Re: Soldering. Was: PG-380

Hi

ref" As for tinning the gun/iron tip I just heat it up and stick it in the
tin of flux. Most of the time it comes out shiny."

ditto and clean it off when finished, I have wondered about the 'correct '
way, willing to learn,  regards.

On Tue, Dec 22, 2015 at 3:04 PM, JAMES HARRISON [email protected]
[midiguitar] <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> A lot of good advice IMHO; although I seldom do much soldering any more.
>
> BTW: I thought that lead was removed from solder a great number of
> years ago. Not so???
>
> As for tinning the gun/iron tip I just heat it up and stick it in the
> tin of flux. Most of the time it comes out shiny.
>
> Regards,
> James
> .
> .
>
> > Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:26 pm (PST) . Posted by:
> >
> >
> > "Matt M" mattinthebox2000
> > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20PG-380>
> >
> > Long time lurker here who just wanted to share my soldering experience.
> > Now as Bob and some others have said...
> > Right... use flux & dont be afraid to use plenty of it.
> > Besides being a "cleaner" it also aids in heat transfer from the tip
> > of your iron to the solder you're trying to flow.
> >
> > You don't wanna gop it on but use it liberally, spread it all over
> > your contacts/pads (where you want the solder to flow).
> > Just like with plumbing you want a solid bond without leaks (or when
> > dealing with electronics, intermittent connections) so you clean the
> > joint to ensure a good bond (cold solder joints can play hell with
> > electronic repairs).
> > You use sand paper to make the joint physically clean & the flux
> > ensures your bond will be chemically clean.
> > A little oil from a leaking cap can cause problems with the solder
> > sticking properly so that's where the flux is necessary to clean away
> > the oil & it also makes the solder flow like a pro (watch some youtube
> > videos of soldering IC's by hand).
> > Since this isn't plumbing sanding shouldn't really be necessary as
> > these small boards are usually kept in conditions where oxidation
> > shouldn't be a big problem so just a little bit of flux should do just
> > fine (otherwise you risk damaging the traces on the board from sanding).
> > The trick to a good bond is to get your iron up to temp then get in &
> > get out.
> > Overheating the pad by taking too long can cause the copper trace to
> > lift off the board which complicates the repair so if you're new to
> > soldering then practice on old electronics till you get the hang of it
> > & your timing is where it needs to be.
> >
> > I get alotta boards out of TV's, stereo's, computers, etc from a junk
> > man friend of mine to experiment with.
> > He says you can find electronic stuff in the trash just about anywhere.
> > I have re-purposed lots of it (buttons, switches, potentiometers, film
> > caps, etc) & have modded many guitar pedals & stuff with all the junk
> > he brings me. I guess I'm doing my part to be "green" & recycle.
> > It's important to get comfortable reflowing solder around transformers
> > & other components to get a feel for your equipment & what sorta time
> > is involved before jumping in both feet first & trashing your board.
> > Once you do that most all mods & repairs will be a breeze to do.
> > A problem I have noticed when I hear about solder not flowing for
> > people is that most people don't ever re-tin their tip & that can
> > cause heat transfer issues as well.Stop in your nearby electronics
> > shop, they'll have tip tinner & get the proper solder (using plumbing
> > solder is like trying to thread a needle with a rope, it's too big).
> > Grab a "kester pocket pack" of solder or equivalent.
> > Most electronic solder should be around .75mm (.031") - 1.0mm (.040")
> > in diameter & be like 60/40% Tin/Lead.
> > I use "Kester 44" which is 1.0mm (.040") diameter & is 66/44 Tin/Lead.
> > It's like $14usd for a 1lb roll & flows well.
> > So... Grab some solder, some size 2 desoldering wick (if you don't
> > have a desoldering bulb or vacuum pump for removing excess solder) & a
> > small can of "tip tinner", it's like a compound that prepares your tip
> > if its caked up with carbon.Along with tinning the tip of your iron
> > you should also have a damp sponge at your station as well to remove
> > excess solder from the tip of your iron.
> > Heat your iron till it's up to temp, then stick it in the tinner. Wipe
> > it clean on the damp sponge & your iron is ready to go.If you've
> > already removed the existing caps then flux the pads on the board,
> > place the desoldering wick on the pad then apply heat with your iron.
> > The flux will melt first then the solder should liquefy quickly after
> > then get absorbed into the wick. Remove the iron & wick while it's
> > still hot to prevent the wick from sticking to the board.Now apply
> > flux on "both" the new cap & the pad on the board.place the cap (in
> > the correct polarity) on the board & touch the iron to each solder
> > joint. It should bond quickly if prepped properly.
> > Usually there's enough solder left on the pads when removing/replacing
> > existing components but In some cases a small dab of solder is necessary.
> > You should only need to "tin" components when they're new, like a new
> > board or bare wire.
> > Replace any other leaking caps or defective parts in the same manner.
> >
> > If you were patient & careful you should now have a working board again.
> > Now that's just my opinion & it may vary from others but I've always
> > had good experiences using the above methods.Hope it will help some of
> > you guys & if you need me to clarify anything or have further
> > questions just holler & I'll answer to the best of my ability...
> > Matt
> >
> > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20PG-380>
>
> 
>