Iron wattage, temperature, tip shape, proper method, etc. also play a big part in getting good joints. And......Practice, practice, practice!!!!
Sent from my eye doo hickey > On Aug 12, 2016, at 2:00 PM, Bill Crowell, N4HPG via BVARC <[email protected]> > wrote: > > All, > > Hand soldering is very much an art form. I was pretty good at it, but have > been learning over the years. I have learned a lot from Brian, KF4VOO as well > as watching NASA training videos on YouTube and from other sources. These > topics I’ve discussed on the air, but putting them in writing for the rest of > the class <grin>. > > Let me give these out as a series of points: > 1. Use Eutectic solder - 63/37. That’s 63% tin and 37%lead. Eutectic means > that both components melt/freeze at the same temperature. This is extremely > important for hand-soldering. 60/40 is easier to manufacture, but gives > poorer results because it was also designed for flow soldering. None of that > lead-free crap. My XYL, Dasha is an environmental engineer (and a licensed > Professional Engineer in the State of TEXAS). She’s not worried about lead > contamination from our soldering leaching into the ground water and killing > kittens and puppies and that’s good enough for me. > > 2. The flux should be rosin core. Period. > > 3. The diameter should be skinny. 0.46mm - the reason is that we don’t want > too much solder in the joint. > > And for today’s topic: Flux. > > In an ideal solder joint, there should just be the proper fillet of solder > where the junction is formed. Those of you who are welders understand fillets. > > The amount of flux inside even the best solder tends to cause the operator to > apply too much solder to the joint. The internal flux dissipates before the > heat-bridge gets the solder flowed. > > The answer - add flux to the joint. I suggest liquid flux where the rosin is > dissolved in alcohol. > > I got some good flux from Fry’s and picked up a Weller squeeze bottle with a > needle in it. This dispenser SUCKS. Flux all over the work and the bench. A > waste of money and time in cleaning. Liquid flux is sticky until completely > dried out. > > The solution to the problem with the SOLUTION was to get a really good > bottle+cap+dispensing needle. I found a deal on Amazon linked here: > > https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G2QZQG8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 > > This kit is for “Vape” - whatever that is. It’s an inexpensive kit of various > bottles and dispensing needles. The needles are for syringes, but not for the > pokey kind - just a blunt tip. > > In the bottle with yellow cap and yellow needle is the flux. It’s all happy > and drips out just the right amount. The black is even finer and filled with > lubricating oil for my guns. I’ll use the other bottles and sizes for various > glues and such. > <IMG_0522.jpg> > > Here’s a link to the flux I got at Fry’s, but available on Amazon: > > https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-8351-125ML-Halogen-Bottle/dp/B00S16UAGE/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1471028240&sr=1-4&keywords=liquid+flux > > Just a drop or 2 makes a big difference. Keeping 100 drops OFF the bench > makes it funner. > > 73 > > Bill Crowell, N4HPG > Pearland, TX > [email protected] > I prefer to live a life of galvanic isolation. > > _______________________________________________ > BVARC mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org
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