souldering techs

[bh2k]

I've gotten pretty good with my souldering. (Been praticing on an old modem) and I just want to make sure everything I'm doing it alright before I got after my ti4600. 1st. I'm using silver soulder. Should I be using rosin? Second is I take the soulder and use the iron to melt some it on to the pin or place where I want it and once it cools I stick the wire into it and remelt it to attach the wire. Is that a good way or is there another - better way? Thanks for any help.

[sjohnson]

Don't use silver solder, most formulations of silver solder have a melting point too high for safe electronics soldering.

Use instead a rosin core lead-tin alloy. If you can get it, some liquid electronics flux helps.

Flux both cleans the surfaces and reduces surface tension of the molten solder, promoting a better bond at lower heat.

For volt-mods, tin the wire and the target spot with a touch of solder, then do it like you describe.

For small spots, a small-guage, single strand of wire is easier to attach than large-guage wire and/or multi-strands. You can solder larger wire to that single strand once the single strand is attached to the target spot.

What you want to avoid is using so much heat that you vaporize or lift the trace from the circuit board. Some attach points are very easily lost if too much heat is applied, or if heat is applied for too long. The quicker, the better as long as the joint is secure.

[bh2k]

So get some rosin core and do it like I said, but be very gentle?

[sjohnson]

Gentle, I suppose - be quick, with heat applied only long enough to get the job done.

[toolbox]

I never understood how to tin the wire/tip. Could you explain?

[nutcase]

Sjohnson is Right..

Silver solder has too high of a temps for electronics work and was made mainly for repair of Jewlery, Etc. Also, a lot of silver solders have acid flux which can be damaging to electronic components.

And Toolbox,

Tinning a wire is just applying the iron to one side of the wire and then applying solder to the other side. This causes the solder to flow through the wire strands and basically turns it into a single strand.

[bh2k]

Ok thanks a lot for all the help. I have another question now about VRs. Should I start with the max resistance or start with no resistance? It's a 10k so I assume 10k is the most and 0 is the least. Now also how does this affect my voltages? Does turning up the reistance turn up the voltage? Also, is it safe to adjust with the computer on?

[toolbox]

Originally posted by hag6br

And Toolbox,

Tinning a wire is just applying the iron to one side of the wire and then applying solder to the other side. This causes the solder to flow through the wire strands and basically turns it into a single strand.
I have 18AWG single strand copper wire from radioshack. Do I still need to tin it to make it a single strand?

[Teus]

Originally posted by toolbox
I have 18AWG single strand copper wire from radioshack. Do I still need to tin it to make it a single strand?
yep, tin it. if both the soldering point and the wire are tinned, you just have to put the wire on the soldering point and give it a short touch with your soldering iron so the solder on both of them melts together

note to self: get a new tip for my soldering iron and make a movie how-to :)

[toolbox]

So if I melt a little solder on the soldering point (aka controllor) and a little solder on the wire. Just put them together and put the soldering iron there and it'll connect. Sounds too easy...lemme check it out. BTW I posted this on OC-forums, but haven't gotten a reply and maybe I can get help here:

"And btw, the very tip of the soldering iron isn't hot enough to melt the solder. Don't ask my why, but I got bored and touched the tip to some solder, and it didn't mealt. Is this normal? I had to use the side near the tip to melt it.

HELP!? (maybe this is why its hard to solder)"

[sjohnson]

Tin the tip, and keep a wet sponge nearby to clean the tip just before soldering. If the tip isn't silvery and shiny, you have oxidation.

A couple of quick wipes on the wet sponge will clear oxidation from the tip. Oxidation insulates the heat on the tip, keeping it from melting the solder.

[bh2k]

hello? Wasn't this my post?

[toolbox]

Yes, but this will help you incase it happens to you. And btw that statement is pretty rude.

[bh2k]

oh calm down, I was only kidding.

[Teus]

Originally posted by toolbox
Sounds too easy...

yep, it is. it's just tricky to do it, because for a perfect solder job you would need three arms

Originally posted by toolbox
Sounds too easy...

Is this normal? I had to use the side near the tip to melt it.
[/B][/QUOTE]
absolutely not. as said: try cleaning it, if the soldering tip has been worn off you'll have to replace it

[mattsmall]

Originally posted by sjohnson
If you can get it, some liquid electronics flux helps.

Flux both cleans the surfaces and reduces surface tension of the molten solder, promoting a better bond at lower heat.

isnt flux really bad for you ?

[sjohnson]

Rosin flux produces aromatic hydrocarbons when it burns.

But, so does incense and candles.

Is it bad for you? Not terribly.

Now, Sal Ammoniac or the other acid-based fluxes are less healthful. But, just do your work in a ventilated area and you'll have no real problem.