Solder......

I used to have awful problems soldering, but have cracked it now. First I ditched my old crappy soldering iron - I haven't got anything fancy, but the old one just wasn't coming up to temperature. Make sure the tip is clean and well shaped - if necessary file it to shape and get it back to the copper. You do need to replace, maintain and clean the bit. Don't use sandpaper to scuff up pots, parts etc, use a clean file. You shouldn't need to do anything to the terminals on a jack socket.

Get the iron hot, tin the tip properly, and then try tinning the lug on the jack Get the iron properly in contact with the lug, flat part of the iron in full contact and feed in some solder, it should wick in by capillary action - DO NOT move the iron about. Once you've got a goodly amount of solder melted on, steadily withdraw the iron and you should have neat shiny blob of solder on the lug. Tin the end of your wire, keeping the iron well supplied with solder, offer it up to the pre-tinned lug, press on the iron...again, don't move it, just let the solder melt under the tip, gently take the iron away and let the joint cool.

In my experience problems with soldering have been either an inefficient iron (not coming up to temperature fully) or a mishaped or dirty soldering bit. I sympathise, it's very frustrating when it doesn't seem to want to happen.

Replies

Dan Sleep February 11, 2014 at 2:06pm

Am I the only person who sees the irony of a guy named Kester having a soldering problem? :-)
- Bruce Myers > Dan Sleep February 11, 2014 at 9:47pm
  
  Good eye Dan, didn't connect the name there. Funny...unless your the guy having the soldering problem. ;-)
Brian Tubb February 11, 2014 at 1:48pm

I was having same problem. Bought a new soldering iron and replacement tip for my old iron even tho the old tip looked clean. Works fine now. Took the unopened iron back to Home Depot.
ChickenboneJohn February 11, 2014 at 12:08pm

I used to have awful problems soldering, but have cracked it now. First I ditched my old crappy soldering iron - I haven't got anything fancy, but the old one just wasn't coming up to temperature. Make sure the tip is clean and well shaped - if necessary file it to shape and get it back to the copper. You do need to replace, maintain and clean the bit. Don't use sandpaper to scuff up pots, parts etc, use a clean file. You shouldn't need to do anything to the terminals on a jack socket.

Get the iron hot, tin the tip properly, and then try tinning the lug on the jack Get the iron properly in contact with the lug, flat part of the iron in full contact and feed in some solder, it should wick in by capillary action - DO NOT move the iron about. Once you've got a goodly amount of solder melted on, steadily withdraw the iron and you should have neat shiny blob of solder on the lug. Tin the end of your wire, keeping the iron well supplied with solder, offer it up to the pre-tinned lug, press on the iron...again, don't move it, just let the solder melt under the tip, gently take the iron away and let the joint cool.

In my experience problems with soldering have been either an inefficient iron (not coming up to temperature fully) or a mishaped or dirty soldering bit. I sympathise, it's very frustrating when it doesn't seem to want to happen.
Dan Sleep February 11, 2014 at 11:30am

It may very well be that your soldering iron/gun is not getting hot enough. What type are you using? How many watts? Are you using flux?

Also make sure you are not accidentally using some type of silver solder that melts at a higher temperature.

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