You're talking through your ass. Think BGAs.
It is perfectly normal to surface solder wires onto SMT boards. Mechanical connections are *not* required, nor desirable, before soldering. As has been stated by others here, the only reason to have a mechanical connection before soldering is if the connection won't make it until it's soldered.
You mean it will slowly flow apart if it rests on a sharp edge and cause a short circuit? The tough nylon jacket on THHN seems to resist that sort of break in the insulation. Geez, I just thought of the thousands of feet of that stuff I've pulled into conduits and cable trays over the years. :-)
TDD
There has been a lot of "bad" teflon wire out there too - if the PTFE is not fully cured (crosslinked) it outgasses flouride, which corrodes even siver plated wire. And before anybody says I'm blowing smoke, here is a reference:
Also, teflon WILL burn, but it is self extinguishing - meaning it will burn as long as a separate source of ignition exists.
I've got a reference around somewhere that covers the shortcomings of all the mil-spec (aviation) rated wire and insulation. There is really NONE that are "ideal". Either they have physical limitations like cold flow or abrasion resistance, or they produce toxins when heated or burned.
Yep. We used to have that problem with teflon insulated wire-wrap wire. The Gardner-Denver machines could work with it reliably, but it was easy to screw up by tightening the wires too tight. The intermittents would drive ya' crazy.
It generally happens when its under tension going around an edge.
Here is a good primer on soldering and tinning (using conduction soldering - i.e., a simple soldering iron)
Automotive electrical best practices from GM:
But you've never been wrapped four times around a .025" post.
Sometimes, if the history gets unwieldy, always with you because of your dumbass posting style.
This is plumbing solder, get some designed for electrical. Something fairly small. 60/40 tin/lead (or is it the other way). Use the right solder for the application.
If you have trouble tinning it is either because you can't get the solder hot enough or the tip is not clean enough. Sounds to me that you are using the wrong solder, too large and wrong type.
I always just used a damp folded up paper towel to wipe the tip. You can sand or file the tip if you need to get one more use out of it, don't otherwise.
I heat the junction and feed in the solder at the junction, not on the tip. But close to where everything meets.
I was in the electronic repair business just about forever. I wound up soldering stuff I could barely see (SMD LSI) even with reading glasses!
Jeff
The wire should get hot and soak up the solder, right?
This 95 SN 5 SB stuff may be the European solder. From what I have read they have gone lead free in the electronics soldering. Also you are not suspose to mix the two when repairing the equipment as they do not work well together.
I don't even like that sn/sb for soldering pipes. I still have a couple of pounds of the 50/50 tin/lead solder for my pipes if I need it.
About 30 years ago my wife and I were watching tv about the moonshine makers. They mentioned the lead in the pipes and I told here one day the trr huggers would say not to use the lead solder in the pipes. Sure enough , they have.
Moonshiners were/are using car radiators to distill their product which was imparting all sorts of toxic substances into their mountain dew.
TDD
Not necessarily true - the lead free solder madness has hit electronics like a frieght train. ROSIN CORE solder is NOT plumbing solder.
Lead free electronic solder is a royal pain - period.
The wire should get hot and the solder should wick up the wire. Putting the solder at the junction of the iron and the wire - or on a printed circuit, more correctly at the junction of the pad and the iron, enhances the heat flow. When the solder wets the pad, you slide the iron against the component lead, and the solder should very quickly wet the lead as well, forming a smooth fillet from the pad to the component lead (or wire).
I know Smitty will likely argue with me, but tough.
Lovely. Looks like I got out of the repair business in time.
ROSIN CORE solder is NOT plumbing
You are right, I missed that.
I imagine!
FWIW, I'm with you on this.
Jeff
40 seems like a lot, but now that you mention it, those Weller irons are workhorses. Tips lasted a long long time and you could replace whatever part needed it. I have some vague memory of needing a new "body" every dozen years or so. Never had more than a WP25, maybe the temp control lasted longer! The Ungars were terrible.
Jeff
When I accidentally dropped the iron on the plastic case, it melted a grove in it and Weller replaced it at no charge back in the 70's. I replaced the heater element once and of course several tips but that's all. The soldering station is still working like new. The replacement for it has a sponge tray and iron holder that can be snapped onto either side of the transformer housing.
Good grief what a lot of posts, all about anything but what the OP asked as far as I can see.
To tin a soldering iron get a wet sponge.
Let the solder tip reach full temperature. They make little trays with sponges in them just for ths purpose at Radio Shack & other electrical supplies & box stores.
Wipe the hot tip on the sponge, moving it fast enough to not burn the sponge (the water makes it easy) & dislodge the oxidation.
If a wet sponge doesn't work well enough, it might be necessary to gently scrape the tip with a knife or any blade, held at right angles to the tip. Then a few swipes across the sponge again on the tip, and it should take a tin nicely.
It's in "good shape" when resin-core solder covers the tip in a nice, usually shiny coat of solder. Shake off the excess solder. Done. It'll do a much better job of transferring heat to whatever you are soldering if the tip is clean and tinned. Many people get the little tray with sponge and set it near the work so if/when oxidation starts, a wipe or two on the sponge will renew the tinning quickly.
Ths same informatioin is available many places on the web; especially soldering tutorials.
HTH,
Twayne`
Lead-free solder isn't required in the US, yet. There is still plenty of leaded stuff around.
The big problem is that it's impossible to tell if the joint is good. They all look cold. It's a good excuse to get our technician to do all my soldering now. ;-)
It IS required if the device is assembled with lead free - the two don't mix very well.
Bullshit. Leaded solder works just fine with unleaded parts. Better, in fact, because you can use lower temperature. The parts, and tools, will be "contaminated" but that doesn't matter for US consumption.
California has RoHS laws on the books since 2003 - with compliance required by 2007 - so you do see lead-free solder mandated in parts of the USA
And as far as you "bullshit" is concerned, you are WRONG. Hate to tell you this, but you don't know as much as you think you do.
Traditional tin-lead materials are not compatible with lead-free device finishes. Because proper reflow for lead-free materials can only be achieved with higher temperatures, attempting to process lead-free terminated devices in 183?C tin-lead conditions leads to incomplete wetting and the related issues of voiding and opens.
This is from Doug Dixon, Global Marketing Director Henkel Corp
You can read "the rest of the story" at:
Lots of other expert opinion out there agrees with me - SOME RoHS (lead free) compliant components MAY work OK with leaded solder, many will not - and anyone who is not aware of the consequenses of using the wrong solder with the wrong parts should not be working on newer electronic equipment.
Just because you guys have never seen a problem does not mean it doesn't exist - it just means you've been, up untill now, VERY lucky.
You're full of shit, as usual.
You really are stupid. You don't need to reflow the lead-free parts. The subject is using leaded solder for repairs, remember?
They do, and will.
You're completely clueless.
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