soldering to pot

lex666

lex666

New member
Hey guys,

do you have any tips or tricks for soldering to the back of a pot?

this is getting really frustrating... the solder won't stick, and I've tried it dozens of times. I've tried starting with a blob of solder on the pot, but that doesn;t work. I've tried starting with a blob on the wire and that doesn;t work. I've tried putting a blob on both and soldering them together, but then the blob on the pot comes off! AARRGGHHH! I've tried scraping off residue etc with flat head screw driver, and still nothing will stick...


any help please?
 
Re: soldering to pot

I use the 50 watt setting on my Weller soldering station...Make sure you sand the back of the pot shiny and flux helps get the area you are soldering hotter and helps melt the solder.Try to only make a small shiny puddle and don't keep heat on the pot too long or you'll ruin the pot.
 
Re: soldering to pot

Also, clean the pot surface very well before soldering. I use emery cloth, but others will likely have better suggestions.

What wattage of iron are you using?

The 2 replies above were posted while I was doing this.......so mine is redundant

Dave
 
Last edited:
Re: soldering to pot

If I solder to the case of a pot, here's what I do:
Carefully sand the part of the pot casing I want to solder, using a fine paper. Next I apply some solder to this part of the pot, and keep the Iron in place until the solder flows out. Then apply some solder to the wire ( it soaks up in the wire end). Finaly you can solder your wire to the pot. And you don't need a 40 watt iron for this, just make sure the tip is always clean and pre tinned.
 
Re: soldering to pot

Roosje Urbach said:
If I solder to the case of a pot, here's what I do:
Carefully sand the part of the pot casing I want to solder, using a fine paper. Next I apply some solder to this part of the pot, and keep the Iron in place until the solder flows out. Then apply some solder to the wire ( it soaks up in the wire end). Finaly you can solder your wire to the pot. And you don't need a 40 watt iron for this, just make sure the tip is always clean and pre tinned.
Click to expand...


sure you DONT NEED a 40 watt iron to do this.....but with a hotter iron it is so much faster + easier.
 
Re: soldering to pot

ksmith63, you are right!!! I am just trying to help. I have used a good 25 watt soldering iron (Antex) for several years of professional guitar repair, without any problem. I now use an 80 watt Weller and don't want to go back.
I just think if someone has little experience, good soldering practise is of better help than just the expensive consumerism of buying a new Iron.
 
Re: soldering to pot

Thanks for your help guys...

I'm not sure what wattage my iron is. Its a fixed wattage iron I got from Sears several years ago. I didn't use it very often and has worked well on most projects, so I've never thought of replacing it. Maybe now is the time to get a better one tho. Seems like I'm doing more with it now adn I have more pick up projects coming up in the future...

Thanks for the tips too.
 
Re: soldering to pot

No one has mentioned that some pot casings simply are not solderable. If they are steel or aluminum, they won't take solder, and even if you think you have been able to solder to it, it's most likely a cold solder joint.

lex666, have these pots been used before, and has there been previous soldering done to the case before? If yes, then what's suggested above should help. But if they're brand new, they may not take solder. What brand are they? If you absolutely can't get solder to take to them, then get a large ground lug, which looks like a large toothed lock washer that you put under the pot, and it has a a long side piece that extends out to a solder lug, which you can bend and make your connections to.

Noth
 
Re: soldering to pot

noth said:
No one has mentioned that some pot casings simply are not solderable. If they are steel or aluminum, they won't take solder, and even if you think you have been able to solder to it, it's most likely a cold solder joint.

lex666, have these pots been used before, and has there been previous soldering done to the case before? If yes, then what's suggested above should help. But if they're brand new, they may not take solder. What brand are they? If you absolutely can't get solder to take to them, then get a large ground lug, which looks like a large toothed lock washer that you put under the pot, and it has a a long side piece that extends out to a solder lug, which you can bend and make your connections to.

Noth
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip.

Yes, its been soldered before. Its the original Gibson pot in my LP. I tried scraping off the old (and new) residue with a screw driver, but maybe I should invest a dollar and try sand paper...

By "cold solder" do you mean that it appears to stick for a while, but with a slight touch it comes undone after it cools? If so, thats whats been happening to me all day and really frustating me. I'd think I'm done and plug in and get a really bad buzz because the grounding wire is no longer soldered to the pot.
 
Re: soldering to pot

Thanks Noth....I didn't know that some pot cases can't be solodered. Glad I know it now, or I would be trying over and over again and getting very pi**ed off.

I know of some guys that prefer to use the ground lug approach all the time.

Thanks again.

Dave
 
Re: soldering to pot

Have a look on your iron again...see if the wattage is written anywhere on it. One forumbro who was frustrated with his soldering found out that his iron was a shattering 6 watts....he bought a new one and lived happily ever after.

A cold solder joint is just as you described. There are other forms of cold joints also...but that is not important now. The finished joint usually looks shiney and not dull or grainy looking. Apparently, some of the new solder is not all that shiney. Others will comment on this.
 
Re: soldering to pot

another important thing to remember is to get as much surface contact between your soldering iron and the part you are soldering too,more surface contact equals better heat transfer.
 
Re: soldering to pot

This is what I do for soldering to the back of a pot, but I think it pretty much applies to guitar soldering in general (except maybe for the widest tip part):

-use the widest tip you have for the back of the pot
-let iron (40-45 watts) heat up. when solder flows onto it, its ready to go.
-tin (tinning is applying a thin layer of solder to every surface to be soldered) tip before using it for the first time and keep it wet throughout process. dry tip wont work
-scuff up back of pot
-put flux on pot
-tin back of pot
-put flux on wire
-tin wire
-put flux on pot and wire again
-put solder on tip until a tear drop forms (doing it this way prevents the need for a 3rd hand!)
-put wire on pot
-put tip on wire and pot
-solder will flow onto both
-remove tip but hold wire on pot for a sec or two
-unplug soldering iron
-your done

*NEVER use a soldering gun, only a soldering iron. If in the process of tinning the back of the pot you leave too much solder behind, remove the excess with copper solder braid.
 
Re: soldering to pot

Everything that has been mentioned is good advice, the 40 watt weller solved my problem with soldering pots. The 30 watt radio shack I was using before was much more difficult.

When I was wiring my USAC I could not get the central ground wire to stick to the bottom of the hipshot bridge to save my life. What I finally did was clip a lug off of an old crap pot, bend it into a C shape and super glue it to the bottom of the bridge, and just solder the wire to the lug. That worked like a charm. I have never done it to a pot, I don't know if would work the same.
 
Re: soldering to pot

lex666 said:
Thanks for that tip.

Yes, its been soldered before. Its the original Gibson pot in my LP. I tried scraping off the old (and new) residue with a screw driver, but maybe I should invest a dollar and try sand paper...

By "cold solder" do you mean that it appears to stick for a while, but with a slight touch it comes undone after it cools? If so, thats whats been happening to me all day and really frustating me. I'd think I'm done and plug in and get a really bad buzz because the grounding wire is no longer soldered to the pot.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly what I mean - there's no electrical contact. Sometimes it can even seem quite secure mechanically, and still be cold! If you have a meter, try measuring the resistance (continuity) between the pot case and the other end of the soldered wire.

Noth
 
Re: soldering to pot

I would think the 45 watt craftsman would be better, although I have no personal experience with it. I have had a good experience with my 40 watt weller as well, it was $18 at home depot.
 
Re: soldering to pot

lex666 said:
Thanks for the tips you guys.

Turns out I am using a 30 watt soldering iron...

anyways, would this 45 watt be better?

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...g+Tools+&+Accessories&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1

...or please recommend a new iron for me. I hear alot of you guys use Weller? Where can I find one?
Click to expand...

What's often overlooked is not the soldering iron wattage but the tip temperature. A 30 Watt iron should be fine, as long it has a tip that reaches at least 700 degrees. The real electronics industry irons have either a dial for setting tip temperature, or interchangable tips which have a fixed temperature (lower cost but just as good). Also, the tip size comes into play; the more heat you need the larger the tip should be, otherwise the connecting parts will suck the heat out of the tip too quickly and it will go cold. Generally, use 700 degrees with a small tip for fine work; 800 degrees with a larger tip for heavier work(heavier wires; back of pots); 900 degrees and a large tip for real heavy wire, buss bars, and large parts that can handle that much heat.

Here's the first type of iron, with changable tips:

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103001146

Here's the one with adjustable temp:

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103191328

These are pricy, but you also find ones without the base unit, that plug directly into the wall, and have the changable tips. This one's about $40 (Weller WP30):

http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Cooper Tools/Web Photo/WP30.jpg

You can also look for imported versions of the above that cost much less.

Noth
 
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