solder spikes

[e44-72]

Hello

I make sure my soldering iron is tinned and clean and I often make good joints. But sometimes after the solder has flowed on/around the pad when I take the iron away it draws a small spike of solder with it.

The joint is still shiny and the solder flowed well so the joint is not cold. There is also not excesive solder so why does it sometimes make a spike, and are solder a spikes a problem or is the joint still fine?

Thank you for any replies

 

[DerStrom8]

Hello

I make sure my soldering iron is tinned and clean and I often make good joints. But sometimes after the solder has flowed on/around the pad when I take the iron away it draws a small spike of solder with it.

The joint is still shiny and the solder flowed well so the joint is not cold. There is also not excesive solder so why does it sometimes make a spike, and are solder a spikes a problem or is the joint still fine?

Thank you for any replies

That usually happens when there isn't enough heat transfer between the iron tip and the lead you're soldering. This can be caused by a dirty lead (make sure all your leads are clean before soldering), or not holding the iron close enough to it. If your leads are clean and it still happens, I would suggest, when removing the iron, that you slide the tip towards the end of the wire, rather than just pulling it away from the side. That way, any excess solder will adhere to the lead rather than the iron.

Hope this helps

Regards

 

[KJ6EAD]

Projections are a defect if they cause the solder to violate electrical clearance or maximum height limits, otherwise they're just a process indicator that more heat, more flux and/or a quicker iron pull off are needed.

 

[3v0]

Soldering iron heat is transferred to the components and board by a small amount of liquid solder. If you wipe the iron too much after tinning the heat will have a hard time flowing. Think of the liquid solder on the tip as a thermal bridge between the iron and the work.

 

[unclejed613]

"spikes" are only a real problem if you are soldering for high voltages. more heat and good flux will usually take care of spiking, spikes are a result of the solder cooling as you draw the iron away. for high voltage soldering, a blob technique is usually required where more than the normal amount of solder is used to form a ball that covers up any sharp ends of wires inside the joint. also there should be no bubbles or inclusions in the solder.

but for regular soldering, a small amount of spiking isn't a problem, it may not look "perfect", but as long as the solder flowed properly on the "work", it should be ok.

 

[e44-72]

Thank you for the advice, I will try cleaning the surfaces to be soldered. I do a lot of soldering on stripboard and I find after making track breaks it oxidises pretty quick from my hands touching it.

 

[audioguru]

The tip on my Weller temperature-controlled soldering iron has been set to 700 degrees F for about 48 years and it still works perfectly.
Its temperature is much higher than melting tin-lead solder but is below damaging the tip.

 

[DerStrom8]

The tip on my Weller temperature-controlled soldering iron has been set to 700 degrees F for about 48 years and it still works perfectly.
Its temperature is much higher than melting tin-lead solder but is below damaging the tip.

I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what exactly does that have to do with anything?

 

[3v0]

For strip board I like to use a liquid flux pen. Works wonders on the bare copper even where you have touched it.

 

[audioguru]

I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what exactly does that have to do with anything?

YES you are RUDE.
Maybe the OP has a cheap soldering iron that is too cold or too hot which causes his soldering problems.
Mine is temperature-controlled at 700 degrees F and it works perfectly. Who knows the temperature range of his??

He might have a cheap soldering iron that has its tip much too hot at 1200 degrees F when it is resting so it is corroding. When the cheap tip touches the wiring then it immediately cools to 500 degrees F which is too cold.
The tip of my soldering iron is always at the correct temperature so it works perfectly.

 

[DerStrom8]

YES you are RUDE.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

Maybe the OP has a cheap soldering iron that is too cold or too hot which causes his soldering problems.
Mine is temperature-controlled at 700 degrees F and it works perfectly. Who knows the temperature range of his??

He might have a cheap soldering iron that has its tip much too hot at 1200 degrees F when it is resting so it is corroding. When the cheap tip touches the wiring then it immediately cools to 500 degrees F which is too cold.
The tip of my soldering iron is always at the correct temperature so it works perfectly.

It makes sense now that you explain it. I was just a little confused at first. The way it reads now, it sounds like you're just bragging about your soldering iron, with no mention to the OP's No offense intended, AG.

 

[dougy83]

Having dirty leads doesn't make spikes, it just stops the solder sticking to the lead.

If I get spikes I just add more flux. I also find that more flux is also very helpful to stop bridging.

 

[DerStrom8]

Having dirty leads doesn't make spikes, it just stops the solder sticking to the lead.

If solder doesn't stick to the lead, it sticks to the iron instead and "spikes" when you pull the iron away.

If I get spikes I just add more flux. I also find that more flux is also very helpful to stop bridging.

Flux is a cleaner. It is designed to clean oxidants off of wires and leads as you solder.

 

[dougy83]

If solder doesn't stick to the lead, it sticks to the iron instead and "spikes" when you pull the iron away.

I've never noticed that when I'm soldering, you must have a special technique.

 

[DerStrom8]

I've never noticed that when I'm soldering, you must have a special technique.

If everything is done correctly, it won't happen. If parts are dirty or something else is causing poor heat transfer, it happens.

Out of curiosity, I'd like to ask the OP: is your solder flux-cored or are you using a bottle of flux, or are you not using any flux at all? That could be the key to figuring out what's going wrong.

 

[unclejed613]

If solder doesn't stick to the lead, it sticks to the iron instead and "spikes" when you pull the iron away.



Flux is a cleaner. It is designed to clean oxidants off of wires and leads as you solder.

flux also seems to have an effect on the surface tension of the solder, and does help to prevent solder bridges. it likely acts as a thermal insulator around the solder, keeping the solder in it's liquid state slightly longer.

 

[ChrisP58]

The bottom line on this issue is heat. There needs to be enough heat in the blob of solder so that it is still in a liquid state for a fraction of a second after the iron is removed.

Spikes leading of to the point where the iron last touched the joint indicates that the solder was already starting to cool before the tip broke contact.

In addition to the tip temperature, there is also the thermal mass of the tip with respect to that of the joint to consider.

Also be aware that most of the 'lead free' solders have a higher melting point than the long time favorite 63/37 leaded solder.

 

[DerStrom8]

The bottom line on this issue is heat. There needs to be enough heat in the blob of solder so that it is still in a liquid state for a fraction of a second after the iron is removed.

Spikes leading of to the point where the iron last touched the joint indicates that the solder was already starting to cool before the tip broke contact.

In addition to the tip temperature, there is also the thermal mass of the tip with respect to that of the joint to consider.

Also be aware that most of the 'lead free' solders have a higher melting point than the long time favorite 63/37 leaded solder.

Good point and summation, Chris. Thanks

 

[RichTheDude]

Spikes are usually caused by too much heat - I was taught this many a year ago. Everytime I have had problems with spikes the solution is less heat, not more.

https://www.technick.net/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=how_to_solder

**broken link removed**

 

[DerStrom8]

I had a 40-watt iron a while back, which was much too large for regular electronics soldering. I tended to have the problem with the solder balling up on the tip, rather than spiking. I switched to a 15-watt iron and everything worked perfectly.