My solder connections are not shiny and smooth.

[Maxists The Baddist]

Why does this happen. What to do different?

[Seeker]

The connection was not hot enough. Hold the tip of the solder gun on longer. If you have concerns about heating up the wire too much, put a clip on it, or even just hold it with a pair of needle nose plyers to disipate the heat off of the wire.

[Pinecone]

And do not blow on the molten solder to make it cool faster.

[RobRoy]

Movement in the solder joint durring setting will also cause this.

[DebianDog]

Since we are on the subject

What the best way to keep two wires together for soldering?

[cholyoake]

use a tool shown in this post:
http://helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=32106

[Jermo]

Since we are on the subject

What the best way to keep two wires together for soldering?

Tin the wires,
Put a hook in both wires.
Loop them together and solder.
Jermo

[DebianDog]

use a tool shown in this post:
http://helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=32106

I have that exact one :lol: I must just be lacking in talent :(

[Seeker]

Pre-tinning the wires helps a lot as well as the bullets as noted in the Finless video.

Be sure you have a good mechanical connection on the wires before you solder them (pre-tin and twist the wires together using some plyers). This will help the connection a bunch as well as hold them together.

[Pinecone]

Remember, solder makes the electrical conection, but you should have a good mechanical connection first. This from the US Navy text on soldering.

Of course Dean's connectors and bullet connectors don't allow for this. :)

I use a similar third hand device, just not magnifier on mine. That is anewer innovation than the one I have.

[Maxists The Baddist]

I think it's gonna take alot of practice. I keep looking at the pretinned wires on my Jazz. The solder is so uniform looking and shiny.

[Seeker]

For the deans (and the other spade type solder joints), tin the spade as well we the wire.. then heat the spade again and when the solder melts on the spade, put the wire in the melted solder on the spade.

Hold the soldering tip until you see the solder flow around the wire. Remove the heat and dont move the wire until the solder is solid.

You'll know if you moved the wire too soon, you'll see the solder move.

[Jermo]

clean, clean, clean....always clean the connections before soldering even if they look shiney :)
Jermo

[Maxists The Baddist]

To clean, should I damp a cottom schwab with alcohol and wipe off with clean rag? Even after I stripe a wire, should I clean that too?

What about flux. Does it help? Should I try it?

[Seeker]

Flux is what's needed to clean the components. Put some flux on the connections and when you touch the tip of the heat source on there, it melts the flux and cleans it. This would help most when you tin each connection.

You don't need to wipe it with anything :)

[Pinecone]

FOr most soldering, you are right, but for really critical stuff, you should clean with solvent and possibly abrasive before soldering.

I seldom bother and it works out fine, but it isn't really correct to say that flux will fix everything.

[Seeker]

FOr most soldering, you are right, but for really critical stuff, you should clean with solvent and possibly abrasive before soldering.

I seldom bother and it works out fine, but it isn't really correct to say that flux will fix everything.

I stand corrected :)

[shaggybirdman]

if your making a but connection of 2 wires do this. learned it in aircraft battle damage class in the air force. spread the fine wires out a bit. poke them in flux. push the 2 wires into each other. squeeze together, and give a twist to them. heat with soldering iron, and add solder. poof done. i should have said to put your shrink tube over 1 of the wires first. ounce cool slide the shrink tube down, and shring using a heat gun, or your soldering iron shaft. not the tip.

[Maxists The Baddist]

I hate soldering. I hate soldering more than replacing a clutch liner. And I hate doing that.

After you pre tin the wire and Deans, when you mate the two is there anything to use to push them together and remove the iron?

[shaggybirdman]

no. you just rest the tinned wire on the deans connector then add heat. i have found that wrapping a rubber band around a pair of slip joint pliers (or a small pair of vice grips) then put the deans connector in the plier jaws to hold it while soldering them together works great. i also use a pair of hemostats to hold the wire, so i don't burn my fingers.

[Maxists The Baddist]

I hate soldering.

[HeliDan]

hehe....... I always loved soldering, but dont do it as much as I used to..... The new guys at work get all the fun stuff...... :dontknow