Tone Meister
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About "Cold" Solder Joints
- Thread starter GuitarDoc
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Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
I've been soldering for 65 years and know what I'm talking about. That article you linked is very contradictory...he even says..."Most solder melts around 180 to 190 degrees Celsius, that is 360 to 370 degrees Fahrenheit." which is consistent with what I said. But then he says "Maybe 250 degrees Celsius is enough". That's 482 degrees F...way more than you need. And then he says..."I usually solder with a temperature between 350 degrees Celsius and 400 degrees Celsius (660 to 750 Fahrenheit)". He is using TWICE as much heat as even HE just said is actually needed, and so is essentially saying he doesn't know what he is doing. Look at my pictures in my other thread ("Soldering 101 Pictures")! Does it look like I needed more heat?! I was using 420 degrees F which was actually more than I needed. I only used that much heat because I wanted to make sure my examples look perfect.
Look, you can find anything on the internet. You could probably even find an article that says you need 500 degrees C (930 F) to solder with professional results. But the FACT is...that simply is NOT true!! Period!!
If you are saying that 400 degrees F "isn't anywhere hot enough for professional soldering", then you are saying that I don't know what I'm doing and that my soldering is not professional. Just look at my pictures again!
However, if you are saying that you use the same high heat that the writer of that article suggests, then you are either saying that you are as bad as he apparently is and that YOU don't know what YOU are doing regardless of your "experience", or you are saying that you are using a way under-powered soldering iron with a tiny pencil tip and that you are not using the right tools for the job.
Really, before you start giving advice as if you know what you're talking about, then you'd better KNOW what you're talking about.
I've been soldering for 65 years and know what I'm talking about. That article you linked is very contradictory...he even says..."Most solder melts around 180 to 190 degrees Celsius, that is 360 to 370 degrees Fahrenheit." which is consistent with what I said. But then he says "Maybe 250 degrees Celsius is enough". That's 482 degrees F...way more than you need. And then he says..."I usually solder with a temperature between 350 degrees Celsius and 400 degrees Celsius (660 to 750 Fahrenheit)". He is using TWICE as much heat as even HE just said is actually needed, and so is essentially saying he doesn't know what he is doing. Look at my pictures in my other thread ("Soldering 101 Pictures")! Does it look like I needed more heat?! I was using 420 degrees F which was actually more than I needed. I only used that much heat because I wanted to make sure my examples look perfect.
Look, you can find anything on the internet. You could probably even find an article that says you need 500 degrees C (930 F) to solder with professional results. But the FACT is...that simply is NOT true!! Period!!
If you are saying that 400 degrees F "isn't anywhere hot enough for professional soldering", then you are saying that I don't know what I'm doing and that my soldering is not professional. Just look at my pictures again!
However, if you are saying that you use the same high heat that the writer of that article suggests, then you are either saying that you are as bad as he apparently is and that YOU don't know what YOU are doing regardless of your "experience", or you are saying that you are using a way under-powered soldering iron with a tiny pencil tip and that you are not using the right tools for the job.
Really, before you start giving advice as if you know what you're talking about, then you'd better KNOW what you're talking about.
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Tone Meister
New member
Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
The temps you mention are not consistent with any tech I've ever known. I don't know how or why you do it, but as far as I'm concerned it's defacto erroneous information.
That's my last comment on the matter
The temps you mention are not consistent with any tech I've ever known. I don't know how or why you do it, but as far as I'm concerned it's defacto erroneous information.
That's my last comment on the matter
mojosman
New member
Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
Great point. I went to a technical high school and took electronics as my shop. Our teacher could very often spot a cold solder joint just by the outward appearance of the solder. Obviously not always, but he would spot them quite often. The solder on a proper connection does often look different from one that resulted in cold solder joint. Soldering isn’t rocket science, but it’s a skill that takes a bit of learning. Especially when printed circuit boards are in play.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great point. I went to a technical high school and took electronics as my shop. Our teacher could very often spot a cold solder joint just by the outward appearance of the solder. Obviously not always, but he would spot them quite often. The solder on a proper connection does often look different from one that resulted in cold solder joint. Soldering isn’t rocket science, but it’s a skill that takes a bit of learning. Especially when printed circuit boards are in play.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
It's OBVIOUSLY NOT erroneous info!!! Look at my pics in the other thread. (Have you even looked at them yet?)
It's not smoke and mirrors. I actually DID make perfect solder joints using 420 degrees F. (which could have even been 400 F). I backed up what I have said with proof...actual pics of my results. Nothing erroneous about that. However, you only back up what you have said by posting an article which gives THREE different temps, the actual facts of the melting point of 60/40 solder, and two other erroneous temps which have nothing to do with the melting point. And neither you, nor the article you provided, have given any proof or pictures of what you claim.
Of course you can solder with 750-800 F like you say you do. You could even solder with 1000-2000 F. But if you know what you are doing, and you are using adequate equipment (that can maintain/sustain 400 F), you don't need that much heat.
And those are the accurate facts.
It's OBVIOUSLY NOT erroneous info!!! Look at my pics in the other thread. (Have you even looked at them yet?)
It's not smoke and mirrors. I actually DID make perfect solder joints using 420 degrees F. (which could have even been 400 F). I backed up what I have said with proof...actual pics of my results. Nothing erroneous about that. However, you only back up what you have said by posting an article which gives THREE different temps, the actual facts of the melting point of 60/40 solder, and two other erroneous temps which have nothing to do with the melting point. And neither you, nor the article you provided, have given any proof or pictures of what you claim.
Of course you can solder with 750-800 F like you say you do. You could even solder with 1000-2000 F. But if you know what you are doing, and you are using adequate equipment (that can maintain/sustain 400 F), you don't need that much heat.
And those are the accurate facts.
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Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
Keep in mind that what I have been saying, recommending using 400-450 F, is coming from the perspective of having equipment powerful enough to maintain that temperature while actually soldering to the back of a pot.
If you have at least a 60 watt iron, you're probably OK. If you have a 40 watt iron, you can do the job but you should keep it as hot as it can get while soldering to pots. If your iron is less than 40 watts, you should seriously consider getting a better one. It will be fine for soldering small gauge wires together, but it won't sustain enough heat to solder to the back of a pot without getting a cold solder joint or potentially damaging the innards of your pot.
Keep in mind that what I have been saying, recommending using 400-450 F, is coming from the perspective of having equipment powerful enough to maintain that temperature while actually soldering to the back of a pot.
If you have at least a 60 watt iron, you're probably OK. If you have a 40 watt iron, you can do the job but you should keep it as hot as it can get while soldering to pots. If your iron is less than 40 watts, you should seriously consider getting a better one. It will be fine for soldering small gauge wires together, but it won't sustain enough heat to solder to the back of a pot without getting a cold solder joint or potentially damaging the innards of your pot.
Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
A 60 watt "howitzer" with a chisel point should be good-to-go.
A 60 watt "howitzer" with a chisel point should be good-to-go.
Re: About "Cold" Solder Joints
Agreed. I just overkill. I know it’s not necessary but it works for me.
Only half is the heat, the other half is how much mass is at the tip to retain it and surface area at the tip to transfer what it needs quickly. Chisel is perfect for grounds.
Agreed. I just overkill. I know it’s not necessary but it works for me.
Only half is the heat, the other half is how much mass is at the tip to retain it and surface area at the tip to transfer what it needs quickly. Chisel is perfect for grounds.
