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#1
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned?
I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie |
#3
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#4
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 5:26*am, wrote:
How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie to tin your soldering iron you need to clean the crap off and put flux on it and dab bit of solder on. It will spread on the tip giving a shiny appearance. After a while, it oxydises & you have to repeat the process. The benifit is that you get a rapid heat transferr fron the iron to the solder and the job/workpiece. Solders with a high tin content works best but are expensive. Some solders have no lead in at all, they are harder to deal with I have found. There are lots of different fluxes for different metals and types of solder, you need to get the one recommended. Sometimes they are incompatible, sometimes not. |
#5
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 12:26*am, wrote:
How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank ~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron |
#6
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#7
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#8
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. |
#9
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 3:41*pm, homer wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:26:05 -0500, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie Does no one use Sal Ammoniac to keep their soldering tips clean anymore?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Ho! That's going back a bit! But viable. It's used mostly for soldering tinplate. |
#10
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 3:56*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article , *"HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If the "base metal" is copper you can tin it no problem as long and as many times as you like. Plated tips are a relatively recent invention as are disposable tips. I have a fifty year old soldering iron. I have some even older heated in a gas flame or on the fire. All solid lumps of copper. Soldering goes back, many hundreds of years maybe even thousands. All are viable systems. You could use them today. It was one of the earliest metal bonding techniques. All these bits of pizaz are just for convenience or the idle. |
#11
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#12
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 7:14 AM, Hank wrote:
On Nov 29, 12:26 am, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron you don't solder aluminum. You might think you are, but no, you're not. -- Steve Barker remove the "not" from my address to email |
#13
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 5:51*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
On 11/29/2010 7:14 AM, Hank wrote: On Nov 29, 12:26 am, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron you don't solder aluminum. *You might think you are, but no, you're not.. -- Steve Barker remove the "not" from my address to email- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Oh I think you can these days. The flux is pretty evil stuff. |
#14
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 8:22*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. "Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile." Hmm...I wonder what's holding all of those little electronic components onto the circuit boards. I also wonder why I can easily pull twisted wires apart but I have hard time pulling soldered wires apart. I guess there must be something else holding that stuff together. |
#15
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
Smitty Two wrote:
As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. Oh. Didn't know that. I suppose the cheap, disposable tips are merely plated (maybe even just painted in bright colors) - the ones I use are solid copper. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. Agreed solder IS a mechanical connection; a ****-poor mechanical connection at that. Lay two wires side by side and solder them together. Then pull them apart. Next tie the two wires together in a knot, solder them, and pull them apart. If you can. There's a HUGE difference between a soldered mechanical connection and the mechanical connection of a solder joint. |
#16
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
HeyBub wrote:
Oh. Didn't know that. I suppose the cheap, disposable tips are merely plated (maybe even just painted in bright colors) - the ones I use are solid copper. The cheapy screw-in tips I get at radio hack are copper base. Dunno what the plating is on top, though. As for tinning them, after I degrease them (when new), I put a very thin dab of flux on the tip and wrap it with flux-core solder, then I plug in the iron. This gets it tinned before it has a chance to oxidize, and seems to work well for me. Jon |
#17
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:51:16 -0600, Steve Barker
wrote: On 11/29/2010 7:14 AM, Hank wrote: On Nov 29, 12:26 am, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron you don't solder aluminum. You might think you are, but no, you're not. Yes you are if you are using the proper solder. Alumisol is one that works very nicely on aluminum |
#18
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:56:13 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote: In article , "HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. That depends entirely onthe tip. An "iron" tip is different from a "copper" tip. I've successfully tinned copper tips, and plated copper tips Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. True, but an electrical connection that is not mechanically secure before soldering does not pass any inspection. (except for solid wire into a printed circuit board) |
#19
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:37:39 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote: On Nov 29, 8:22Â*am, "HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in Â*for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. Â*It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. Â*The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. "Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile." Hmm...I wonder what's holding all of those little electronic components onto the circuit boards. I also wonder why I can easily pull twisted wires apart but I have hard time pulling soldered wires apart. I guess there must be something else holding that stuff together. The devices in the circuit board are mechanically held in place by virtue of passing through the board - and the solder just stiffens the wire to make it harder to pull apart, then glues the twisted wires so they cannot easily move in relation to each other. Two wires laid together and soldered can be separated relatively easily in comparison - and a wire just laid on a circuit board and soldered WILL fail. |
#20
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 10:41 AM, homer wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:26:05 -0500, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie Does no one use Sal Ammoniac to keep their soldering tips clean anymore? Not for electrical soldering. As to cleaning, sanding, filing, etc. a lot depends on the tip itself. Good electronic soldering tips should not be filed as the plating in place, will no longer be there. For electronics tips, use, as someone said, a wet sponge. If the tip is really corroded, use a bunch of paper towels folded up and wet with water, and then scrub the tip on the paper. This works a little better than the sponge. Also, you can gently scrape the tip with a knife for even a screw driver to remove some of the oxidation. I have a small tin of electronic flux (I've had it sooooo long that it was about 15 cents on the stick-on price tag) which I will occasionally dip the tip into. This helps clean it up also. Also, temperature regulated irons keep the tip cleaner by not cranking the temp so high that oxidation occurs rapidly. |
#21
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
Jon Danniken wrote:
HeyBub wrote: Oh. Didn't know that. I suppose the cheap, disposable tips are merely plated (maybe even just painted in bright colors) - the ones I use are solid copper. The cheapy screw-in tips I get at radio hack are copper base. Dunno what the plating is on top, though. As for tinning them, after I degrease them (when new), I put a very thin dab of flux on the tip and wrap it with flux-core solder, then I plug in the iron. This gets it tinned before it has a chance to oxidize, and seems to work well for me. Ooo! Good idea. |
#22
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 12:51*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
On 11/29/2010 7:14 AM, Hank wrote: On Nov 29, 12:26 am, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron you don't solder aluminum. *You might think you are, but no, you're not.. -- Steve Barker Like I said, I don't know much about soldering. I'm pretty sure the wire is aluminum and stranded. It is high quality aircraft wire. It is silver in color. Maybe its some alloy. Anyway, what I'm doing is working for me. :-) Hank |
#23
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 9:41 AM, homer wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:26:05 -0500, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie Does no one use Sal Ammoniac to keep their soldering tips clean anymore? I do, it's usually the main component of tip cleaner. Another thing that works well is either a copper or stainless steel pot scrubber. I have a tip cleaner I got from Radio Shack years ago that is cone shaped and has a compound that cleans a hot tip, it is used like a pencil sharpener, I believe it contains sal ammoniac. http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wnbta8 TDD |
#24
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Nov 29, 5:16*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:37:39 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 wrote: On Nov 29, 8:22*am, "HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in *for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. *It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. *The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. "Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile." Hmm...I wonder what's holding all of those little electronic components onto the circuit boards. I also wonder why I can easily pull twisted wires apart but I have hard time pulling soldered wires apart. I guess there must be something else holding that stuff together. *The devices in the circuit board are mechanically held in place by virtue of passing through the board - and the solder just stiffens the wire to make it harder to pull apart, then glues the twisted wires so they cannot easily move in relation to each other. Two wires laid together and soldered can be separated relatively easily in comparison - and a wire just laid on a circuit board and soldered WILL fail. "The devices in the circuit board are mechanically held in place by virtue of passing through the board" Not on any boards I've built or repaired. The wire or component leads are loose in the holes and will pull right out unless solder is applied to the tinned pad on the lead side. Ever encounter a cold solder joint on a circuit board? A nice neat mound of solder that looks good on visual inspection but a component lead that will pull right out through the board because there is nothing holding it in place. |
#25
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:55:01 -0800 (PST), Hank
wrote: On Nov 29, 12:51Â*pm, Steve Barker wrote: On 11/29/2010 7:14 AM, Hank wrote: On Nov 29, 12:26 am, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in Â*for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. Â*It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. Â*The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie As one beginner to another..... First, I don't know much if anything about soldering, but I do solder wires wires together pretty often. Second, I only solder either aluminum or copper wires, which are easy. Third, the advise you have received here is good, but they didn't mention that the wire has to be clean too. If the wire is old and oxidized, it has to be clipped off or cleaned too. Fourth, use a resin core solder. Fifth, I scape off my tips with a knife. I have even used a bench grinder to grind them back to a point. Then I heat up the iron and melt solder on the tip which helps clean it, then wipe off the excess solder. Hope these little tips help. Hank~~~assuming it is a Pencil type soldering iron you don't solder aluminum. Â*You might think you are, but no, you're not. -- Steve Barker Like I said, I don't know much about soldering. I'm pretty sure the wire is aluminum and stranded. It is high quality aircraft wire. It is silver in color. Maybe its some alloy. Anyway, what I'm doing is working for me. :-) Hank Aircraft wire is silver plated or tinned copper - and one of the easiest types of wire to solder - it is "pre-tinned" |
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:15:56 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote: Â*The devices in the circuit board are mechanically held in place by virtue of passing through the board - and the solder just stiffens the wire to make it harder to pull apart, then glues the twisted wires so they cannot easily move in relation to each other. Two wires laid together and soldered can be separated relatively easily in comparison - and a wire just laid on a circuit board and soldered WILL fail. "The devices in the circuit board are mechanically held in place by virtue of passing through the board" Not on any boards I've built or repaired. The wire or component leads are loose in the holes and will pull right out unless solder is applied to the tinned pad on the lead side. They are held "in place" except for one direction. Might be more accurate to say they are "located" by the holes. Surface mount is a different story - and they DO tend to fail on occaision. Ever encounter a cold solder joint on a circuit board? A nice neat mound of solder that looks good on visual inspection but a component lead that will pull right out through the board because there is nothing holding it in place. Yes I have - but if it was not in the hole the cold solder joint would just be a spot of copper - and a component rattling around somewhere. Also, PROPER installation involves spreading the leads slighly when they come through the hole so the component stays in place when you either turn the board over to solder it, or move the board to the wave soldering machine. |
#27
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote: Smitty Two wrote: As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. Oh. Didn't know that. I suppose the cheap, disposable tips are merely plated (maybe even just painted in bright colors) - the ones I use are solid copper. Soldering iron tips start out as solid copper, but they are plated with nickel and iron. If you sand, grind, or file them down to bare copper, they no longer work worth a damn. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. Agreed solder IS a mechanical connection; a ****-poor mechanical connection at that. Lay two wires side by side and solder them together. Then pull them apart. Next tie the two wires together in a knot, solder them, and pull them apart. If you can. There's a HUGE difference between a soldered mechanical connection and the mechanical connection of a solder joint. If you can lay two wires (let's say 18 AWG) side by side and solder them together (lap splice) and then pull apart the connection, you don't know how to solder. The only solder-only connections that are **** poor, are **** poor solder connections. |
#28
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:01:40 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote: On 11/29/2010 9:41 AM, homer wrote: On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:26:05 -0500, wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie Does no one use Sal Ammoniac to keep their soldering tips clean anymore? I do, it's usually the main component of tip cleaner. Another thing that works well is either a copper or stainless steel pot scrubber. I have a tip cleaner I got from Radio Shack years ago that is cone shaped and has a compound that cleans a hot tip, it is used like a pencil sharpener, I believe it contains sal ammoniac. http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wnbta8 TDD Sal Ammoniac, (Ammonium Chloride) when heated, breaks down into Ammonia and Hydrochloric Acid. Definitely not good stuff to have around electronic circuit boards. If you use it on your soldering iron, be sure to rinse the iron to dilute/neutralize/remove the acid. |
#29
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
In article ,
wrote: On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:56:13 -0800, Smitty Two wrote: In article , "HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1 & 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. That depends entirely onthe tip. An "iron" tip is different from a "copper" tip. I've successfully tinned copper tips, and plated copper tips See my reply to HeyBub about tips. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. True, but an electrical connection that is not mechanically secure before soldering does not pass any inspection. (except for solid wire into a printed circuit board) I've personally inspected millions of solder joints. On the topic of soldering, I'm pretty sure I know more than you do, Clare. Not that I expect you to admit it. You're one of those "often wrong, never in doubt" types. |
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#32
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
"HeyBub" wrote:
There's a HUGE difference between a soldered mechanical connection and the mechanical connection of a solder joint. I prefer to use a "Western Union" style splice if possible. It's mechanically sound. -- You'll be Ok, Enjoy. Life is nothing more than a bunch of mini vacations all rolled into one. - Old Gringo |
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#34
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 7:56 AM Smitty Two spake thus:
In article , "HeyBub" wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. BS. My "go-to" soldering iron is a 25-watt cheapy that looks like it's going to fall apart any minute. I've re-ground and filed the tip countless times. Still works fine. Tins fine. Don't believe everything you read here ... -- The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring, with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags. - Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com) |
#35
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 1:57 AM, Smitty Two wrote:
In , wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. Bonnie 1. get some real solder, 63% tin, 37% lead 2. get some liquid flux in a little dispenser bottle with a tiny capillary needle. put a drop on the joint. 3. you don't "tin" tips anymore, you throw them away and get a new, shiny one. 4. crank up the heat to 800 degrees F. 5. yes, use the damp sponge to frequently wipe the hot tip. 6. unless someone has been soldering for a living longer than i have (25 years) don't listen to them when they tell you that you don't need the liquid flux. just get it. kester 1544 is a good formula. Well it's been 31 years soldering electronics for a living for me, and sorry, I don't use, nor need liquid flux. And before soldering for work, I had been soldering since I was about 9 years old so add another 9 years onto the 31. To the OP, soldering is an art. It takes a lot of practice before you get good at it. Look for some real instructions in an electronics book or somewhere else. Surely there are a hundred or so web sites to teach you. Yes, for soldering electronics, stick to 63/37 (or 60/40) For tip cleaning I no longer use the ol' wet sponge, I use a kind of ammonia block (but you don't need that), and a brass pot scrubber, and some rosin core solder. To make a really good tip scrubber, wad the brass scrubber into some type of can, maybe a tuna can. It would be great screwed down to something solid. I have what looks like a small heavy steel ashtray with a rubber bottom which holds the brass wool which is made for that purpose. You will have to stick the tip in and twist and turn it to scrape it clean, immediatly followed by melting solder on it. Repeat until it's tinned nicely, it will be shiny. Don't turn the temperature too high or the rosin/flux will burn and become infective. (maybe then you will need liquid flux?) Most of my soldering is around 630F. 63/37 solder melts at 361°F. More than anything else, practice, practice, practice. If your soldering iron isn't temperature controlled, (I'm guessing it isn't) it takes even more practice. Take your time and good luck! |
#36
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 4:13 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Smitty Two wrote: As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1& 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. Oh. Didn't know that. I suppose the cheap, disposable tips are merely plated (maybe even just painted in bright colors) - the ones I use are solid copper. Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. Agreed solder IS a mechanical connection; a ****-poor mechanical connection at that. Lay two wires side by side and solder them together. Then pull them apart. Next tie the two wires together in a knot, solder them, and pull them apart. If you can. There's a HUGE difference between a soldered mechanical connection and the mechanical connection of a solder joint. A properly soldered joint doesn't not need a mechanical connection, like twisting the wires together, in order to make a permanent electrical connection. Matter of fact, NASA prohibits any such joint. They prohibit it because if repairs are needed it is too difficult to take apart. |
#37
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
Tony Miklos wrote:
More than anything else, practice, practice, practice. If your soldering iron isn't temperature controlled, (I'm guessing it isn't) it takes even more practice. Take your time and good luck! And wear safety glasses!! For a newbie it's real easy to get some in yer eyeball. -- You'll be Ok, Enjoy. Life is nothing more than a bunch of mini vacations all rolled into one. - Old Gringo |
#38
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
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#39
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 5:12 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:56:13 -0800, Smitty Two wrote: In , wrote: wrote: How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned? I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the tip. Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron? I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony). Rosin core. Also, when 1 solder two wires together, I twist the wires together, then hold the iron to one side of the wire and hold the solder to the opposite site. The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right? I've been practicing but it seems to be hit or miss so far. As others have said, the solder won't stick to crud. Follow these steps for your abused iron. 1. Using a file or sandpaper, abrade off the crap from the tip of your iron until the tip is shiny base metal (either copper or steel). 2. Plug in the iron and, when it gets hot, cover the tip with solder. 3. Periodically during your soldering project, drag your iron's tip over a damp sponge. 4. When the iron's tip turns black and can't be returned to shiny via the sponge business, repeat steps 1& 2. 5. You are correct when you twist the wires together. Soldering is an ELECTRICAL connection, not a mechanical one. Depending on solder to hold two items together is ultimately futile. Nuts. OP, do not sand the tip. Throw it away and buy new. The base metal of the tip will not tin with solder, only the plating will. Once the plating is shot, it's shot. That depends entirely onthe tip. An "iron" tip is different from a "copper" tip. I've successfully tinned copper tips, and plated copper tips Solder is a mechanical *and* electrical connection. Twisting is a great idea, but solder is used all damn day long as the only mechanical bond between items. True, but an electrical connection that is not mechanically secure before soldering does not pass any inspection. (except for solid wire into a printed circuit board) Well it just happens to be that NASA prohibits a mechanical connection before soldering it. It makes it too difficult to repair. I'd imagine there is a bit of vibration, but the connections hold just fine. |
#40
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How Do You "TIN" a soldering iron?
On 11/29/2010 10:45 PM, Smitty Two wrote:
In , wrote: Also, PROPER installation involves spreading the leads slighly when they come through the hole so the component stays in place when you either turn the board over to solder it, or move the board to the wave soldering machine. Utter nonsense. Is this ever done? Yes. Is it the only PROPER way to install components in a PCB? Absolutely not. Agreed. If at all, it's seldom done with new parts going through the wave soldering machine. I use my desoldering station and parts literally fall out of the circiut board. Even 40 pin IC's just fall out without the solder to hold it in. |
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