Guitar Gear Forum

So I am rewiring my jazzmaster for a series/parallel switch and im struggling hard I solder at work but the stuff at work flows way better than the stuff I can buy. I know I can do it but damn Its so hard to get my solder to flow... What do you guys use for solder??

My solder is kind of thin and has a rosin core. Sounds like your soldering iron is too cool. Maybe your outlet is running low voltage or, you need to give the iron more time to heat up?

ajaxlepinski wrote:My solder is kind of thin and has a rosin core. Sounds like your soldering iron is too cool. Maybe your outlet is running low voltage or, you need to give the iron more time to heat up?

I run my gun at 750, that should be more than hot enough! Im used to semi lead solder at work.. Everything I have at home is lead free and I think it just doesnt heat up and flow well..

Lead free is a bitch! I have consisently had troubles making proper bonds with lead free solder. I have had good luck with 62% tin/36% lead/2% silver rosin core but I can't seem to find any smaller spools of it. Otherwise, 60/40 rosin core is my standby.

I wish I could figure out lead free solder though.

Cole

My soldering skills in tight spaces is really bad now with my messed up hand. It is fine in more open areas, like an amp, cables, etc. You mentioned a gun? Are you using an iron, or a gun? A gun is way too much for that kind of job. If you don't have a variable temp iron, just wait for it to get hot. I mostly use a regular old Weller, which is fine, my variable temp broke. I need a new Hako.

i dunno- i use a 60/40 silver bearing stuff at home. mebbe you need a new tip on your gun? keep a little wet sponge around and clean that thing after every joint, and don't forget to heat both sides of your joint too-- if both parts aren't warm, it won't flow too well. also-- tap a lil bit on the tip of the gun before you start heating the joint-- it'll flow some into the area when it warms up enough, and you can tell when to flow in with your solder from the reel!

Make sure everything is nice and clean. Maybe slap a bit of soldering flux on to clean things up. I do plenty of stuff in amps and whatnot no bother, including big ass turrets, but guitar pots always cause a bit of grief because they're a bit more corroded.

Clean everything and then tin it before you even put it together.

I use kester solder and a Weller WES51. I also use one of those metal sponges instead of a wet sponge. It holds up better, and it doesn't need to be wet. It saves a step and works really well.

I usually don't have any problems.

I only use flux for the back of pots. (sidenote: get one of those flux pens. outstanding)

For once..this is mainly a tech question IMO.
To handle lead free you simply don´t get away with using toys anymore,it´s that simple. Mom´s iron is out..

http://www.thermaltronics.com/tmt-2000s.php

Now. Granted. This is upscale and yes..it is what i use. Either that or a Metcalf station. Needed? Well,when you do this for a living i´d say yes. Curie controlled stations really don´t CARE what you throw at them. Pot or SMD components..same same...

For the hobbyist..not so much tho i guess,but the FACT still remains that many cheaper stations simply won´t cope.
To be swift and to the point with MODERN lead free solder i say approx 400degC does it.

Oh! Btw.

http://www.thermaltronics.com/m_desolder_gun.php

...they carry a just as good desoldering gun too...

I use RadioShack 63/37 solder. It works great, costs under $10, and comes in a normal-sized roll so I don't have a half ton of solder sitting in my basement.

https://www.radioshack.com/products/hig ... der-1-5-oz

Sorry guys, its a soldering iron. Im just a dumbass amd grew up calling it a gun

Gene, Ive never heard of the flux pens, Ill have to get one!

Im used to 60/40 at work and the 500 degree melting point makes everything flow so well! Ill have to look into finding some, because even maxed at 750 my hakko just cant handle lead free. Im not a fan of lead solder but it gets the job done so much better, I solder diodes and thermal fuses all day long and have no issue and my work soldering iron is worse than my personal one. I figure the solder must be the majority of my issue.

I really need to get me one of those flux pens! I have had no luck with lead free solder that I have; not sure if it is has flux in the core though... I wish I could get it to work. Something related, but at the same time not, that I saw on YouTube about solder explained that lead free solder won't be shiny like solder with lead after making a connection. That was helpful for me, as I thought I was getting cold solder joints when using lead free solder.

Cole

You may want to consider more silver based solder, it flows much easier, and some people say it transmits better, not sure about that, but I have much more success when I use it. It costs more, but it lasts a long time, Just another option.

colejustesen wrote:I really need to get me one of those flux pens! I have had no luck with lead free solder that I have; not sure if it is has flux in the core though... I wish I could get it to work. Something related, but at the same time not, that I saw on YouTube about solder explained that lead free solder won't be shiny like solder with lead after making a connection. That was helpful for me, as I thought I was getting cold solder joints when using lead free solder.

Cole

I had no idea that it stays dull. That may make a lot of my so called issues go away! I just end up with really rough solder at home, maybe its alright and i do just have one or two bad connections.

And hardvalve, thanks for that link. That looks and sounds promising!

This video is what I saw:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx9aszQZ6uE[/video]

You can see that it isn't as shiny, but there is still some shine, but more dull.

Cole

FLUX.