Soldering techniques

[pompeyjohn]

Dear heli Gods,

I am having a bugger of a job soldering these 3.5 gold bullet connectors. Does anyone have any tips on how to best solder these?

(I have got a flat tipped soldering iron, and I'll only ever use it for this - so I am not sure getting a pointed tip is the answer)

Also, does anyone know how I can get solder off botched connectors? I can chisel and clip it off the sides using a pair of nail cliipers - but how I can I get it out of the middle?!

cheers,
John

[robgt]

If you have a gas stove...
Hold the connector in a pair of pliers of the flame and get it hot. Fill the hole into which the wire is going with solder. Get that hot again and push the wire into the connector. Blow to cool faster

It's much easier than soldering!
Job done in 5 minutes flat.

Don't foget the heatshrink on the wire first, ready for shrinking once soldering is complete!

Cheers,
Rob

[Thomas]

I have a little bit of oak with lots of little holes drilled in it for all different sized connectors, works a treat.

Problem with holding them with something metal it that the heat gets drawn away too quick and the wires on LiPos draw it enough them selves.

To get solder off heat it and use a wet sponge and sort of dab it off

[pompeyjohn]

Rob your a genius; unfortunately everthing in my flat is electric.

[robgt]

Ok... convert the house to gas, then you're all set to solder your connectors

LOL
Cheers,
Rob

[Twister3D]

I think Leebert had a good solution, he uses one of those micro flame gas guns so the heat is on the subject all the time.

do a search its here somewhere.
Sorry I cant remember what they are called

i used a small tube of silicon piping like the ones used to run your aerial wire down to hold the bullets, stops the heat transfering also

[Fixxxer]

Firstly I always tin the wires being soldered before attempting to attach them to the other item, by this I mean put a small amount of flux paste onto the bare wires and then touch them to the hot iron which has a small amount of solder on. The wires will soak up enough solder to coat them thinly, this then stops the wires from soaking up any solder being applied afterwards and makes things much more managable. Soldering to deans connectors for instance is then a case of putting a small dab of solder onto the connector, resting the wire to be soldered on top and then gently applying the iron melding the two together.

Same principle should apply to the bullet connectors, just push the tinned wires into the connector and heat up the connector, the solder already on the wires should take to the insides of the connectors giving a nice clean joint.

[XH558]

After 40 odd years of soldering the tips I would give are similar to the above ...
1) Cleanliness of the metal is imperative.
2) Use a good flux (I have a tin I've had over 30 years) dip the bare wire ends and plug ends into it before applying heat.
3) I never use flux core solder - always use the best quality solid solder you can get - I always have some silver solder on hand for delicate jobs. I also have different melting point solders for soldering near to another already soldered joint - (silver jewellers use several different melting point solders)
4) Apply plenty of heat before applying any solder - but care as in my experience you can get it too hot as well!
5) Make sure there's no moisture/condensation present.
6) Glue off cuts of hardwood to a metal vice jaws - never use bare metal vices.
7) Never use metal pliers or tools to hold work that takes heat away and the solder will never run - use wooden clothes pegs - sharpen them with a scalpel for different jobs. (I like the oak block tip above)
8) Don't rush it - take your time - solder should always flow smoothly like mercury and never appear like paste or be opaque in colour until set.

With all the right conditions solder will wick itself into joints and the resultant joint will be ultra strong.

Just my experience over lots and lots of years

Edit - the tinning tip above is excellent too - forgot that

[kevinh]

I always tin the wires first and hold the connector in a wooden clothes peg, fill it with solder then apply heat then insert the already tinned wire into the hole

Job done

[Fixxxer]

Oh, forgot to mention, for removing stubborn solder you can buy stuff called 'solder wick' which acts much like bare wire and draws up the solder when its heated and theres the solder sucker which is like a spring loaded surringe which sucks the solder up into the body as it heats although it can be a bit fiddely

[Sao]

Dave

Things have moved on a bit over the years
I always use flux core solder, never ever had any problems with it.
It used to have a bad name back in the day but it's damn good stuff now.

Tin wires, tin connector, put two together, apply heat, job done, jump about swearing due to burnt fingers from holding the wires by hand :P

I actually prefer to use metal pliers when holding the wires on packs with short leads to stop all the heat going into the packs, not sure it does them any harm but i like to be safe rather than be left holding a flaming lipo

[philiphenderson]

Use a desoldering pump/solder sucker to remove solder from connectors after re-heating them. Works like a charm.

Remember to tin the iron tip too. This increases the area in which it can transfer heat to the connector as the solder fits the shape of the connector when the iron can't. Reduces time needed to heat things and reduces risk of a dry joint.

Tips here:

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/solder.htm

Phil.

[pompeyjohn]

thank you all !!!!!

[moyesboy]

hold things with blue tack while soldering - works a treat.
did I really read so many posts before someone posted "solder sucker".
some of my bullet connectors have been on three different ESC!

[Steve]

After 40 odd years of soldering the tips I would give are similar to the above ...
1) Cleanliness of the metal is imperative.
2) Use a good flux (I have a tin I've had over 30 years) dip the bare wire ends and plug ends into it before applying heat.
3) I never use flux core solder - always use the best quality solid solder you can get - I always have some silver solder on hand for delicate jobs. I also have different melting point solders for soldering near to another already soldered joint - (silver jewellers use several different melting point solders)
4) Apply plenty of heat before applying any solder - but care as in my experience you can get it too hot as well!
5) Make sure there's no moisture/condensation present.
6) Glue off cuts of hardwood to a metal vice jaws - never use bare metal vices.
7) Never use metal pliers or tools to hold work that takes heat away and the solder will never run - use wooden clothes pegs - sharpen them with a scalpel for different jobs. (I like the oak block tip above)
8) Don't rush it - take your time - solder should always flow smoothly like mercury and never appear like paste or be opaque in colour until set.

With all the right conditions solder will wick itself into joints and the resultant joint will be ultra strong.

Just my experience over lots and lots of years

Edit - the tinning tip above is excellent too - forgot that

Please clarify.

Which flux is a good one and where do you get it?

Which solder is a good one and where do you get it?

etc etc etc?