Soldering questions

[zachtheterrible]

Hi everyone. I'm aiming to improve my soldering skills so ive got a few questions.

1. I just got some soldering flux from somebody that had a bucnh of electronics stuff stuff that they didn't want (I also got a nice xytronic temp controlled soldering station) and so I have no clue how to use it.

2. How often should I clean my tip on the sponge?

3. What are those little black specks that I see on solder joints?

4. Can I use sandpaper to clean my board and parts before i solder? Someone told me that they dont like to because it can scratch away the copper on the board. I'm just using that kind of board that has holes pre-punched and has copper on each hole. No PCBs yet. What is the right name for that kind of board? I was told that steel wool is a good thing but i dont want to use it cuz it gets u all dirty. what kind of sandpaper should i use?

Thanx so much

 

[chemelec]

Wipe Very Regular.

Black Spots, Probably Flux. Clean it off with Acetone, Or Buy a Water Soluble Flux so you can clean it with water.
Most Flux Will Conduct and should be removed.

I use SOS Pads. Steel wool with Soap in it. But Wash it right after in Hot water and Dry it right away.

Also look at my recomendations in my soldering article on my website.

Take care.........Gary

 

[zachtheterrible]

Black Spots, Probably Flux. Clean it off with Acetone, Or Buy a Water Soluble Flux so you can clean it with water.
Most Flux Will Conduct and should be removed.

but the thing is, up until now, ive never used flux. What does flux do?

also, i just started soldering 2day and my tip is black and blue!! Why did this happen and how do i cure it?

Thanx

 

[gerty]

Flux helps the solder flow by cleaning the metal.
You probably used flux core solder before, the center of the solder has a small amount of flux in it and it's applied automaticly when you solder.
Make sure the flux is for electrical work, some fluxes are highly corrosive and will eat up your circuit over time. Your tip is probably black and blue
because the heat is a little too high.. If you are going to take time between soldering connections you should turn down the heat to avoid this. Wipe the tip on a wet sponge occasionaly to keep it clean. Experience will tell you how often to wipe it and what temp you need to solder proficiently. The solder used by some manufacturers has a higher melting point than others and you will have to adjust accordingly..Another good tool to have is a solder sucker, it removes molten solder from whatever you're taking out or putting in..

Make sure to keep your tip tinned (a thin coating of solder) during use, it'll help with the heat transfer...

 

[Dean Huster]

2. How often should I clean my tip on the sponge?

The ONLY time you should wipe that tip on the WET sponge is right after you pull the iron from the holder right before you're ready to solder a joint. That "shocks" contaminants and extra solder off the tip giving you a clean, wet edge with which to solder. Do NOT wipe the tip before restoring the iron to the holder or before turning the iron off. Wiping that tip before putting it back in the holder wipes all excess solder off and the remainder will oxidize down to the iron itself which will then start to oxidize.


4. Can I use sandpaper to clean my board ...... I was told that steel wool is a good thing but i dont want to use it cuz it gets u all dirty. what kind of sandpaper should i use?

Whoever told you that steel wool anywhere near an electronics workbench "is a good thing" is an idiot. Steel wool is a good electrical conductor. Steel wool, as it is used, sheds hair worse than a cat, and steel wool's hair is conductive and gets into places you can't see. A good way to get put on report (a bad thing) in the U.S. Navy was to bring a steel wool pad into an electronics maintenance shop. Keep the steel wool out in the wood shop or under the kitchen sink. Want a GOOD abrasive pad for circuit boards? Get a 3M (Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co.) "Scotchbrite" pad, the green ones sold for scrubbing tough spots off your pots and pans. Accept no substitute here, for the off-brands are not nearly as agressive or long-lasting as a genuine 3M "Scotchbrite" pad. Sams sells a massive stack of the things for a song as compared to the price you'll pay at a discount or grocery store. The "Scotchbrite" pad is non-conductive and leaves very little residue. It's also more aggressive than steel wool but not as damaging as sand paper or emery cloth.

However, be careful with "Scotchbrite" in other uses. It can and WILL scratch window glass, so don't use a new pad to clean the bugs off your car's windshield. And old, used pad isn't bad for that purpose since all it's abrasiveness has been pretty much used up.

Dean

 

[samcheetah]

well i havent used flux separately at all. the only flux i know is the one in the core of my solder wire. but as previously mentioned flux removes the oxides from the surfaces that are about to be soldered. so it cleans the surface.

u should keep your sponge a little damp at all times. i believe that the soldering station came with a nice stand and a sponge. just keep it damp and whenever u feel that u have used the iron a little bit or if u feel the tip is really dirty then wipe it with the sponge. if the tip is dirty u will see that heat is not being properly transfered to the solder and the place where the joint is to be made. that usually happens if u havent cleaned your tip for a long time or you accedentily melted a little bit of plastic from it. and u should also clean the tip after u have done all the solder jobs. i let it cool first and then rub the tip of the iron on a scotch brite pad to give it a shine 8)

well u shouldnt use sandpaper for the cleaning much. but only when it requires. u can clean the tracks with an abrassive rubber block.

i think that the board u are using is stripboard. its also called veroboard. if it has strips of copper running through the whole length then its a stripboard. and if it has dots of copper pads then it is an experimenters board. personally, i like the stripboard. it is easier to use. and for cutting the tracks u should have a spot face cutter. a 4mm drill bit will also do the job perfectly.

in addition to the solder pump (or solder sucker) i would suggest that u keep a reel of desoldering braid (or solder wick) with u for your desoldering jobs.

in the end i would suggest that u look at the EPE soldering guide http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderfaq.htm and dont forget to watch the Electronics Soldering Guide Photo Gallery http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderpix.htm and the Desoldering Photo Gallery & Black Museum of Bad Soldering http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/desolderpix.htm

 

[zachtheterrible]

thanx, this is all EXTREMELY helpful!!

 

[duffman]

Someone mentioned cutting tracks in veroboard. How does that work?

 

[plot]

Dean, the thing is, steel wool is exactly what you use to clean a copper board before soldering. There's a special grade of it too that contains a 4... just can't think of the name right now.


As for the flux, it cleans the serface of what you are soldering too and let's the solder flow in really nice and clean. Now, you can get solder with rosin core flux in it... BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FLUX! Even when using this type of solder, still apply flux with a small brush. Just wipe it on.. and solder away.

 

[samcheetah]

Someone mentioned cutting tracks in veroboard. How does that work?

that would be me. well, u can cut tracks with a special tool called the spot face cutter. it is like a screwdriver with a handle at the back and with a tip that can cut the tracks of the veroboard. u have to position the tip on a hole where u want the cut, then u rotate it a little until the copper is cut away making a fine cut. dont give too many rotations or else it will start looking bad.

if u cant find the spot face cutter in your area (like me ) then there is an alternative. a 4mm drill bit would do the job easily.

a veroboard is the best choice for small projects in my opinion. everything is wired up in one direction. u just have to cut at appropriate places and place connections the other way.

i hope that helps

 

[Oznog]

I've done plenty of soldering on both prototype hole board and manufactured PCBs and never needed more flux than what comes inside the flux core solder.

Other than really old boards where the copper's no longer shiny, the hole board I worked with never need to be scrubbed. The green 3M pot scrubber pads work a lot better than steel wool. They hold together well, they're not squishing back and forth like wool, and make a whole lot of very fine scratches that polish rather than remove material.

 

[zachtheterrible]

wow, i started this post a couple weeks ago, thanx 4 mor suggestions :lol:

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I've done plenty of soldering on both prototype hole board and manufactured PCBs and never needed more flux than what comes inside the flux core solder.

Yes, the amount of flux in the multi-core solder is all that you need, if you tend to need more you're probably not soldering correctly!.