleaning it on the sponge and also tried using sand paper to lightly remove what i though was dirt on the tip but it didnt work.

Below are pictures of the solder tip currently.

Anyone has any ideas what i am doing wrong?

 

[tyzjames]

Wow, how did it turn to such a black colour? Usually after soldering for a while, the black junk will start to build up slowly around the tip, that is when you wipe it off with a damp sponge, don't need to keep wiping constantly. Do you have a fan blowing directly at the soldering iron? May be a reason why the solder wont melt easily. Or you may just be a victim of a low quality soldering iron.

 

[Godsmen]

Actually I didn't even wipe it. I just use the solder tip and the side where it's cleaner to heat it up and than use the tip to press it down haha. Amateur way but it works for me.

 

[Nicholasim]

Hmm, i didnt work in a air conditioned room but the fan was kinda blowing directly at me because i didnt want to breath in all the fumes haha.

Is that what is causing the tip to oxidise to quick? Or is the fan causing the solder iron to be unable to reach it's full temperature?

 

[relinquish69]

you need a hard brush to wipe off excess lead.

 

[tyzjames]

Yeap probably. Avoid aiming the fan directly at the soldering iron, the solder should melt easier.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

try using a steel wool (those use for washing plates will do) for the cleaning and tinning of the soldering tip while soldering instead of the moist sponge. It will do the job evenly and neatly over the sponge

Got the idea while flipping through rs component catalog years back. They sell similar thing for this purpose.

Last time i always wonder why use moist sponge for the cleaning coz whenever if need to dip the tip for cleaning, wont the moisture cool the tip down and after that, to heat up again and to cool down, clean tip, heat up tin tip etc. If iam a soldering tip, i prolly cant work to full potential siol!

 

[Nicholasim]

Oh yeah ah, it makes sense.. No wonder everytime after cleaning on the sponge it feels weaker and weaker (not as hot). About the steel wool thing, i forgot to mention that i have also tried using steel wool (the really soft, wool like texture type) to clean the tip. Then reheated the solder iron and tried tinning the tip again but now it became worse, like the tip can barely melt the solder anymore, I have to use the "behind" part (not sure if you understand what I mean haha) to heat up the solder. Oh it also still doesn't tin, the solder just falls off when i try to do it.

I think I spoilt my solder iron

 

[MrBig]

Did you use flux?

 

[Nicholasim]

Did you use flux?

Nope. What is that for?

 

[MrBig]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flux_(metallurgy)

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

heh, the soldering iron prolly screwed liao.

Anyway, no point pondering over the iron. Just get a cheapo one and re work on the soldering. I used to have a 15-20 watt cheapo sodlering iron for lotsa things. Just need to let the bugger warm up longer and it will do the job after, with the right sodler lead.

Anyway, regarding the flux, if you using 60-40 rosin core lead, there is no need for the flux thingy liao. Theres a reason why they sell those rosin core lead, the flux is within the solder lead already.

Unless you are using those cheapo lead from heartland hardware shop which comes is a small plastic container with yellow plastic cap, theres prolly not much improvement using additional flux over the rosin core lead.

Imho, even if its a 15watter soldering iron, as long it warm up hot enough, one can do wonder with it.

For the steelwool, get this kind below. I buy from sheng shiong, 3 for $1, last me long long while.

 

[Nicholasim]

@PatheinRaindropMoe

Thanks for the advice! Thats EXACTLY the soldering lead im using! The small plastic container with the yellow cap hahah! I tried looking around so many shops but cant find any good soldering lead. Even at homefix, they only sell brandless soldering lead with no 60/40 ratio or anything, so i bought the yellow cap one.

My solder iron, i tried again last night to melt a lead, took like 10 secs, hmmm. Not sure if iron is screwed of 40W is not enough.
Also, i already tried using steel wool to scrub the tip. I'm still unable to tin the tip of the iron. Gone case liao.

Anyway i wanted to ask, when im soldering a pot, do i place the soldering iron ON the pot to heat up the pot then add the solder lead at the point where the iron and the pot touch? If so, how do i know how long to leave it on there before it is hot enough?
OR, do i just have to melt the lead over the top of the pot?

 

[relinquish69]

try not to leave your soldering iron on the pot for too long. you might spoil the insides. I think your soldering iron is not hot enough. the low heat ones are good for individual wires. the high heat ones are good for grounding on pots and the trem claw.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

for rosin core solder lead, just hop over to sim lim tower, theres number of shops on the 3rd floor selling the 60/40 lead. It comes in a small drum package with different diameter size. Get those thats 0.8 or 1mm size. If willing to pay more, can look for the solder lead with 63/37 tin/lead % config. The 63/37 lead just my personal preference as its has higher tin content, flow easier and produced more shiny surface over the 60/40 lead. Theres no difference in the sound quality as long the solder point aint a cold joint.

For soldering on the back of pot or any metal shiny smooth surface, if wanna the soldering job to be easier, just use a sand paper/penknife to roughen the surface of the pot slightly before soldering. With a hot enough soldering iron and the roughen surface, its easier for the lead to flow/melt smoothly on the surface and still be electrically connected(test with multimeter set to continuity setting)

With soldering, its not advisable to leave the iron on the components or point of soldering for too long. The heat will prolly burn the components. In the case of the pot, it will either render it useless or reduced the value of it. I tried overheating on cheapo pots/resistors for the fun of it last time, some of it, with rated values of 500k, went down to 300++Kohm over the full turn of the pot and some simply has no reading on the multimeter when tested.

If wanna try/practice on pots soldering, imho, get cheapo pots from sim lim tower and try. Those pots are at least 5x to 10x cheaper than those pots used in geetar wiring, even if spoil, also no heart pain.

For efficient soldering, the soldering iron prolly wont need more than 5sec on the solder surface. Usually its more of a touch and go action, provided the soldering iron is working fine and hot enough. Oh yeah, lastly, the steel wool cleaning method, is meant for cleaning the solder tip when its still hot and in between soldering, not after the soldering iron has cool down to scrub it. Theres no scrubbing involved. At home, i just stuffed the steelwool inside a njin jom candy metal case and use it as container, when soldering in between, i just poke the hot iron tip into the wool and it will come out shiny and nicely tinned.

 

[Nicholasim]

Thanks for sharing all the information, I really appreciate it!

For the steel wool, can i use the really soft kind? Those that are like real wool texture? I heard it might burn!

Also, about the soldering, do i heat up the pot itself and add the lead once its hot? (if so, how do i know when its hot enough to add the solder lead?) Or do i just melt the lead on the pot?

Lastly, how many Watt soldering iron is recommended?

I'll go check out Sim Lim lvl 3 when i have the time. Thanks!

 

[Nicholasim]

try not to leave your soldering iron on the pot for too long. you might spoil the insides. I think your soldering iron is not hot enough. the low heat ones are good for individual wires. the high heat ones are good for grounding on pots and the trem claw.

Hmm. But mine is a 40W soldering iron. I read online that its good enough for pots etc. From what i have read online, the ones that are not strong enough are the 20W soldering irons

 

[mightyboy88]

Hmm. But mine is a 40W soldering iron. I read online that its good enough for pots etc. From what i have read online, the ones that are not strong enough are the 20W soldering irons

I think the problem should be with the wattage in your case, if the tip chao da the soldering iron more or less wont work that well already.

I used to have this problem with the cheaper soldering irons too, when the tip chao da until u can really solder anything. A better quality soldering iron and better quality solder will help i feel.

My soldering iron is antex 25W made in england, cost about 20-30 at sim lim tower, it works very reliably, used for almost 1-2 years on many projects in school and guitar etc and the tip is still good to go. I use asahi solder

I use a clean tissue to wipe off the "dirty solder" during soldering.

For guitar electronics i think waltage shouldnt be that much of a problem. I tend to cheat a little by melting some solder onto the tip of the iron so it kind of like has some molten solder at the tip at any one time and then use the tip to spread solder over the joint im trying to solder. I know the official way should be to heat the component and let the solder melt on the component

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

40 watt is pretty good liao. I been using 15~20watt one for guitar wiring and random circuit wiring last time and it didnt failed me other than having to let it warm up 15mins or more before doing the soldering.

Imho, do try with another soldering iron and see hows the result.

For steel wool, forget bout those soft one, just get the same one in the pic above. Those kind are like finely cut blades. If dipping a hot soldering iron into it doesnt clean up the tip, something is wrong liao.

for solder on the pot surface, other than what i have already mentioned, if wanna, just use something(anything, bluetak, plasticine or cloth peg etc) to prevent the pot from moving too much. Last thing you wanna is to have the pot keep on moving around when trying to solder. For me, i just use a long nose plier, with rubber band tied at the end of the handle to "kiap" the pots or other components when needing to solder securely.

For soldering, usually i just point the soldering tip to the area(of soldering) and follow up with the lead, in a touch and go sequence.

If wanna do the grounding on the pot surface, last time what i do is to consolidate all the wires that are going there, twist it together first, solder a bit of the lead to make it fused together before joining to the pot. On the pot itself, i will melt the lead on it first without the wiring. Once done, i will heat the lead on the pot and dip the wires from earlier to it. Whole process prolly wont take more than 5 sec.

anyway, as mentioned, if you wanna try, just try it on cheapo pots first. The more you do it, you will get the hang of it and becoming easier.

Lastly, those components usually used for geetaring, effect circuit, prolly wont spoilt too easily with lil contact with the soldering iron, unless subjecting to the heat from the iron at prolonged rate. And how long is long you might ask, hehe, that one i would say, as long its not long enough to see smoke on component or feeling hot/scorched on your own finger when its near to the soldering tip. Just touch and go, soldering tip to the surface of soldering, solder lead follow in to the solder point, watch the lead flow smoothly and fused with the surface, lift up the soldering tip and moved on to next point.

 

[Nicholasim]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advices with me. All these was of GREAT help to me. I truly appreciate everything! Especially PatheinRaindropMoe and Mightyboy88, thank you guys so much!

This pretty much sums up ALL my queries and doubts. Who say's soft forum is getting quiet and going down the drain?

Thanks again for all the help guys, really appreciate it!