Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

[RandolphCarter15]

I am trying to replace my pickups, and got a 30w soldering iron from Musicians Friend. That seemed weak, but it was all they had, so I figured it's right. But I can't get it to melt the old solder connecting the pickup to the volume pot and I'm worried about leaving it on too long. What's the maximum time before I break it? Do I just need a stronger iron?

 

[Cdwillis]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Did you tin the tip of the iron before you started heating the old solder connection? I have a 30 watt iron and it will do the job. I think a 40 watt would be quicker for melting bigger spots of solder onto the back of pots, but 30 will do it.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

30 watts should be fine. I've been using a cheap 30 watt purchased from Radio Shack . . . it has worked fine for soldering pots, building pedals, pulling frets, and doing guitar electronics.

 

[Techy Beccy]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Yeah its not easy, takes ages! Maybe buy a different one!
I just had my old cheepy that went to 40 overheat and .. gone .. I think because I left it one for too long!
I upgraded to a still cheep one that has a 30/60 adjustable switch - its better but you gotta be careful with higher setting not to fry the pots!!

Also like the poster above mentioned - tin the tip and try get the solder going a bit. The size if the tip can make a difference too. I had a small pointy tip that was pretty useless so I ground it down to a flat angle which helped for a while.
Good luck.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Yes, you need a stronger iron. I use a 45 watt for lugs and an 100 watt for pot backs that liquifies the solder immediately.

 

[RandolphCarter15]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

thanks everyone. I am hesitant to buy a more expensive iron at this point until I know I'll actually be able to use it (a "simple" pickup switchout keeps getting more pricey and complex). I was having trouble getting the solder to stick to the iron, and based on internet research that suggests the tip is dirty (despite being brand new). So I sanded some residue off, cleaned with a sponge, and will get some flux and rosin core solder (the stuff they sold through Musician's Friend wasn't that). Then I'll try again.

All I'm trying to do at this point is just get the pickups out (they were new SD P-Rails with Triple-Shots that tech support thinks are defective). I was tempted to just cut the wires, but want to follow proper procedure.

Wish me luck

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

You might just be using poor soldering technique. You're heating up the wires/back of the pot and then touching the solder to the wires/back of pot to melt, right? I often see folks try to solder by just dripping loads of stuff from the hot iron onto the target and then not understanding why things aren't working properly.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Just spend $15 on an iron with more watts.

 

[RandolphCarter15]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Thanks. At this point I'm trying to disconnect the old pickups. So I'm hearing the solder on the beck of the pot to pull out the wires but it isn't melting.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Also, most current amps and guitars are using lead-free solder, as anything sold in the UK requires it. Lead free is a PITA, it takes a lot more heat to melt it. That might be adding to your problem.
Al

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Yeah, like I said, cheapie 40 or 45 watt for the lugs and 80 or 100 watt for pot backs I've found works best.

 

[dave74]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

If you use a chisel-tip then lessor-watt irons will work fine.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Power ("Wattage") is largely about how long the tip maintains temperature when applied to the work, and how fast it recovers the lost temperature when removed from the work. Power is not about achieving a certain temperature; it's about the stability of that temperature. You need lots of power if: 1) you are jumping quickly from joint to joint, 2) you are doing longer applications of the iron, and 3) you are heating large physical areas with the iron.

30W should do the trick, but I can see it being slow going if working on a big-ol' blob of solder in the back of a larger object like a pot casing.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Yeah its not easy, takes ages! Maybe buy a different one!
I just had my old cheepy that went to 40 overheat and .. gone .. I think because I left it one for too long!
I upgraded to a still cheep one that has a 30/60 adjustable switch - its better but you gotta be careful with higher setting not to fry the pots!!

Also like the poster above mentioned - tin the tip and try get the solder going a bit. The size if the tip can make a difference too. I had a small pointy tip that was pretty useless so I ground it down to a flat angle which helped for a while.
Good luck.

The hotter iron won't fry the pot as much as the lower powered iron that has to be left on the pot for longer time.

A 40 watt iron is really a minimum...50 works much better.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Higher wattage and chisel point. And what ItsaBass said about the importance of high wattage to maintain the heat to the tip of the iron.

 

[nexion218]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Listen to Doc and Dave74! Use a tip that has a bigger surface. When using a tiny tip (like I did when I first tried doing electronics on a guitar), you have to heat the joint for ages, as you are heating maybe a half sqmm area and you have multiple sqcms of roomtemperature pothousing for the heat to dissipate into. So your joint won't melt until you register enough heat through that small point that the surroundings become somewhat hot and the heat can "build up" in the joint instead of dissipating into the surroundings. By using a larger area tip, you can heat up the joint on a bigger surface, resulting in faster melting and thus preventing the surrounding stuff to take up too much heat. My soldering station is rated at 40 W, but that makes it go up to 300-400 Celsius on max and you most certainly don't need that much heat. That'll burn the solder and wax and it'll literally go up in smoke. Bad for your lungs and for your work too. I hardly go beyond halfway of its power

 

[Frethead.]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

Thanks. At this point I'm trying to disconnect the old pickups. So I'm hearing the solder on the beck of the pot to pull out the wires but it isn't melting.

Hey man, I just went through the exact same thing last week. I got a 40 watt iron from RadioShack and even with that I couldn't for the life of me get the existing solder joint on the back of the pot to melt. I ended up actually burning out the volume pot. Went and got a new pot for $5 bucks at guitar center and installed the new humbucker no problem.

The problem is I'm assuming that the existing solder joints are lead free solder, so it's got a much higher melting point. If you're having trouble melting with your current iron and don't want to buy a new one, just buy a new pot for $5 and install the pickups on that one. Get the 60/40 rosin core solder, I guarantee you will be able to melt that with your current iron no problem.

Edit: I'm not ashamed to admit that someone with more experience could do it no problem, but for never having done it before, $5 for a new pot and no hassle is fine with me

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

For like the 4th time lol... Just get an 100 watt iron for the jobs that need a lot of heat like pot backs where you don't have to worry about frying a lug.

 

[robo]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

I am trying to replace my pickups, and got a 30w soldering iron from Musicians Friend. That seemed weak, but it was all they had, so I figured it's right. But I can't get it to melt the old solder connecting the pickup to the volume pot and I'm worried about leaving it on too long. What's the maximum time before I break it? Do I just need a stronger iron?

I'm no pro but I've soldered quite a lot of guitars through the years. I have a 30w and I have come to realize that it need to be really warm before you start. I leave mine in a stand for 15 mins before I get going. Then it works really well. But if I go at it after just 5 minutes then the tin will not melt. I guess mine is a slow starter. Maybe this works for your iron to?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Is a 30w soldering iron enough?

I'm no pro but I've soldered quite a lot of guitars through the years. I have a 30w and I have come to realize that it need to be really warm before you start. I leave mine in a stand for 15 mins before I get going. Then it works really well. But if I go at it after just 5 minutes then the tin will not melt. I guess mine is a slow starter. Maybe this works for your iron to?

That's also what I do with my 30 watt iron. Also, as has been recommended, use a chisel tip rather than a thin point if your soldering the back of pots. There's no real need for anything higher than a 30 watts for guitar/pedal soldering.