Need help soldering

dyrwolf

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I'm really coming unglued. I am on my third soldering iron, having now bought a weller WES51.

The problem is that the tip never gets hot enough to melt the solder. Solder will melt an inch or so up from the tip, but never at the tip.

I have the weller turned up to 850 degrees, and it will still not melt solder at the tip. The solder is electronics solder. When I try to tin the tip, the solder just all balls up and rolls off the tip - nothing sticks to the tip.

Has anyone used a WES51 or the like and can tell me the setting I need, and what I might be doing wrong?
 
First, turn the temp down to 700 degrees. 850 is way too high. Next, if the tip is not holding solder then it is not clean. I see this with dirty tips all the time, clean it thoroughly with alcohol (while cold) and try again. You may also be using too much solder. If there is too much solder present it will flow to a larger area in order to stay molten (larger contact patch equals more heat transfer).
 
At 850 you are burning the tips up...

You may need to replace it before you can get it to take solder.

In soldering school it was drilled in our head that 650 degrees is all you need. Any higher and you'll see the tips discolor from the heat and they go bad MUCH faster that way.
 
This is so frustrating. I cleaned the tip, and it seemed to hold solder on it, a thin layer. It also seems to get blackened as well. It will melt solder against the tip when the solder is held there for about 5 seconds. However, when I place the tip at the junction of the board and the wire (through the hold in the board) and hold it there a few seconds, then place the solder against the tip. The solder will not melt. It never melts. The best I can get is a cold solder mess. I dropped temp to 700.

If the solder would melt on the tip, as all the you tube videos show, this would be simple. I managed to get 1 out of about 12 almost good, but I have no idea why that one worked.
 
At 850 you are burning the tips up...

You may need to replace it before you can get it to take solder.

In soldering school it was drilled in our head that 650 degrees is all you need. Any higher and you'll see the tips discolor from the heat and they go bad MUCH faster that way.

This is likely my problem, then. Any way to fix the tip, at least to try again.
 
Try using lead / tin solder.

I am guessing you are using the new type Lead free

All old Arcade boards use Lead/tin 60/40 (Getting hard to get now but some still have it)
 
If you've built up a TON of oxidation on your tip, you may be too far gone. But rather than throw the tip away, you can try this:

Scrape off the tip with an abrasive, like steel wool, or a very tiny file. If you can get to clean bare metal you have a chance at re tinning the tip again. Are you using any flux at all with this process?

Once you get the tip re-tinned, keep the temp down around 650-700. That should help keep the tip from charring again.

I know others are against it, but I wipe my tip on a wet sponge after each joint I do. I know it shocks the tip. I don't care. I've been using the same micro point conical tip for 3 years now and it's performing perfectly for me.

FYI - I got my soldering station from Parts Express. I got this one:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=374-100

374-100_s.jpg


At $12, the damn thing is nearly disposable. Sure, you can't tell what temperature you're at, but with a variable temperature gauge you can at least dial it in to the proper temp and leave it there.
 
What type of solder are you using? If it's "Lead-Free" then get rid of it. I use 60/40 rosin-core solder from Radio-Shack .0032" diameter. It has to say "Standard" on it. I like using the thinner diameter solder as it melts easier and you can work on smaller joints. I paid about $10 for a half pound spool.

374-100_s.jpg


This looks like the cheap $20 Velleman I picked up at Fry's, except mine goes up to a slightly higher wattage. It get's the job done.
 
This is hopeless. I managed to get the tip tinned, in that it is shiny with solder. If I hold solder against the tip, it melts in a couple seconds. If I place the tip of the iron against the hole in the circuit board and the wire through the hole, leave it there for a few seconds, then place solder against either the wire or the tip itself, it will not melt. I can hold it there for a minute and nothing happens. Then try solder against the tip (as in tinning it) and it melts the solder again in a couple seconds. It is as if the board absorbs and dissipates all the heat.
 
I'll run downtown and see if I can get more solder. I am about out as it is. I can't remember the type I got, but I am sure it was for electronics work.
 
This is hopeless. I managed to get the tip tinned, in that it is shiny with solder. If I hold solder against the tip, it melts in a couple seconds. If I place the tip of the iron against the hole in the circuit board and the wire through the hole, leave it there for a few seconds, then place solder against either the wire or the tip itself, it will not melt. I can hold it there for a minute and nothing happens. Then try solder against the tip (as in tinning it) and it melts the solder again in a couple seconds. It is as if the board absorbs and dissipates all the heat.

What type of solder are you using . . . ?
 
I had the exact same issue. I was using an Aoyue 937+ soldering station and I could never get the tip to take solder, I'd have to crank the temperature to the max. I ended up using a larger diameter tip and then I could use the iron set at about 700 degrees. I never could get the iron to work with the fine conical tip. Try a larger tip size and see what happens.
 
It was the solder. I got 40/60 rosin core and finished job in minutes.

The solder I was using came with the cheap iron I bought. Guess I got screwed.

Now I gotta get my Bally lamps working. If anyone is knowledgable about KISS/Star Trek from late 70's, I'd appreciate some help. I'm posting this issue under another thread.

Thanks again.
 
Sounds like a 2 fold problem.
One the solder you using is solder free solder or there is no flux in the solder..
Two Whatever you soldering to is sucking aways the heat faster than your soldering iron can keep up with.
A Bigger solder iron will help.
Normally I just dip the tip into the old fashion flux I have and that cleans the tip off.

Maybe a picture of what your trying to solder will help.

You may also want to use a little flux on the spot your trying to solder too. There might be oxidation that not letting the solder flow smoothly.
 
At 850 you are burning the tips up...

You may need to replace it before you can get it to take solder.

In soldering school it was drilled in our head that 650 degrees is all you need. Any higher and you'll see the tips discolor from the heat and they go bad MUCH faster that way.

Like he said.
I would go ahead and replace the tip, they are not that pricey and reduce the temp. I run mine at about 615 and use the next to smallest solder at radio crap 60/40 lead tin. I have also read that using a wet sponge is NOT the thing to clean tip with, but I have been doing it for so long it is a hard habbit to break. I have also read here that if you are trying to desolder a audio amp you will have problems with melting the solder.

Like AlphaTron said a pic. of what you are trying to solder/desolder would help us to help you.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. As soon as I got some new solder, everything worked as it should. I was sold crappy solder off ebay.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. As soon as I got some new solder, everything worked as it should. I was sold crappy solder off ebay.

Tough way to learn

We never had this problem 10 years ago, trouble is do-gooders wanted the lead gone.

So, just don't hold the solder in your mouth or you may just lose your hair
 
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