G+_T Burns Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 How about a show about soldering? The last episode (ep141) mentioned only applying heat to the xt60 connector for a few seconds max. I have my soldering iron turned all the way up and it takes at least 30+ seconds for the solder to melt against the connector (especially while connected to the male side to keep shape). Do I have the wrong type of solder? By the time the solder melts, the plastic is melting around the connector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_610GARAGE Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Soldering large wire requires a slightly different technique. What I usually do is hold the side of the tip against my work and push the solder onto the tip of the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough to melt the solder, the solder will flow nicely from the iron into the joint. But I never move my iron. I do this because the solder will vastly decrease the time it takes for the joint to heat up by aiding in heat transfer. Also be sure to use a larger tip. If you use a fine tip, it will take a really long time to heat up, if ever. P.S. I am pretty sure that there was a soldering episode, but it was while ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_John Mink Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Immediate thoughts: If you're trying to solder something, you may want to try heating the solder up BEFORE applying it to the wire. If you're trying to heat up solder already attached to something (like, desoldering) you may not have enough power (wattage) in your iron to keep that mass of solder hot! Also you may be using lead-free solder which I do too, but it means you need a higher temperature (and hence more power). There's plenty of tutorials on soldering, but it might be better to do a show on common mistakes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_T Burns Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Thanks for the tips, guys. I did replace my iFixit Soldering iron with the Weller WLC100, which made WORLD of difference. Thanks to Wayne Hobbins for the video on soldering xt60s. I figured out I was doing it wrong! I was soldering it like a bullet connector by filling the cup half full of solder rather than just the top portion. A question for John Mink , how do you heat up the solder without melting it with the iron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Midwest Concert Video Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I have yet to see any evidence that anyone who works in the Brick House can solder well. Definitely not well enough to teach others how to solder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Midwest Concert Video Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Actually, the guy who built the digital clock project, he soldered OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts