Trailer Light Grounding

[dstig1]

Please define a "real" solder gun so I know what I am looking for. The big gun I have has no problem melting the solder directly, but when heating the wire to melt the solder, per technique that I was taught was proper, it takes forever to get hot enough on big wires.

I'll look for rosin paste flux.

 

[Soundguy]

a 180w gun is way more than sufficient, heat wise, at least up to 8-10ga stranded wire.

I like the chissle tips.. and you need them clean.. and the wire you are soldering should be clean and fluxed for you to tin it, then once tinned, reflux and hea thte joint and add more solder just like sweating a pipe. if you are having problems transfering heat to a joint.. it's either not clean, tip angle is wrong or wrong tip type.. or no flux... I've only been soldering for about 30ys.. but using those criteria.. have never had an issue..

soundguy

 

[aczlan]

Please define a "real" solder gun so I know what I am looking for. The big gun I have has no problem melting the solder directly, but when heating the wire to melt the solder, per technique that I was taught was proper, it takes forever to get hot enough on big wires.
I'll look for rosin paste flux.

Do you have a bubble of solder on the tip? I usually melt enough solder to make a little bubble and use that to heat the wire. Much more efficient heat transfer that way.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLfXXRfRIzY]How to Do It: Basic Soldering - YouTube[/ame] is a pretty good video showing how to solder.

Aaron Z

 

[TimS]

Soldering wires is very easy, but you need to know some simple tricks:
- there's no need for flux - solder will flow easily on to clean copper wire.
- pre-solder or "tin" the wires before you form the mechanical joint.
- keep a blob of solder on the tip of the iron, and flop the bare copper wire right into the blob. Once the copper gets hot, apply the solder directly to it, starting at the point farthest away from the heat and working back.
- once you form the joint from your tinned wires, put it right into the bubble of solder you've kept hot on your iron. Add more solder if needed, but you may not have to if you get a good fill from just the tinned wires.
- move the iron away, but keep the joint completely still until the solder sets up - only a second or two and you'll see it skin over.

Also, for trailers, I like to use adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to cover the wire connections. It makes a watertight seal and also acts as a strain-relief. The tubing is available at marine suppliers.

Now if someone just has a trick to remind me to put the tubing on the wire before I solder the joint together...

Tim

 

[Willl]

More tips;

1; Use a wet folded paper towel to keep the tip clean.

2; Keep the tip clean. Keep the tip clean. Keep the tip clean.
It gets dirty from the oxidation, unplugging when not in use helps.

3; Get some tip tinner/cleaner.

4; Tip size is important. You need the mass in the tip to transfer the heat. don't rely on the heating element to do the job.
Kinda a rule of thumb I learned is you should be able to solder 2 joint after unplugging.

5; Get a iron, not a gun.

6; For doing up to 10 gauge wires, I would suggest a soldering iron of this size.

Weller SP80L

 

[dstig1]

Ahhh - some good tips to try out. No bubble to date. I've never really pre-tinned the leads, and I hadn't heard anything about keeping the tip clean other than it obviously can't get crudded up and expect it to work, but oxidation is not something I had heard was an issue. I keep it clean to that level, but not crazy clean.

I have 2 smaller ones 15w and 23w irons for small electronics projects, and then the big gun (100/140W) that looks like this:

None of this has been a real problem with smaller wires but on bigger ones I find the solder just does not wet out and wick into the wire the way I have been doing it. At least not until the insulation burns back a ways, usually just longer than the length of the heat shrink I put on there...

So I have a few things to try. Thanks!

 

[Soundguy]

flux will help with that.

it makes a task that is realitively ez, when clean, easier.

 

[dstig1]

Yep, I think I need some flux, tip cleaner/tinning stuff and an iron similar to the Weller than Willl posted.

 

[Soundguy]

that chissle tip is much easier to use than the pointy tip, for soldering larger stuff, vs discret components with leads..

soundguy