First time trying to soldier THT pins myself. I think I have some good ones, some not so much. Before I keep going, I'd like to get some feedback from the group on what you think I can do to improve. I'm assuming the answers will be something like temp or feed speed control. I'm hoping that if it is a technique issue you would be willing to elaborate on best practices. Or maybe I'm wildly off and should just stick to hammers and nails? Here's pics of the first two screw terminal jacks I started with.
This set was done with my amazon $30 electric soldier station with the temp set at 355*F. I felt like this was very inconsistent and took too long to heat up the pad and pin.
This set was done with a butane torch and soldier tip. I didn't put an IR laser on it but I'd estimate it between 400F - 425F. It felt faster and more consistent.
Was a flux cored .03" solder used? What size iron?
Mostly a cold joint meaning heat not applied to both pad and pin along with iron not held in place long enough to allow flow. 2nd pic in particular is the giveaway when one looks at the pin/board/solder blob seen in the 2nd pic.
I just checked the temperature rating of a Weller soldering iron and it is stated as 482 degrees C. I've never actually concerned myself with the temperature, I just trust the iron manufacturer to get it right. The work should heat up in about half a second, if it doesn't either the tip is not hot enough of there is insufficient thermal mass in the tip for the job you are doing.
There are lots and lots of tutorial videos on the internet for soldering.
355F IS a real term, unlike the funny money that they try to enforce on us.
The soldering looks like you have not heated the pad and have fed solder to the iron, rather than the other side of the joint. With so much solder there, it is difficult to be sure. I would use a solder sucker and clean the pins up, the joints may be fine.
What is important is that you see the solder flow into the joint, it will do that once hot enough. Don't even think about using "green meanie" lead free solder, instead you need a quality brand of 60/40 tin / lead alloy in something like .6mm.
PerryBebbington:
I just checked the temperature rating of a Weller soldering iron and it is stated as 482 degrees C. I've never actually concerned myself with the temperature, I just trust the iron manufacturer to get it right. The work should heat up in about half a second, if it doesn't either the tip is not hot enough of there is insufficient thermal mass in the tip for the job you are doing.
There are lots and lots of tutorial videos on the internet for soldering.
480 C is quite a lot. In my old Weller I used 450 C or 380 C depending on the stuff being soldered.
@OP
Use soldier containing flux. 355 F sound very low to me. I would prefer 355 C instead. what is the Wattage of Your soldering station? To solder thick things like solder to swiches, breakers etc. I would recommend at least 60 Watt so that the station manage to deliver the energy needed to heat up those thick things.
PerryBebbington:
TBH I thought it seemed high, but I don't actually know so I just accepted it as I trust Weller to know what they are talking about.
Those extra degrees are good to have when soldering more hey joints. Soldering sencitive, tiny electronics You need to be precise and rather quick in order to awoid overheating the electronic device You are soldering.
355 F is far too cold for a tip temperature and probably a case of too small of a tip as well. Please post a link to the iron and the tip being used, also please tell us what solder (brand and alloy) you’re using.
For screw terminals, let the tip heat the pin/pad for a second or so, with just a touch of solder to start for better heat conduction between the 3 pieces, then follow with enough solder to flow over the pin & pad.
GND pads, and power pads with wide traces coming off the pad will need more heating time.
Thanks for all the quick insight guys. It sounds like I'm a bit low on the temp and flux. I've been watching so many tutorial videos that I was getting analysis paralysis so I figured just start melting stuff and correct from there :o . I also have to say I assumed the temp on my station was in F but I guess it's probably C. I'll wick these off and try again. I appreciate you guys pointing out the soldier brand. I was having a hard time finding soldier with lead in it. I was also using a 1mm wire, I'll switch over to a 0.3mm wire now to see if that helps me with control.
Common/old Weller Magnastat tips were set for 700F (about 370C). A '7' was stamped in the flat end.
Anything higher will damage boards fast.
I usually solder wires/pins at ~350-360C.
You don't need (and don't want) to add flux if you use the right rosin-core solder for electronics.
The thing newbies usually do wrong is to add the solder to the tip of the iron.
That almost instantly burns off the flux, making the solder sticky/useless.
Hold the (cleaned) tip against both pin and via (hole) for two seconds, to pre-heats the two parts.
Then apply a small amount of solder to the pin/via (not to the tip of the iron).
Let it flow inside for another two seconds until smooth, before quickly removing the iron.
Leo..
The blobs on the pins in post#0 can just be drag-soldered off. No need for braid or suckers.
Hold the board in a steep angle, so excess solder can fall off (I use a vice for that),
and re-solder the pins with fresh solder (for the flux) as explained above.
Then 'drag' off the excess blob of solder.
Leo..
