soldering

[rash_powder]

I am peeved!!

I have two sodering tools, a 15/30 watt no-name (maybe Radio Shack) pencil and a 150/230 watt Craftsman gun. Neither of them are worth a damn.

The pencil takes forever to get warm, and then it is barely warm enough to make a mark on your skin if you touch it.

The gun, well it is a different bird for sure. The tip gets hot, but only after the yoke right behind it tuns cherry red. Then, it doesn't transfer enough heat to your work.

I am trying to assemble my powerpole connectors. Just put the little silver tab-things on the wire. I can't tin the wire as the gun sucks and the pencil doesn't get hot enough. I can't assemble the connector and heat it up, as the gun won't transfer heat to the work.

I know how to solder. We did it in high school and college. Probably a little rusty, but it will come back.

To be sure, though, you heat the work and melt the solder to it, correct?

Or, insert the wire to the powerpole tab, heat the tab and apply solder to the joint and it should flow in, right?

What am I doing wrong?

rash

[EagleOne]

Sounds like you need to clean the connections on you tip! take it out and use some sandpaper to clean it up, and replace it and see what it does...

As for the soldering part: You have to "tin" both ends, melt solder to the wire and to whatever you soldering it to, then melt the 2 together. Good luck, if you can get either to work, Hobbico makes a GREAT soldering iron for like $5.99...

Here is a link: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXPR36&P=ML

Later,
Jake

[tmaxxking1]

pick up some flux

and what type of solder are you using

[Reflection]

EagleOne is correct. Tinning the work is the KEY. I use a little 30 watt pencil tip gun to build my Sub C packs. I use the same 30 watt gun for servo wires or anything else.