Noob soldering questions.

[soapbladder]

Originally Posted by ben_allison

Fwiw when I'm done with a job, I dip the tip of my iron into a tinner/cleaner. Helps prolong tip life and it's always ready to go the next time!



Oh and don't use a sponge to clean. These brass guys are WAY better:

The activater cleaner stuff -- ate right through a couple of my tips in a matter of days before I realized that my tips were plated. Since realizing that mistake, all I've needed is a brass sponge which is great.

[soapbladder]

Originally Posted by ben_allison

Fwiw when I'm done with a job, I dip the tip of my iron into a tinner/cleaner. Helps prolong tip life and it's always ready to go the next time!



Oh and don't use a sponge to clean. These brass guys are WAY better:

The activater cleaner stuff -- ate right through a couple of my tips in a matter of days before I realized that my tips were plated. Since realizing that mistake, all I've needed is a brass sponge which is great.

[V]

Yes, I just use a brass sponge. Don't use water. H2O O= Oxygen = Oxidation on your tip. Plus, I mean, there can be a bunch of other chemicals and minerals in your water which aren't harmful to people but which will build up a nice crud on your iron.

I just clean my tip on the brass shavings and let it cool.

[V]

Yes, I just use a brass sponge. Don't use water. H2O O= Oxygen = Oxidation on your tip. Plus, I mean, there can be a bunch of other chemicals and minerals in your water which aren't harmful to people but which will build up a nice crud on your iron.

I just clean my tip on the brass shavings and let it cool.

[amp_surgeon]

2% silver solder is designed for soldering metalized contacts on ceramic. This includes old school point-to-point circuits built on ceramic contact strips (e.g., really old Tektronix oscilloscopes) as well as new stuff like leadless chip carriers. The reason is because the metalized ceramic contains precious metals (gold or silver) that can be leached out by the solder. Resolder the contact enough times and the metalized contact will begin to disappear. The small amount of silver in the solder helps prevent leaching.

In other words, it's highly unlikely you need the silver bearing solder.

60Sn/40Pb is fine for most soldering work. 63Sn/37Pb, or "eutectic", is slightly better because that particular alloy goes directly from solid to liquid and back again as it melts and cools, while any other ratio goes through a temperature phase where the solder is pasty - neither liquid nor solid. If the solder or the joint is moved during this phase then the finished solder joint is going to look like it's mixed with sand. Eutectic solder is used for machine soldering (e.g., wave soldering) because it's almost impossible to avoid some vibration during the soldering process. This usually isn't an issue for manual soldering - just don't move stuff around while the solder is cooling. On the other hand, if you have Parkinson's disease then buy the eutectic stuff.

For cleaning the tip, use whatever the soldering iron manufacturer recommends. Some Weller temperature controlled irons use a ferromagnetic tip to set the temperature. These have a thin plating over a copper core that can be easily scratched off by brass wool cleaners. For those types of irons they recommend only sponge cleaning. Keep the sponge damp. Never try to clean an iron on a dry sponge. I said DAMP - not SOAKED! If the sponge isn't dry by the end of the day then you got it too wet, and mildew will build up on it. That not only smells bad, it's also bad for the soldering iron tip.

To make a new joint you should clean the tip, tin it with some fresh solder, and then apply the tip the junction where the two metals meet. Introduce the solder wire from the opposite side of the junction. Let the two metals you're soldering melt the solder. If the metals aren't hot enough to melt solder on their own then they aren't going to bond with the solder, and you're going to get a cold solder joint. Hell, that why they CALL IT a cold solder joint!

Don't clean the tip before putting it back in the holster. Leave the solder on it. That will protect it and it will last longer. Clean it only just before making a new solder joint. If you're not going to be making any solder joints for at least 15 minutes then turn off the soldering iron. Your tip will last longer.

Don't use solder with an activated rosin flux core. It will eat your soldering iron tips. Even mildly activated flux can shorten the life of your tips. I get the best soldering iron tip life using "no clean" flux (meaning you don't have to clean the burned flux off the joint after soldering it). It's not an aggressive cleaner, so it doesn't work well when soldering old dirty contacts (use paste flux for that), but it isn't corrosive and it does the job it was designed to do - wash surface oxides off the metal and act as a barrier between the air and metal to prevent more oxides from forming before the solder melts and flows into the joint.

This is what's supposed to happen, in order:

1. You put the cleaned and tinned soldering iron tip on the joint where the two metal meets (e.g., the wire and the circuit board pad). The two metals begin to heat up.

2. You put the end of the solder wire on the joint on the opposite side from where you put the soldering iron tip. The solder wire begins to heat up.

3. The first thing to melt is the flux core. This flows into the joint, removing any surface oxides from the metals, and creating a wet barrier between the metals and the air so that no new oxides form. If this works as advertised then the metals will be clean and ready to bond with the solder.

4. The next thing to melt is the solder. This flows into the joint, displacing the flux, and forming a molecular bond with the surface of the metals. The metals needs heat energy to form this bond, so make sure they're hot enough to melt the solder on their own.

5. Remove the solder wire when you've got enough solder in the joint, and then remove the soldering iron tip. Allow the joint to cool without moving it and you'll get a solid joint.

Every one of the steps above should be accomplished in two seconds or less. Many parts were not designed to withstand the heat of soldering much longer than this. Practice until you can do this repeatedly at this speed.

[amp_surgeon]

2% silver solder is designed for soldering metalized contacts on ceramic. This includes old school point-to-point circuits built on ceramic contact strips (e.g., really old Tektronix oscilloscopes) as well as new stuff like leadless chip carriers. The reason is because the metalized ceramic contains precious metals (gold or silver) that can be leached out by the solder. Resolder the contact enough times and the metalized contact will begin to disappear. The small amount of silver in the solder helps prevent leaching.

In other words, it's highly unlikely you need the silver bearing solder.

60Sn/40Pb is fine for most soldering work. 63Sn/37Pb, or "eutectic", is slightly better because that particular alloy goes directly from solid to liquid and back again as it melts and cools, while any other ratio goes through a temperature phase where the solder is pasty - neither liquid nor solid. If the solder or the joint is moved during this phase then the finished solder joint is going to look like it's mixed with sand. Eutectic solder is used for machine soldering (e.g., wave soldering) because it's almost impossible to avoid some vibration during the soldering process. This usually isn't an issue for manual soldering - just don't move stuff around while the solder is cooling. On the other hand, if you have Parkinson's disease then buy the eutectic stuff.

For cleaning the tip, use whatever the soldering iron manufacturer recommends. Some Weller temperature controlled irons use a ferromagnetic tip to set the temperature. These have a thin plating over a copper core that can be easily scratched off by brass wool cleaners. For those types of irons they recommend only sponge cleaning. Keep the sponge damp. Never try to clean an iron on a dry sponge. I said DAMP - not SOAKED! If the sponge isn't dry by the end of the day then you got it too wet, and mildew will build up on it. That not only smells bad, it's also bad for the soldering iron tip.

To make a new joint you should clean the tip, tin it with some fresh solder, and then apply the tip the junction where the two metals meet. Introduce the solder wire from the opposite side of the junction. Let the two metals you're soldering melt the solder. If the metals aren't hot enough to melt solder on their own then they aren't going to bond with the solder, and you're going to get a cold solder joint. Hell, that why they CALL IT a cold solder joint!

Don't clean the tip before putting it back in the holster. Leave the solder on it. That will protect it and it will last longer. Clean it only just before making a new solder joint. If you're not going to be making any solder joints for at least 15 minutes then turn off the soldering iron. Your tip will last longer.

Don't use solder with an activated rosin flux core. It will eat your soldering iron tips. Even mildly activated flux can shorten the life of your tips. I get the best soldering iron tip life using "no clean" flux (meaning you don't have to clean the burned flux off the joint after soldering it). It's not an aggressive cleaner, so it doesn't work well when soldering old dirty contacts (use paste flux for that), but it isn't corrosive and it does the job it was designed to do - wash surface oxides off the metal and act as a barrier between the air and metal to prevent more oxides from forming before the solder melts and flows into the joint.

This is what's supposed to happen, in order:

1. You put the cleaned and tinned soldering iron tip on the joint where the two metal meets (e.g., the wire and the circuit board pad). The two metals begin to heat up.

2. You put the end of the solder wire on the joint on the opposite side from where you put the soldering iron tip. The solder wire begins to heat up.

3. The first thing to melt is the flux core. This flows into the joint, removing any surface oxides from the metals, and creating a wet barrier between the metals and the air so that no new oxides form. If this works as advertised then the metals will be clean and ready to bond with the solder.

4. The next thing to melt is the solder. This flows into the joint, displacing the flux, and forming a molecular bond with the surface of the metals. The metals needs heat energy to form this bond, so make sure they're hot enough to melt the solder on their own.

5. Remove the solder wire when you've got enough solder in the joint, and then remove the soldering iron tip. Allow the joint to cool without moving it and you'll get a solid joint.

Every one of the steps above should be accomplished in two seconds or less. Many parts were not designed to withstand the heat of soldering much longer than this. Practice until you can do this repeatedly at this speed.

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by 1001gear

I have a roll of Radio Shack 60/40 .062 which is roughly the diameter of uncooked Spaghetti and a roll of 60/40 .032 which is half that diameter. The only time I'd go bigger than that is to make a ground puddle on the back of a pot and it's been years since I needed to do that.
As to tinning the iron after use, I do. I think I read it somewhere. Wipe clean, tin, wipe to a shine and hang it up.

Oh and one thing I remember about silver solder is it refuses to melt for removal.

So silver is pure corksniffery and a bitch to undo. Thanks.

OK so leave the tip untinned when packing up. Someone mentioned to me before that leaving it tinned prevents oxidation and pitting.

Originally Posted by notjonahbutnoah

I always focused on the type of wire rather than the size... I mean, you're melting it. Thicker will just last longer.

My advice is tin the {censored} out of what you're about to solder. Don't slop it all over, but if you put enough, you won'e even need to hold solder while you're soldering. You can hold the iron in one hand and one of the contacts in the other which makes is waaaaaaay easier.

However, cables are easier than guitar innards. The back of pots are particularly troublesome. However, it can be done with some ease once you get the steps down. Sand the back a bit, drip some solder on there, tin the wire, re-liquify the puddle on the pot, stick the wire in, boom.

I like your thinking - the old blob and dab, will save the need for ambidextrous multitasking Ain't nobody got time for that

Originally Posted by soapbladder

For working on pedal stuff, I prefer smaller gauge solder. Everything else doesn't seem to matter. There's some good how-to videos on youtube for soldering. Proper technique makes a world of difference (i.e. applying the solder to a heated component not the tip of the iron, etc.)

For patch cables, some heat shrink tubing is a good line of defense against shorts.

Good luck.

Thanks
Lava Cables never included heat shrink in my order for the mini Soars Poor enough after dropping that cash on their kits.
I've watched a bunch of videos online already and plenty are very good, there was just some info I haven't come across in the OP.

Originally Posted by V

I just use the thin solder for everything. Just make sure it's rosin core solder so your join doesn't get oxidized internally. I've never heard any appreciable difference with silver solder. Just make sure you heat the material you're soldering and don't put the solder directly on the iron except initially to get it to conduct heat to the joint. Also try to make as good of a mechanical connection between the parts as possible to prevent it moving and disturbing the joint (and also freeing up your hands).

But as for the size, you can always apply more with thinner solder. You can't apply less with thicker solder.

The sales guy took advantage of my sweet trusting nature and by selling me flux with the iron for about $30 not mentioning there is rosin in many solder already. I went in just to buy the iron and was talked into buying the flux and unleaded solder which I won't be using. it pays to google first

I'll just buy the regular 60/40 so sized 22 AWG because I won't be working on any electronic components yet.

Originally Posted by macadood

what do you need wire for in the case of making patch cables? you mean the solder itself?

just use something thing and low temp

Yeah just the actual solder wire itself. I bought the Lava Soar kit.

Originally Posted by ben_allison

Fwiw when I'm done with a job, I dip the tip of my iron into a tinner/cleaner. Helps prolong tip life and it's always ready to go the next time!



Oh and don't use a sponge to clean. These brass guys are WAY better:

Oh noee MORE stuff to buy!

When you say you finish the job and dip the tip in tinner/cleaner, do you mean a dip it in a single compound or you clean the tip with flux and then tin with solder and pack it up?

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by 1001gear

I have a roll of Radio Shack 60/40 .062 which is roughly the diameter of uncooked Spaghetti and a roll of 60/40 .032 which is half that diameter. The only time I'd go bigger than that is to make a ground puddle on the back of a pot and it's been years since I needed to do that.
As to tinning the iron after use, I do. I think I read it somewhere. Wipe clean, tin, wipe to a shine and hang it up.

Oh and one thing I remember about silver solder is it refuses to melt for removal.

So silver is pure corksniffery and a bitch to undo. Thanks.

OK so leave the tip untinned when packing up. Someone mentioned to me before that leaving it tinned prevents oxidation and pitting.

Originally Posted by notjonahbutnoah

I always focused on the type of wire rather than the size... I mean, you're melting it. Thicker will just last longer.

My advice is tin the {censored} out of what you're about to solder. Don't slop it all over, but if you put enough, you won'e even need to hold solder while you're soldering. You can hold the iron in one hand and one of the contacts in the other which makes is waaaaaaay easier.

However, cables are easier than guitar innards. The back of pots are particularly troublesome. However, it can be done with some ease once you get the steps down. Sand the back a bit, drip some solder on there, tin the wire, re-liquify the puddle on the pot, stick the wire in, boom.

I like your thinking - the old blob and dab, will save the need for ambidextrous multitasking Ain't nobody got time for that

Originally Posted by soapbladder

For working on pedal stuff, I prefer smaller gauge solder. Everything else doesn't seem to matter. There's some good how-to videos on youtube for soldering. Proper technique makes a world of difference (i.e. applying the solder to a heated component not the tip of the iron, etc.)

For patch cables, some heat shrink tubing is a good line of defense against shorts.

Good luck.

Thanks
Lava Cables never included heat shrink in my order for the mini Soars Poor enough after dropping that cash on their kits.
I've watched a bunch of videos online already and plenty are very good, there was just some info I haven't come across in the OP.

Originally Posted by V

I just use the thin solder for everything. Just make sure it's rosin core solder so your join doesn't get oxidized internally. I've never heard any appreciable difference with silver solder. Just make sure you heat the material you're soldering and don't put the solder directly on the iron except initially to get it to conduct heat to the joint. Also try to make as good of a mechanical connection between the parts as possible to prevent it moving and disturbing the joint (and also freeing up your hands).

But as for the size, you can always apply more with thinner solder. You can't apply less with thicker solder.

The sales guy took advantage of my sweet trusting nature and by selling me flux with the iron for about $30 not mentioning there is rosin in many solder already. I went in just to buy the iron and was talked into buying the flux and unleaded solder which I won't be using. it pays to google first

I'll just buy the regular 60/40 so sized 22 AWG because I won't be working on any electronic components yet.

Originally Posted by macadood

what do you need wire for in the case of making patch cables? you mean the solder itself?

just use something thing and low temp

Yeah just the actual solder wire itself. I bought the Lava Soar kit.

Originally Posted by ben_allison

Fwiw when I'm done with a job, I dip the tip of my iron into a tinner/cleaner. Helps prolong tip life and it's always ready to go the next time!



Oh and don't use a sponge to clean. These brass guys are WAY better:

Oh noee MORE stuff to buy!

When you say you finish the job and dip the tip in tinner/cleaner, do you mean a dip it in a single compound or you clean the tip with flux and then tin with solder and pack it up?

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by V

Yes, I just use a brass sponge. Don't use water. H2O O= Oxygen = Oxidation on your tip. Plus, I mean, there can be a bunch of other chemicals and minerals in your water which aren't harmful to people but which will build up a nice crud on your iron.

I just clean my tip on the brass shavings and let it cool.

So the wet sponge wipe is the cheap and cheerful solution rather than he brass. I bought one of these cheap 50W Maplin irons just for the cable job. It has a temp controller but doesn't specify the heat gradients on the dial. How far would you set the knob on a 50W for cable work?

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by V

Yes, I just use a brass sponge. Don't use water. H2O O= Oxygen = Oxidation on your tip. Plus, I mean, there can be a bunch of other chemicals and minerals in your water which aren't harmful to people but which will build up a nice crud on your iron.

I just clean my tip on the brass shavings and let it cool.

So the wet sponge wipe is the cheap and cheerful solution rather than he brass. I bought one of these cheap 50W Maplin irons just for the cable job. It has a temp controller but doesn't specify the heat gradients on the dial. How far would you set the knob on a 50W for cable work?

[ben_allison]

Originally Posted by Pedaltones

When you say you finish the job and dip the tip in tinner/cleaner, do you mean a dip it in a single compound or you clean the tip with flux and then tin with solder and pack it up?

I dab the iron on the brass sponge after every joint, to keel things clean. I dip it in the tinner once done, and leave it on. This keeps it "tinned" for the next job.

My Weller is not temperature controlled, so the tips aren't anything special. Heed amp_surgeon's advice.

[ben_allison]

Originally Posted by Pedaltones

When you say you finish the job and dip the tip in tinner/cleaner, do you mean a dip it in a single compound or you clean the tip with flux and then tin with solder and pack it up?

I dab the iron on the brass sponge after every joint, to keel things clean. I dip it in the tinner once done, and leave it on. This keeps it "tinned" for the next job.

My Weller is not temperature controlled, so the tips aren't anything special. Heed amp_surgeon's advice.

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by amp_surgeon

Don't clean the tip before putting it back in the holster. Leave the solder on it. That will protect it and it will last longer. Clean it only just before making a new solder joint. If you're not going to be making any solder joints for at least 15 minutes then turn off the soldering iron. Your tip will last longer.

Don't use solder with an activated rosin flux core. It will eat your soldering iron tips. Even mildly activated flux can shorten the life of your tips. I get the best soldering iron tip life using "no clean" flux (meaning you don't have to clean the burned flux off the joint after soldering it). It's not an aggressive cleaner, so it doesn't work well when soldering old dirty contacts (use paste flux for that), but it isn't corrosive and it does the job it was designed to do - wash surface oxides off the metal and act as a barrier between the air and metal to prevent more oxides from forming before the solder melts and flows into the joint.

Wow that was comprehensive! Thanks for taking the time. I hope you have saved this on word for a handy copy/paste answer to the regularly scheduled beginner solderer threads.

Just one question - when you say you use 'no-clean' flux do you mean solder which has the no-clean flux core, or the no-clean flux is a separate paste you apply before coming along with the flux-free solder?

I bought a type R non-corrosive Rosin flux dispensing pen. Is this the no-clean flux you are on about?

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by amp_surgeon

Don't clean the tip before putting it back in the holster. Leave the solder on it. That will protect it and it will last longer. Clean it only just before making a new solder joint. If you're not going to be making any solder joints for at least 15 minutes then turn off the soldering iron. Your tip will last longer.

Don't use solder with an activated rosin flux core. It will eat your soldering iron tips. Even mildly activated flux can shorten the life of your tips. I get the best soldering iron tip life using "no clean" flux (meaning you don't have to clean the burned flux off the joint after soldering it). It's not an aggressive cleaner, so it doesn't work well when soldering old dirty contacts (use paste flux for that), but it isn't corrosive and it does the job it was designed to do - wash surface oxides off the metal and act as a barrier between the air and metal to prevent more oxides from forming before the solder melts and flows into the joint.

Wow that was comprehensive! Thanks for taking the time. I hope you have saved this on word for a handy copy/paste answer to the regularly scheduled beginner solderer threads.

Just one question - when you say you use 'no-clean' flux do you mean solder which has the no-clean flux core, or the no-clean flux is a separate paste you apply before coming along with the flux-free solder?

I bought a type R non-corrosive Rosin flux dispensing pen. Is this the no-clean flux you are on about?

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by ben_allison

I dab the iron on the brass sponge after every joint, to keel things clean. I dip it in the tinner once done, and leave it on. This keeps it "tinned" for the next job.

My Weller is not temperature controlled, so the tips aren't anything special. Heed amp_surgeon's advice.

My tips aren't expensive either I suppose, but it would be nice to preserve them. amp_surgeon's advice is golden.

Sorry for the persistent questions , when you say 'tinner', do you mean tin it with solder or talking about a certain product? I haven't seen mention of anyone referring to tinning the tip with tinner.

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by ben_allison

I dab the iron on the brass sponge after every joint, to keel things clean. I dip it in the tinner once done, and leave it on. This keeps it "tinned" for the next job.

My Weller is not temperature controlled, so the tips aren't anything special. Heed amp_surgeon's advice.

My tips aren't expensive either I suppose, but it would be nice to preserve them. amp_surgeon's advice is golden.

Sorry for the persistent questions , when you say 'tinner', do you mean tin it with solder or talking about a certain product? I haven't seen mention of anyone referring to tinning the tip with tinner.

[r0bo01]

for anything but heavy duty (back of pots, trem claw, etc.) 10-15 watts should do it. a full 50 might hurt more delicate stuff (pot wiper lugs, chip, transistor, pc lands, etc.) and will def make you hop trying to make the join b4 melting wire's insulation (barrel radiates heat-melting insulation). i've used (slightly) damp sponge or finger (quick swipe), but brass is probably a better idea (and can be had at the super). after you've cleaned, tin (a little solder on each side of tip) and put away works well. always liked the thinner stuff for everything but heavy duty....

[r0bo01]

for anything but heavy duty (back of pots, trem claw, etc.) 10-15 watts should do it. a full 50 might hurt more delicate stuff (pot wiper lugs, chip, transistor, pc lands, etc.) and will def make you hop trying to make the join b4 melting wire's insulation (barrel radiates heat-melting insulation). i've used (slightly) damp sponge or finger (quick swipe), but brass is probably a better idea (and can be had at the super). after you've cleaned, tin (a little solder on each side of tip) and put away works well. always liked the thinner stuff for everything but heavy duty....

[amp_surgeon]

Originally Posted by Pedaltones

Wow that was comprehensive! Thanks for taking the time. I hope you have saved this on word for a handy copy/paste answer to the regularly scheduled beginner solderer threads.

Just one question - when you say you use 'no-clean' flux do you mean solder which has the no-clean flux core, or the no-clean flux is a separate paste you apply before coming along with the flux-free solder?

I bought a type R non-corrosive Rosin flux dispensing pen. Is this the no-clean flux you are on about?

I'm talking about the flux core in the solder. As I mentioned, the purpose of the flux core is to get the oxides off the surface of the metal so that the solder can bond with it. The "no clean" flux is the least aggressive of the types of flux they use in solder core, so it isn't going to clean very well if you have even mildly dirty metals at the joint (e.g., gray looking NOS transistors, etc.). However, most of the time you'll be soldering new stuff, so you don't need an aggressive flux. The "no clean" variety is also the least corrosive. That's why they call it "no clean" - you don't have to clean it off because it's not going to eat away at the metal over time, including the metal soldering iron tip. On the other hand, use activated rosin core flux (RA) and watch your soldering iron tip begin to resemble the cratered surface of moon after about an hour of soldering.

You'll know if the "no clean" flux isn't cutting it if you can't get the solder to 'wet' the metals no matter how hot you get them, and the solder just balls up. In that case, use the flux from your pen dispenser or use flux paste from a plastic tub. Just be sure to clean the iron and re-tin it before putting it back in the holster. If the metals are really dirty or corroded then use a wire brush first.

Another point about getting the metals hot enough to melt the solder. There are two factors that control this (assuming your soldering iron tip is hot enough).

The first factor is the amount of surface area contact you've got. A round soldering iron tip and a round wire aren't going to have a lot of surface area between the two making contact. This is where having a well tinned tip can help a lot. The molten solder on the tip can wrap itself around curves and provide more surface area contact. If you're dealing with a really large metal object (the can on a guitar volume pot, for example) then laying the tip at an angle to maximize surface area contact can help a whole lot.

The second factor is reserve heat energy. Some cheap irons have a skinny little tip, about 1/8" in diameter and about an inch long. These are either screwed into the heater barrel, or held in with a set screw. These tips have very little mass to hold heat energy, and what little heat they can hold gets transferred quickly into the joint. In other words, you get a quick rush of heat and then nothing. This is fine for soldering small parts onto circuit boards, but you'll find that soldering bigger stuff like connectors is difficult unless the wattage of the iron is so high that the heater practically glows. You don't need a lot of wattage or high temperature heaters if there's a sufficient amount of metal mass in the tip to hold the reserve heat. This is purely a soldering iron design factor. There's nothing you can do about it, but it helps to understand why some irons are ok for circuit boards but suck at bigger jobs.

[amp_surgeon]

Originally Posted by Pedaltones

Wow that was comprehensive! Thanks for taking the time. I hope you have saved this on word for a handy copy/paste answer to the regularly scheduled beginner solderer threads.

Just one question - when you say you use 'no-clean' flux do you mean solder which has the no-clean flux core, or the no-clean flux is a separate paste you apply before coming along with the flux-free solder?

I bought a type R non-corrosive Rosin flux dispensing pen. Is this the no-clean flux you are on about?

I'm talking about the flux core in the solder. As I mentioned, the purpose of the flux core is to get the oxides off the surface of the metal so that the solder can bond with it. The "no clean" flux is the least aggressive of the types of flux they use in solder core, so it isn't going to clean very well if you have even mildly dirty metals at the joint (e.g., gray looking NOS transistors, etc.). However, most of the time you'll be soldering new stuff, so you don't need an aggressive flux. The "no clean" variety is also the least corrosive. That's why they call it "no clean" - you don't have to clean it off because it's not going to eat away at the metal over time, including the metal soldering iron tip. On the other hand, use activated rosin core flux (RA) and watch your soldering iron tip begin to resemble the cratered surface of moon after about an hour of soldering.

You'll know if the "no clean" flux isn't cutting it if you can't get the solder to 'wet' the metals no matter how hot you get them, and the solder just balls up. In that case, use the flux from your pen dispenser or use flux paste from a plastic tub. Just be sure to clean the iron and re-tin it before putting it back in the holster. If the metals are really dirty or corroded then use a wire brush first.

Another point about getting the metals hot enough to melt the solder. There are two factors that control this (assuming your soldering iron tip is hot enough).

The first factor is the amount of surface area contact you've got. A round soldering iron tip and a round wire aren't going to have a lot of surface area between the two making contact. This is where having a well tinned tip can help a lot. The molten solder on the tip can wrap itself around curves and provide more surface area contact. If you're dealing with a really large metal object (the can on a guitar volume pot, for example) then laying the tip at an angle to maximize surface area contact can help a whole lot.

The second factor is reserve heat energy. Some cheap irons have a skinny little tip, about 1/8" in diameter and about an inch long. These are either screwed into the heater barrel, or held in with a set screw. These tips have very little mass to hold heat energy, and what little heat they can hold gets transferred quickly into the joint. In other words, you get a quick rush of heat and then nothing. This is fine for soldering small parts onto circuit boards, but you'll find that soldering bigger stuff like connectors is difficult unless the wattage of the iron is so high that the heater practically glows. You don't need a lot of wattage or high temperature heaters if there's a sufficient amount of metal mass in the tip to hold the reserve heat. This is purely a soldering iron design factor. There's nothing you can do about it, but it helps to understand why some irons are ok for circuit boards but suck at bigger jobs.

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by amp_surgeon

I'm talking about the flux core in the solder. As I mentioned, the purpose of the flux core is to get the oxides off the surface of the metal so that the solder can bond with it. The "no clean" flux is the least aggressive of the types of flux they use in solder core, so it isn't going to clean very well if you have even mildly dirty metals at the joint (e.g., gray looking NOS transistors, etc.). However, most of the time you'll be soldering new stuff, so you don't need an aggressive flux. The "no clean" variety is also the least corrosive. That's why they call it "no clean" - you don't have to clean it off because it's not going to eat away at the metal over time, including the metal soldering iron tip. On the other hand, use activated rosin core flux (RA) and watch your soldering iron tip begin to resemble the cratered surface of moon after about an hour of soldering.

You'll know if the "no clean" flux isn't cutting it if you can't get the solder to 'wet' the metals no matter how hot you get them, and the solder just balls up. In that case, use the flux from your pen dispenser or use flux paste from a plastic tub. Just be sure to clean the iron and re-tin it before putting it back in the holster. If the metals are really dirty or corroded then use a wire brush first.

Another point about getting the metals hot enough to melt the solder. There are two factors that control this (assuming your soldering iron tip is hot enough).

The first factor is the amount of surface area contact you've got. A round soldering iron tip and a round wire aren't going to have a lot of surface area between the two making contact. This is where having a well tinned tip can help a lot. The molten solder on the tip can wrap itself around curves and provide more surface area contact. If you're dealing with a really large metal object (the can on a guitar volume pot, for example) then laying the tip at an angle to maximize surface area contact can help a whole lot.

The second factor is reserve heat energy. Some cheap irons have a skinny little tip, about 1/8" in diameter and about an inch long. These are either screwed into the heater barrel, or held in with a set screw. These tips have very little mass to hold heat energy, and what little heat they can hold gets transferred quickly into the joint. In other words, you get a quick rush of heat and then nothing. This is fine for soldering small parts onto circuit boards, but you'll find that soldering bigger stuff like connectors is difficult unless the wattage of the iron is so high that the heater practically glows. You don't need a lot of wattage or high temperature heaters if there's a sufficient amount of metal mass in the tip to hold the reserve heat. This is purely a soldering iron design factor. There's nothing you can do about it, but it helps to understand why some irons are ok for circuit boards but suck at bigger jobs.

Thanks again buddy you have gone above and beyond in answering my questions.

[Pedaltones]

Originally Posted by amp_surgeon

I'm talking about the flux core in the solder. As I mentioned, the purpose of the flux core is to get the oxides off the surface of the metal so that the solder can bond with it. The "no clean" flux is the least aggressive of the types of flux they use in solder core, so it isn't going to clean very well if you have even mildly dirty metals at the joint (e.g., gray looking NOS transistors, etc.). However, most of the time you'll be soldering new stuff, so you don't need an aggressive flux. The "no clean" variety is also the least corrosive. That's why they call it "no clean" - you don't have to clean it off because it's not going to eat away at the metal over time, including the metal soldering iron tip. On the other hand, use activated rosin core flux (RA) and watch your soldering iron tip begin to resemble the cratered surface of moon after about an hour of soldering.

You'll know if the "no clean" flux isn't cutting it if you can't get the solder to 'wet' the metals no matter how hot you get them, and the solder just balls up. In that case, use the flux from your pen dispenser or use flux paste from a plastic tub. Just be sure to clean the iron and re-tin it before putting it back in the holster. If the metals are really dirty or corroded then use a wire brush first.

Another point about getting the metals hot enough to melt the solder. There are two factors that control this (assuming your soldering iron tip is hot enough).

The first factor is the amount of surface area contact you've got. A round soldering iron tip and a round wire aren't going to have a lot of surface area between the two making contact. This is where having a well tinned tip can help a lot. The molten solder on the tip can wrap itself around curves and provide more surface area contact. If you're dealing with a really large metal object (the can on a guitar volume pot, for example) then laying the tip at an angle to maximize surface area contact can help a whole lot.

The second factor is reserve heat energy. Some cheap irons have a skinny little tip, about 1/8" in diameter and about an inch long. These are either screwed into the heater barrel, or held in with a set screw. These tips have very little mass to hold heat energy, and what little heat they can hold gets transferred quickly into the joint. In other words, you get a quick rush of heat and then nothing. This is fine for soldering small parts onto circuit boards, but you'll find that soldering bigger stuff like connectors is difficult unless the wattage of the iron is so high that the heater practically glows. You don't need a lot of wattage or high temperature heaters if there's a sufficient amount of metal mass in the tip to hold the reserve heat. This is purely a soldering iron design factor. There's nothing you can do about it, but it helps to understand why some irons are ok for circuit boards but suck at bigger jobs.

Thanks again buddy you have gone above and beyond in answering my questions.