How to: soldering wires. I suck.

[Scott Liggett]

We all have strengths and weaknesses. My weakness is soldering wires.

Looking for techniques that work and are simple to do in the field. I am not always working where I have electricity to plug in an iron. I do have three of them. I use a small butane torch in those cases. But, I am doing something wrong.

What kind of solder? Acid or Rosin? I have both with exact same results. Lousy.

Do I use the flux paste? I got of that stuff too. Don't know what it's for.

Any kind of help would help.

[TheSilverBuick]

Soldered joints are not good in areas with vibration, so if the wire is shaking a lot at the contact it'll break no matter how well its soldered.

I need to look up the type, but there is basically only two types for automotive use, the kind to patch radiators and such and the kind for electrical. Usually the packaging will say what it's for. The rosin type sounds right.

Heat the wires and connectors up real hot with the torch first then start adding the solder. If you are applying the solder just seconds after lighting the torch then the wires and connectors are not hot enough for the solder to get a good hold on.

[Beagle]

50/50 or 60/40 tin / lead and rosin core is fine for most of what I do which is usually between 22 to 14 gauge wiring. Lead free solder is not my friend, I have a tough time with it. Flux is a cleaner, but most of the junk I do is with new wire so the flux in the solder takes care of it.

Heat the wires, it will pull the solder.. kind of like TIG where you add metal to the puddle, you don't heat the filler metal.

[squirrel]

Beagle has most of it....73/37 tin/lead solder is the best, 60/40 is a close second, use rosin core only for wiring. Acid is for radiators and plumbing.

Make sure you "tin" the iron first, this gets all the crap off it and leaves a nice shiny surface to help conduct heat. Tin by first wiping off the major crud, then apply solder to the tip. If the tip is too nasty, you may have to file it first to expose bare metal, but beware that you might also remove the protective plating from the tip

Only heat the parts you're soldering, although it helps to dab a little bit of solder onto the iron first to help it conduct heat to the work piece. Having the correct heat range iron is quite helpful. I tend to use a soldering gun for most automotive work (10-16 gauge wire), and an iron for smaller stuff like 22-18 gauge. A torch is usually necessary for 8 gauge or larger wire.

Also be sure to let the work get hot enough for the solder to flow over the entire joint. And hold it perfectly still after you remove the iron, otherwise the solder will crystallize as it cools, and be a "cold" solder joint which is fragile and doesn't conduct electricity as well as it should.

[yellomalibu]

Old and/or dirty wires have given me grief in the past; solder simply won't flow into or stick to them like it should.
Perhaps some flux would help.

[squirrel]

Or cleaning the wires? When soldering water pipes, it's common practice to sand the pipe and wire brush inside the fitting.

[BigAL]

I don't think anyone mentioned this, when soldering two wires together it is best to put the soldering iron on the bottom of the wires and apply the solder to the top so the heat pulls the solder through the wires.... If you are doing stuff like battery cables, buy the solder-on ends, place the end into a vise, heat it and fill the end up with solder, then push your battery cable into it and hold until the solder cools.

[anotheridiot]

50/50 is the easiest to solder and get to flow with questionable heat. Higher tin content, first number takes more heat.

The simple answer is too many people get impatient and melt the solder with the heat source instead of heating the wires enough to melt the solder.

[JOES66FURY]

I solder a lot at work, rebuilding brush assemblies and repair prop blade heater boots, for me it is easier to show than to explain. I like to add a little flux to the wire ends and working with clean wires, plates and such is a must. I will heat both wires from the bottom and add the solder from the top and if the iron is hot enough and properly tinned it will such the solder right through. I like to use heat shrink wrap on my joints but often forget to put it on first.

You must properly tin the soldering iron, if not youre wasting time. I like to keep a little wire tooth brush handy to clean the tip. it gets the crud off without damaging the tip.

When soldering large items I have a large by huge iron availible but it isnt likely that the regular Joe would need one of those monsters.

I find that when I cant get a good joint or end up with a cold joint it is because the iron is not hot enough. When I rewired the wifes HD I found that I had to do it in the garage out of the wind because it would cool down the iron enough to cause me grief.

I dont know how some of you feel but sometimes I will clean the wires then twist them together neatly. Then dress up the wires with my small wire snip set. I will heat up the wire and hit it with solder, it will flow right in and make a nice solid joint. I do this in areas were the wire is in a loom with little no no vibration. I've done this with great success over the years with no voltage drop to the end item.

[milner351]

clean clean clean - use flux.

I too have better luck braiding /twisting the wires together, and tinning the iron /gun first.

It should be quick and easy - if it's not - something isn't clean, or you don't have enough heat.

[Loren]

Device made from a piece of alum. hinge and a folder clip, to hold butted wires for solder. Especially useful under dash. Like Joe, I usually forget the shrink sleeve the first time.

[Barry Donovan]

I don't think anyone mentioned this, when soldering two wires together it is best to put the soldering iron on the bottom of the wires and apply the solder to the top so the heat pulls the solder through the wires.... If you are doing stuff like battery cables, buy the solder-on ends, place the end into a vise, heat it and fill the end up with solder, then push your battery cable into it and hold until the solder cools.

big solder is a longer lasting one.
on little wires, I never do just wires together for solder.
I use solder as an extra for crimped plugins for a new plug etc..

I don't any luck otherwise.
another odd thing, a new computer driven circuit, counting on a clock signal..
little bomb of static eventually, this told me when wires are burned into the circuit freq.

I am sure there is a tip for that, I never learned it.

all else is fancy splice and heatshrink tube.

[Huskinhano]

Squirrel said it best. I've done a lot of soldering in the past. I use to assemble PC cards and repair them for hi speed machinery for tube filling and pallet wrapping. What I find works well for me is to put a little solder on the iron first. That little puddle transfers the heat very quickly to the wire and really pulls the solder in.

What I understand now, the way to go is crimping, not the cheap Autozone crap. Pro teams will not solder anything nor do the OEMs other then cards. It is believed the heat and solder causes more problems then it solves.

[Bob Holmes]

No solder, just crimp.

[JOES66FURY]

Device made from a piece of alum. hinge and a folder clip, to hold butted wires for solder. Especially useful under dash. Like Joe, I usually forget the shrink sleeve the first time.

That sir is genius. I have a few fender shims laying around that would be perfect for this. I have been using scissor clamps and it can be a real PITA.