Soldering Questions

[Rubix^3]

Ok, so I decided to rewire my strat copy. I had never used a soldering iron before I got this wild hair up my tail, so I decided to completely de-wire and rewire my guitar several times using the old components. I have a few questions for you guys,

1) HOW DO YOU USE FLUX?

I know what it is, namely metal cleaner but I found that if I rub flux on the wire and joints that I am soldering it makes it heat up faster. Is that what I am supposed to do? I read that you use it to de-solder but no tips on using to solder.

2) I S IT OK FOR THE WIRE INSULATION TO BE A LITTLE CHARRED?

This was mainly a problem on the positive pickup wires, the pickups in my guitar only had one wire coming from the pickup so the positive lead was tiny, tiny.

3) IS THERE A RULE (guitar specific)TO THE GAUGE OF WIRE?

My first rewire using new wire I used 18 gauge automotive wire, then I found the Radio Shack (very cool place) and I used 22 gauge solid core wire. I like using the solid core, as it is so much easier to maintain a

[tedmich]

1) HOW DO YOU USE FLUX?

its in the core of good electrical solder

2) I S IT OK FOR THE WIRE INSULATION TO BE A LITTLE CHARRED?

hopefully not, but as long as signal can't short to ground you can be AOK, shrink tube before both ends are soldered, or electrical tape /self fusing silicone tape after the ends are fixed keeps it safe.

3) IS THERE A RULE (guitar specific)TO THE GAUGE OF WIRE?

Not really, its max 1-2v and milliamps so any will do, solid core is more controllable for me.

4)CAN AN INEXPERIENCED SOLDER-ER DESTROY A POTENTIOMETER.

YES! Your iron is too big (guys favorite problem;)) and you can fry pots, many prefer ring terminal around pot shaft for this reason, but a properly shielded cavity (copper tape or Al foil) makes pot grounds take care of themselves anyway. A 15w variable iron is best and about ~$20 (partsexpress.com etc)

5) ARE THERE ANY ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES TO SOLDERING THE GROUNDS TO THE TREM CLAW AS OPPOSED TO THE OUTPUT JACK?

Do both; the bridge needs to me grounded as does the output jack, check seymourduncan.com for tips, stewmac.com too.

[JPBenny]

And as I learned recently, keep your tip tinned, which will help keep it clean. If it's not clean, it won't heat up.

 

After watching all the videos on Youtube about how to solder and desolder, and not being able to do any of it, I changed my tip, tinned it on first heat-up, and re-tin after each joint.

 

Forgive me if you already know all this.

 

When I go to solder a joint, I shake off the old tinning solder, apply a little bit of new to help heat transfer, and then solder the joint. After, I apply some more solder to the tip to re-tin and put it in the holder until I'm ready for the next joint.

 

Doing this, I can now do all the things I saw in the videos.

[Belva]

The trick for soldering to the back of pots is to clean the area with rubbing alcohol or equivalent. Little scotchbrite doesn't hurt. When using the back of a pot for ground I'll solder at the edge rather than the middle. Just easier for me. But I prefer to use either 5/16" or 3/8" ring terminals on the pot shafts. No way to phuck up a pot and the job just looks neater to me. The downside is you lose a bit of your pup ground wire/s when you swap pups.

[mike42]

The flux will help in soldering or de-soldering. Any liquid or semi-liquid, e.g. flux, melted solder, etc, will increase the contact area between the iron and the work, and that improves heat transfer tremendously. One of the reasons that it's almost impossible to get a good joint with a "dry" or untinned iron.

 

The concern I would have about using wire as large as 18 ga in guitars, is that larger wire will "sink" or draw more heat away from the joint area, which means it takes more heat and a longer time to make the joint.

In fact, with this size wire it's likely that the wire is actually drawing more heat than the component that you're soldering to, which will greatly increase the chance of "burning" a component. Soldering is difficult enough in the beginning, and larger conductors just adds to the difficulty of getting good joints. And, while I understand that solid wire "stays put" a lot better than stranded, I have long suspected that a given ga solid may also "sink" more heat than the same ga in stranded, (I think a given ga solid has a bit more mass then the same size stranded), which is going to mean that it may take more heat to get a good joint. No biggie, just something to think about when choosing between solid and stranded.

[Rubix^3]

Thanks for the tips guys! As always though I have few more questions, I googled

[Belva]

Just use the 22. The 18AWG really doesn't have a place in a guitar. there isn't much current or voltage inside a guitar. Bigger wire is used for higher current flow. BTW I too prefer solid core but it really doesn't make a difference performance wise. I think 32AWG would be enough for a guitar.

[Rubix^3]

Thanks Custom I'll do that, I really dislike working with the 18. By the way what is AWG? I am a total newb, guitar, electronics, forums, this is my first for it all. But I have a considerable background in fixing and building.

[tedmich]

if you like "neat and clean" check the Mil. spec. PTFE insulated silver plated copper wire available here:

http://www.apexjr.com/wire.html

cheap, no insulation charring/melting, many colors and takes solder beautifully

 

the 22awg solid core would be great and cost less than postage.

 

AWG is a thickness measurement used for wire in the US (mm in the rest of the world), see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge

 

the shielding tape I mentioned above obviates any need to run ring terminals or solder pot backs, once tightened down the entire pot exterior is electrically continuous with the ground shield, just solder to the shields.

[Anciano55]

It may sound dumb but take care, first not to burn yourself soldering; and also be careful not to ruin the guitar finish with either the soldering iron nor the melted tin...

[WRGKMC]

"Any liquid or semi-liquid, e.g. flux, melted solder, etc, will increase the contact area between the iron and the work, and that improves heat transfer tremendously. One of the reasons that it's almost impossible to get a good joint with a "dry" or untinned iron."

 

Thats a good one, Where did you did that up from?

 

Flux is an acid that removes dirt and oxidation and aids solder to bond molecularly with other metals directly. Solder is attracted to the metel once the metal is above the melting temp of the lead/tin solder. Tin in solder gives the solder strength. Lead allows the solder to flow smoothly. Thus the 60/40 rosin core solder is most commonly used. They do make silver solder too but its rarely used in most electronics.

 

Electronics flux should not be mistaken for plummers flux which has an extremely higher acid content thats used for soldering copper pipes. Because that flux gets heated with a tourch most of it evaporates soldering pipes. In circuits, that flux residue will eat right through circuit boards and component leads.