Soldering iron
by
Jim Ginas
+18
I have had a soldering iron which I NEVER have had success soldering ANYTHING! I have a solder and it heats up and melts the solder, BUT it never adheres two pieces of metal. OBVIOUSLY I am doing something wrong or not understanding how to use it.
Any help is appreciated before I just throw this soldering iron and solder out! :)
Any help is appreciated before I just throw this soldering iron and solder out! :)
18 answers
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Clean the metal of all oxidation and use flux.
Jimc
on Jun 22, 2016
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What kind of soldering iron is it? For electrical connections, for light metals, for heavy metal? What is the wattage? What are you trying to solder?
William
on Jun 22, 2016
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Have to use flux it helps bond the solder on each piece.
Vicki Cain
on Jun 22, 2016
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Tin the tip of the iron with solder. This is the only time you hold the solder to the iron. Wipe off the excess solder. Hold the iron on the items to be joined and touch the solder to the joint, not the iron. When the joint heats up, it will cause the solder to flow into the joint, which is where you want it. If you're soldering wires that are attached to components, clip an alligator clip between the joint and the component to keep the heat from traveling into the component and possibly ruining it. Here's a good video with basic tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLfXXRfRIzY
Susan Bishop
on Jun 22, 2016
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Some metal types will not adhere or be soldered to each other. I usually experiment before I embark on a project
Melly
on Jun 22, 2016
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Need a small amount of liquid flux that you brush onto item then it will work.
Nicola
on Jun 22, 2016
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You need flux
Eileen B.
on Jun 23, 2016
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what type of metal are you soldering? Special solder is needed for stainless steel & aluminum .
John
on Jun 23, 2016
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You need flux and the right solder for the right metals, some, especially cheap based metals, will not hold solder at all.
Johnchip
on Jun 23, 2016
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Heat up the metals to be joined, not the solder. Touch the solder to the fluxed heated metal and the solder will melt and be sucked into the seam. Let cool without any movement and they are joined.
Mor6137815
on Jun 23, 2016
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I'm not that experienced either, but the best advice I got was that you need to get the subject that you are soldering onto, as hot as you can as apparently hot solder does not stick that well to a cold surface, I have watched a few Plumbers Solder some Spouting together, and they also heated up the Spouting before attempting to Solder the joints together, I confess I have not put this into practice as yet, but have done when joining wires, they Plumbers talk about getting the solder to run, that is why you need to get the recipient to the Solder quite hot, hope this may help.
Alan
on Jun 23, 2016
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Also, depending on the area of what you are soldering. if you have big wires, and a tiny solder iron its not going to work.
April
on Jun 23, 2016
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You can use rosin for violin when solding...
Dimitrov Latchezar
on Jun 24, 2016
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I can't make it any easier then this....google "how to use a soldering iron video" on your computer and they have a bunch of videos that will show you exactly how to do it. Good luck.
Dottie'
on Jun 24, 2016
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I noticed that no one has spoken about "flux". There is several things that are important for a good solder joint. Both parts need to be CLEAN, they both need to be heated, and depending on the metals a "flux liquid" needs to be used. From my understanding the flux is a liquid that adds a chemical reaction to make the soldered joint stronger. Finding the suggested videos is probably a really good thing to do.
Jean DeSavage
on Jun 25, 2016
- See 1 previous
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Jean spot on, but when it comes to small soldering jobs, the Solder and Flux come as an all in one in a roll which make life easy, spoke to a neighbour the other day and he said if you don't heat up the recipient of the Solder he said the Solder won't run, and that is the cause of most peoples frustration, as it just hit's a cold recipient and rolls into a ball.
Alan
on Jun 26, 2016
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??? Flux has been mentioned several times earlier in this article , and your all correct , not impossible but very difficult to solder without it.
John
on Jun 26, 2016
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You are missing the flux, put flux one the seem then solder will stick, a little practice goes a long way.
Patty
on Jun 26, 2016
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