Soldering Iron for pickups

lincolnblue

I have a set of pickups to install into my 'strat' and the soldering iron I have is a gas powered one. Is that going to be ok or are there any issues with using it?

Mark1960

Not as far as I've heard. A mate of mine who is a retired electrician uses one all the time. He originally bought it for use on his car and motor bike (both vintage, hence he is always tinkering with something), but when his electric packed up he now uses the gas for everything. Gets very hot very quickly. The key IMHO is good quality solder.

SunDevil

Gas powered can be a bit problematic in tight spaces, as they generate heat and have to port the gas out the sides

..ergo, you'll likely singe wires you don't want to 

For simple stuff, any plug in iron that will hit 25 watts (pref 40W) will do the job

bgmartinsbridge

You probably don't need advice but I've found the key to soldering is to use Flux. Only costs a fiver or so but will change everything. 
When I started messing around I found solder just rolling off joints and had no idea why. 

Kittyfrisk

I dislike the company ethos, but this is a rather decent, very affordable little iron & kit (bought it a few weeks ago).
Bollocks!! Bloody Amazon!  Sorry, cut & paste isn't what it used to be 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TABIGER-Soldering-Upgraded-Desoldering-Screwdriver/dp/B07G9F4YFP

As @bgmartinsbridge says, flux is invaluable. I have a pot of Yorkshire Flux that I have had for years & years, works for plumbing too but you might need a bigger iron 
Just try not to breathe in any fumes!

lincolnblue

SunDevil said:

Gas powered can be a bit problematic in tight spaces, as they generate heat and have to port the gas out the sides

..ergo, you'll likely singe wires you don't want to 

For simple stuff, any plug in iron that will hit 25 watts (pref 40W) will do the job

For Pickups would it be ok or possibly too tight a space?

bgmartinsbridge

B&Q mains iron will work fine. 

Henrytwang

The gas iron would probably be ok for soldering wires to the back of the pots but an electric 25 watt iron would be better for other connections.

Kittyfrisk

IMHO 25 Watt is the very minimum wattage that is needed.
The one that I mentioned is 60 Watts variable & I reckon that having a higher wattage & not needing it, is far better than having an underpowered iron.

Henrytwang

Kittyfrisk said:

IMHO 25 Watt is the very minimum wattage that is needed.
The one that I mentioned is 60 Watts variable & I reckon that having a higher wattage & not needing it, is far better than having an underpowered iron.

I’ve just had a look at it and it certainly looks a bargain. The 60 watt rating of should be enough to solder ground wires to  the backs of pots.

SunDevil

lincolnblue said:

SunDevil said:

Gas powered can be a bit problematic in tight spaces, as they generate heat and have to port the gas out the sides

..ergo, you'll likely singe wires you don't want to 

For simple stuff, any plug in iron that will hit 25 watts (pref 40W) will do the job

For Pickups would it be ok or possibly too tight a space?

I tried using a gas soldering iron to rewire an Epi Les Paul back in the day and nearly torched the fekker - tight space and wires getting cooked in all directions 

You might have more luck on some others where you can remove the pots with the scratch plate - Strat, Tele etc

From my limited experience, gas powered irons are great for melting sugar on a creme brûlée but little else, unless you have no access to mains

lincolnblue

bgmartinsbridge said:

You probably don't need advice but I've found the key to soldering is to use Flux. Only costs a fiver or so but will change everything. 
When I started messing around I found solder just rolling off joints and had no idea why. 

If I buy flux paste do I out the soldering iron in it or out it on the thing I'm soldering? Never used it so grateful for advice

lincolnblue

Kittyfrisk said:

I dislike the company ethos, but this is a rather decent, very affordable little iron & kit (bought it a few weeks ago).
Bollocks!! Bloody Amazon!  Sorry, cut & paste isn't what it used to be 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TABIGER-Soldering-Upgraded-Desoldering-Screwdriver/dp/B07G9F4YFP

As @bgmartinsbridge says, flux is invaluable. I have a pot of Yorkshire Flux that I have had for years & years, works for plumbing too but you might need a bigger iron 
Just try not to breathe in any fumes!

Just got one of these. The iron has a temperature gauge on it. Any idea what the best temperature for soldering pickups is?

Kittyfrisk

If you mean the connector wires, I find around 300C to 350C is about right. The solder should melt as soon as it touches the iron, but if it splatters when it melts, the iron is too hot. 
The temperature indicator on the iron is really only a guide, so try practising on some spare wires first, don't just jump in to try soldering the pickups. 
Regarding the flux question earlier, you can use it to clean the iron tip before tinning it & also to coat the wires to be soldered.
The flux aids the flow of solder.
This is a fairly comprehensive guide to the matters you'll come across  https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/how-to-solder
Hope this helps.

thermionic

I would only adjust the temperature to account for the type of solder, but for the back of the pots use the tip that has the largest area to transfer more heat.

drwiddly

I've said this before on here but you don't need a powerful soldering iron to solder wires to the back of pots.

Spray the back of the pot with contact cleaner and wipe it off with a clean piece of kitchen towel. This will remove all the dirt and grease. Score a small area with a Stanley blade to provide a 'key'. Tin the tip of the iron and touch the flat face to the back of the pot while simultaneously applying solder. The solder will run within a second or two. This ensures you don't apply unnecessary heat and damage the pot. You can easily do this with a 25w iron.