Solder practise suggestions

Tuscan777

I fancy having a crack at making some of those BYOC fx pedals, Christmas is coming up and they look like a good present too....

My soldering is a bit weak, I've knocked together some cables, changed pups in the past but things tend to look a bit messy so I clearly need some practise.

So, can you lovely people offer some good, and simple projects i could use to refine my soldering technique? If I get a usable little gadget in the process then all the better. Or, is it simply a case of attaching wires to each other over and over again 'wax on, wax off' style?!

octatonic

Rewire a tele or a strat. It takes a while to get the knack, Just do it more and try to do each join as well as you can, rather than rushing to finish. Get a proper iron, I prefer lead solder and don't mix solder types, especially on your solder tips.

Tuscan777

Thanks. I've heard that lead solder is the preference so will certainly give that a go.

I probably should get a new iron, mine is a little ancient, so any suggestions again would be really helpful. I've looked at Maplin, CPC etc. and there are so many.

frankus

I prefer silver based solder - I don't like the smell of lead solder.

I also find wiring guitars takes a fricking age with a 12-15 watt soldering as you'd use on a PCB. I use a 30 watt for guitars or I can't get stuff to connect to the back of pots.

If you used a 30watt on a PCB you risk damaging components like transistors and op-amps, also overheating the board so the trace comes away.

Most of the trick with soldering a pcb is putting the components in in the right order. start with resistors and start in the middle working outwards.

Trimming the legs neatly prior to soldering.

Getting a modelling tool to help hold a wire and pcb so you can hold the soldering iron and solder.

Keep the iron clean, tinning it so it distributes heat evenly.

I'd recommend getting some of this stuff:

and a cheap blister pack of resistors and spend a while trying different combinations ... solder it upright - so one end is right next to the other... solder it lengthways so it's 3-4 holes away. 

The Antex soldering irons in Maplins are a little more pricey but okay - you want a fine tip for soldering components.

ecc83

This station ....http://www.maplin.co.uk/c/gadgets-toys-and-hobbies/soldering?gclid=CPrt_tCLjckCFUg8GwodWuEO9g

Has served me well for some years. I was a keen Weller Magnastat fan but they are very expensive. The same unit can be had a bit cheaper if you look at CPC or Amazon.

Maplin no longer do 60/40 lead solder AFAIK but CPC etc do and it is easier to use than Pbfree, that said GOOD unleaded with some Silver content is pretty good.

For practice buy a Maplin One Watt amp kit (or the 7W) based on the LM386 chip. Makes a decent headphone guitar amp fed from 2xAA or makes a fair noise on 9volts. Can be used, as can the 7watter, as a signal tracer, handy test amp.

Dave.

ecc83

Why!!! Do Maplin links always fuck up!

This one ....Code: N34FB

Dave.

Tuscan777

Thanks for the recommendation, appreciated and will investigate.... One question, as this is a 60w iron will it be a little too much for pcb work? Or, is it more the temperature setting that sorts this?

frankus

If it's a temperature controlled iron that's okay... you manage the temperature depending on the task.

octatonic

I have the same solder station, they are great for the money.

Fuzzdog

frankus said:

Keep the iron clean

This. My soldering got a million times better when I actually started taking those extra few moments to clean my tools properly.  It's amazing how easy it is to neglect.

randomhandclaps

I have two of those stations and they are used virtually every day, one for the last four years with no issues.

60 watts may seem a lot but don't forget the lead free solder takes more heat to melt.  Also solder larger components requires extra power.  Iron temp is only really relatively to how proficient and how quickly you can work.  Mine are always set on max, but I have been soldering most of my life.  The temp control is great for learning and the options as you get better.

Tuscan777

Great, thanks all. I'lll nip to Maplins at the weekend and pick up one of those stations.

djspecialist

Fuzzdog said:

frankus said:

Keep the iron clean

This. My soldering got a million times better when I actually started taking those extra few moments to clean my tools properly.  It's amazing how easy it is to neglect.

Is there any way to clean an iron tip once it *has* been neglected?

I tried to follow the rules - tin the tip before and after each join, wipe it on a damp sponge - but it has gone dull and dark, and is increasingly hard to tin.  Can I recover it or should I get a new tip?

Danny1969

A good way to practice is to cut 12 once pieces of solid wire and solder them into a cube. Your find at first making the 2nd joint may cause the first one to come apart but you learn to solder quickly and cleanly. 

Most people get bad joints because they don't heat the joint so the solder can flow onto it, they try and use solder like blobs of glue. If the joint is clean and hot enough the solder is attracted to it and the joint will be good. A lot of the soldering I do is so small the joints have to be inspected with x 10 lens. Linger too long and you can destroy the tiny pads, especially on phones and iPads,  It's all about being quick and efficient. Soldering guitars is easy, everything is so big 

I use a Weller WS51 station and have for the last 15 years. I can solder anything with that just by varying the tips. 

ecc83

djspecialist said:

Fuzzdog said:

frankus said:

Keep the iron clean

This. My soldering got a million times better when I actually started taking those extra few moments to clean my tools properly.  It's amazing how easy it is to neglect.

Is there any way to clean an iron tip once it *has* been neglected?

I tried to follow the rules - tin the tip before and after each join, wipe it on a damp sponge - but it has gone dull and dark, and is increasingly hard to tin.  Can I recover it or should I get a new tip?

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/soldering-iron-cleaning-accessories/0226287/

My be available elsewhwere ^. This stuff will clean the most tarnished bit.

Never attack a bit with a file or emery paper. You will go through the iron plating and render it useless.

Do not clean bits on a damp sponge, yes, I know it was the received wisdom  but I have it direct from Weller that it shatters the plating, especially at Pbfree temps.

Use brass wool or, as I do, a wad of kitchen paper.

ALWAYS clean and flood tip with solder before you turn off. Only turn on the iron whilst actually working, modern temp' controlled irons are up to working in 30 seconds or so. so switch off while you pee/get a coffee.

Dave.

OilCityPickups

octatonic said:

I have the same solder station, they are great for the money.

We have a couple here at Oil City ... they are very good, but I do find with the use ours get I run through tips pretty regularly.

I use mostly high silver content lead free solder ... but I always use flux paste with it on our sort of jobs. I have never had an issue mixing lead and lead free solder ... happens pretty much every time I rebuild an old pickup! And I use the higher 'lead free' settings even with lead solder ... you keep the iron there for a shorter time to do the same job. This is why we use stuffing great 150w soldering irons for putting on pickup covers ... touching a very hot iron there for a fraction of a second is much less potentially damaging than using an under powered iron that could fry the bobbins ... as you have to hold it there so long the heat has a chance to conduct to other components.