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Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

instructables.com

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Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#61

Post by bsder »

Whitespace wrote: post #36
duped wrote: post #16

This looks like a recipe for cold solder joints and solder bridges and doesn't seem like it saves time. What you really want to do when you have dozens of jumper wires is to do an array-of-struct to struct-of-array transform on the steps. Instead of cutting, stripping, tinning, and soldering one wire at a time, cut all your wires, then strip them all, then tin them all, then solder them one by one. Here's a pro tip:…

If you have that many stripped wires to tin, you can use a tub of flux and a solder pot. Dip the wires into the flux, then quickly dip it into the solder pot. Perfectly tinned end with no plastic melting. Really hard to mess up vs a soldering iron, a wire, and solder wire. You can even dip multiple wires into the flux and solder bath at the same time, as well as use the flux tub again before you solder the tinned wir…

Yeah, every time I see a soldering "tutorial" that doesn't use separate flux--I facepalm.

Flux is probably more important than the solder for good joints. A syringe of paste flux makes life ridiculously easier.

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#62

Post by outworlder »

sandreas wrote: post #20

Oh boy, nice idea, but this looks complicated and time consuming. I recommend to get some good equipment first: - solder fume extractor (see below) - extra thin high quality tin - a desoldering pump AND desoldering wire - high quality flux - a TS 100 soldering Iron with KU tip from ali express for 50 bucks - optional: USB-C Power Adapter for your existing power supply (so you don't have to buy one) - optional: a sold…

Why is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often?

I took a look at it, ultimately got a TS80P. It's smaller, and fed via USB-C. Seems to work perfectly fine.

> solder fume extractor

How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder?

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#63

Post by outworlder »

lapetitejort wrote: post #29
sandreas wrote: post #20

Oh boy, nice idea, but this looks complicated and time consuming. I recommend to get some good equipment first: - solder fume extractor (see below) - extra thin high quality tin - a desoldering pump AND desoldering wire - high quality flux - a TS 100 soldering Iron with KU tip from ali express for 50 bucks - optional: USB-C Power Adapter for your existing power supply (so you don't have to buy one) - optional: a sold…

> Now flash IronOS[1] on your soldering Iron I got to here and thought this was some elaborate joke, and expected the github page to continue on with the joke. An operating system for a soldering iron?? But no, it seems 100% serious. Somehow soldering iron tech passed me by.

I just need a firmware that will connect to Home Assistant so it can track my soldering habits.

Just joking... mostly.

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#64

Post by skybrian »

munificent wrote: post #21
skybrian wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have one, but I don’t know what temperature to set it to and there are probably other flaws in my technique, so it’s still trial and error.

Electronics was my pandemic hobby. Even with a temperature controlled solder station, my technique was really hit or miss. Part of that is obviously experience, but the real lightbulb moment for me was good solder . Once I switched to Kester solder, I had a much better more consistent experience. My hypothesis is that cheaper solder doesn't have the flux as evenly distributed, so you get spans of solder with too litt…

Any particular kind you like? I'm still using some lead solder my wife had; maybe I should go lead-free if I'm buying some?

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#65

Post by sickcodebruh »

I just started working with soldering last week to do my own pickup replacements and basic electric guitar maintenance, so this is very timely!

In my first two attempts, I managed to swap pickups successfully, where "success" is measured as "it sounds the way I expect, all knobs and switches work, there is no unexpected buzzing." I worry about how much I don't know about it, so I'm curious: is it possible that I need to expand my concept of success? Should I be concerned that a joint that's fine today won't be OK tomorrow? Or is it enough to say that if it sounds right and doesn't look like trash, it is good enough?

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#66

Post by duped »

Whitespace wrote: post #36
duped wrote: post #16

This looks like a recipe for cold solder joints and solder bridges and doesn't seem like it saves time. What you really want to do when you have dozens of jumper wires is to do an array-of-struct to struct-of-array transform on the steps. Instead of cutting, stripping, tinning, and soldering one wire at a time, cut all your wires, then strip them all, then tin them all, then solder them one by one. Here's a pro tip:…

If you have that many stripped wires to tin, you can use a tub of flux and a solder pot. Dip the wires into the flux, then quickly dip it into the solder pot. Perfectly tinned end with no plastic melting. Really hard to mess up vs a soldering iron, a wire, and solder wire. You can even dip multiple wires into the flux and solder bath at the same time, as well as use the flux tub again before you solder the tinned wir…

Totally true, but you don't always have a solder tub or tub of flux laying around. The other advantage of this approach is it's easier to avoid tinning under the insulation

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#67

Post by fuckstick »

pclmulqdq wrote: post #40
akiselev wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the thermostat but the power output that matters and a slightly more expensive soldering iron will generally have a slightly better power supply. For example, the best soldering iron I've ever used is the Metcal fixed temperature inductive soldering station which require changing out the tip alloy to change the temperature (and I've never had to change tips for temp, only shape).

The temperature you need is very dependent on the PCB. I have heard of macbook repair techs using 850-900C irons because of the amount of metal in that PCB and its heat dissipation capabilities. I usually end up around 700-750 for hobby projects with 2-4 layer PCBs because I like to do the joints fast.

Show me a professional soldering station that goes anywhere near 900C - I think most max out at 500. I doubt the tip alloys could withstand that heat very long. Sounds ridiculous. 700C is excessive for just about anything.

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#68

Post by phs »

As someone who only wants to occasionally perform one-off firmware flashes on my devices, soldering always felt clumsy and heavy-weight.

For actual chips, SPI programmer clips have been great. For test pads, I just ordered one of these [1], which will hopefully work just a well.

[1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MKHH7DY

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#69

Post by sandreas »

outworlder wrote: post #62
sandreas wrote: post #20

Oh boy, nice idea, but this looks complicated and time consuming. I recommend to get some good equipment first: - solder fume extractor (see below) - extra thin high quality tin - a desoldering pump AND desoldering wire - high quality flux - a TS 100 soldering Iron with KU tip from ali express for 50 bucks - optional: USB-C Power Adapter for your existing power supply (so you don't have to buy one) - optional: a sold…

Why is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often? I took a look at it, ultimately got a TS80P. It's smaller, and fed via USB-C. Seems to work perfectly fine. > solder fume extractor How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder?

> Why is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often?

  Higher temp
  lighter
  faster heat up
  easier temp adjustment
See https://oscarliang.com/ts80-soldering-iron-ts100/

> How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder?

Depends on solder, but spending $40 for not risking your health is affordable in my opinion...

Re: Soldering Wires – Here's a different way

#70

Post by gw99 »

johnwalkr wrote: post #22
gw99 wrote: post #7

You shouldn't really lap solder wires to boards. They tend to pull the pads off the boards or crack. Better to use wire to board connectors or solder terminals.

Those just starting out tend to think of solder as more direct than using a connector so therefore more secure. But it’s surprising how poor the reliability can be. Aside from your points, solder can wick up a cable, and then the cable often breaks just at the point where the solder ends since it has no strain relief and may be right in the middle of a bend. This is especially true for adding solder to a crimped conn…

Good advice.

It’s worth expanding on my comment now I have a few minutes. You can terminate solid core like this if it has some strain relief but not stranded!.

My favoured construction method is to take a Hammond box lid and screw a piece of blank FR4 single sided copper to the inside of it leaving enough space around the edges for any (proper) connectors you need. You can then drill out anything you need, usually BNC, SMA, DC jacks, FT capacitors and D connectors for me. You build the prototype on the FR4 board dead bug and use solid core or RG174 to wire up the connectors and lap solder them to the boards or components as required. This is done carefully with thought for weight distribution and to keep the total mass of the wires low. When it works the Hammond box is closed. If it needs to withstand vibration or moisture you build it into the bottom of the Hammond box and when done fill it with potting compound.

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