Help with Soldering (Pickups)

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='BottomE' post='1337964' date='Aug 12 2011, 05:56 PM']Wait a sec. Flux i hear you say. What is this substance?[/quote]


[quote name='icastle' post='1337971' date='Aug 12 2011, 05:59 PM']It's a chemical that allows the solder to flow smoothly over a surface.
It's not generally used these days for the sort of work you're doing as you'll being using rosin cored solder.[/quote]

It cleans the wire or whatever you're soldering I believe, all I can say is I use the rosin cored solder and it's a lot easier to get the solder to take with a bit of flux on there, maybe it's just me doing something else wrong, wouldn't be without it myself
Bakers fluid does the same job
[url="http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=11&gs_id=16&xhr=t&q=bakers+fluid&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1358&bih=613&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13565128210629670159&sa=X&ei=m11FTt7lLIuDhQf9vti_Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ8wIwAQ"]http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?h...ved=0CCwQ8wIwAQ[/url]

Edited August 12, 2011 by PaulWarning

[BottomE]

[quote name='icastle' post='1337971' date='Aug 12 2011, 05:59 PM']It's a chemical that allows the solder to flow smoothly over a surface.
It's not generally used these days for the sort of work you're doing as you'll being using rosin cored solder.[/quote]
Thank goodness for that. Trying to keep costs down as already shelled out £15 on solder kit and extra £20 on helping hand and some decent wire cutters.

I found this video which seems quite good - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CC8dI9A-Tw"]Soldering to a PreAmp[/url]

[Mr. Foxen]

I've found wiping stuff over with meths helps, cleans off the grease, generally that is on old parts though.

[Ou7shined]

Haha I've not used flux since I used to solder mini-projects back in school nearly... er... 30 years ago. Thanks for the memory.

[icastle]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1338058' date='Aug 12 2011, 07:13 PM']Haha I've not used flux since I used to solder mini-projects back in school nearly... er... 30 years ago. Thanks for the memory. [/quote]

30 years ago?

Wow - not many 2 year olds can handle a soldering iron...

[size=1][b]P.S. - You definately owe me one for that![/b] [/size]

[icastle]

[quote name='PaulWarning' post='1337977' date='Aug 12 2011, 06:06 PM']It cleans the wire or whatever you're soldering I believe, all I can say is I use the rosin cored solder and it's a lot easier to get the solder to take with a bit of flux on there, maybe it's just me doing something else wrong, wouldn't be without it myself[/quote]

Wow - Bakers Fluid!
Didn't know that brand still existed - must be a good 30 years since I've seen a tin of that and the tin must have been 10 years old even then!

If the surface(s) you are soldering are clean and you heat the joint up with a well tinned bit then the solder should flow quite happily.
What usually causes a problem is pot casings - they often look clean and shiny because they are laquered and need a quick scrape with a bit of wet and dry to allow the solder to flow nicely.

Nothing particularly wrong in using a liquid flux but you do need to be careful if you use it on a pcb as any excess flux can bridge tracks and cause a partial short circuit.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='icastle' post='1338305' date='Aug 12 2011, 11:44 PM']30 years ago?

Wow - not many 2 year olds can handle a soldering iron...

[size=1][b]P.S. - You definately owe me one for that![/b] [/size][/quote]
Duly noted amigo.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1338058' date='Aug 12 2011, 07:13 PM']Haha I've not used flux since I used to solder mini-projects back in school nearly... er... 30 years ago. Thanks for the memory. [/quote]

always knew I was Old School

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='BottomE' post='1337984' date='Aug 12 2011, 06:11 PM']Thank goodness for that. Trying to keep costs down as already shelled out £15 on solder kit and extra £20 on helping hand and some decent wire cutters.[/quote]


Aye but think of all the money you'll save, a soldering kit pays for itself really quickly. No more paying for a pickup swap, lead repair etc.

[Ross]

You don't need a helping hand, use and adjustable spanner to hold things, it's what I do

Hardest thing about bass wiring, soldering the grounds to the back of potentiometers. I thought I'd destroyed one when I did it.
60/40 leaded solder is also easier to solder with, lower melting point.

Also you get the advantage of a only a good joint being shiny with leaded. Lead free is shiny whether it's a good or bad joint.

[icastle]

[quote name='Ross' post='1340454' date='Aug 15 2011, 11:13 AM']Lead free is shiny whether it's a good or bad joint.[/quote]

Other way round - LF is always duller than 60/40 regardless of whether it's a good joint or a bad one.