ehdwuld
A Ficus
we good
just wondering why you were against the idea
thanks for clarifying :beerchug:
Took the cover off of a humbucker...how do I fix this?
- Thread starter pentatonicwanker
- Start date
we good
just wondering why you were against the idea
thanks for clarifying :beerchug:
ErikH
Well-known member
40w should be fine. Make sure the tip is cleaned and tinned. Might need a wider tip to better heat dispersion. I have a Weller variable temp iron that works great.
Right, will have to try with a chisel tip next time, been using conical ones for convenience. Thanks
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
It's the temperature that allows you to solder jobs that require more heat dispersion. So if you have a variable temp iron that gets up to 700 or so, that'll do the job. A little 40 watt iron that isn't variable temp likely won't do the job. If the tip doesn't start to glow a little bit, it won't be hot enough for pot backs and bridges. Either get a variable temp one, or get a 80 or 100+ watt one. You can use the little 40 watt iron for pot and switch lugs and the big fat one for pot backs, humbucker covers, or bridges.
Yeah, Clint is right. An iron with close to 100W and a chisel tip for soldering covers on pups is best. The 40W is good for lugs and probably fine for pot backs, but the 100W is better.
You can't hurt a pot or pup cover with a 100W iron, but you CAN with a 40W iron. It's not so much the amount of heat on the back of a pot or cover that will destroy it, but rather how LONG the heat stays in contact with the pot. With a 40W iron you need to keep the iron in contact with the pot a long time to get it hot enough to melt the solder. This time causes the heat to dissipate throughout all of the pot, possibly causing damage. And with a 40W iron you will tend to add lots of solder quickly without getting the pot back hot enough (for fear of hurting it) and you will get solder "blobs and "cold solder joints". With a high watt iron, it heats the pot instantly and melts the solder before the heat has time to dissipate to the more delicate parts of the pot.
Just remember three things for soldering excellence: 1) "Meat follows heat", meaning, heat the metal and let the solder flow onto it...do not heat the solder and let it drip onto the (cold-er) metal. that gives you "cold" solder joints and solder blobs. 2) Keep the solder as thin as water, just barely enough to coat the wire and lug/pot back. Too much solder just adds more heat, that you don't want, and it doesn't contribute anything AT ALL to the strength of the joint. 3) A lot of heat for a short duration of time is MUCH, MUCH better than a small amount of heat for a long period of time.
[I've been referring to potential damage to pots, but everything is multiplied 10 times when soldering a pup cover on. The metals are much thicker and take much more heat to get them hot enough to melt solder. If the heat (even a small amount) is left on too long the least damage that can happen is melting the wax potting. But the solder connections INSIDE the pup can be melted and even the thin winding wire can be damaged. And the cost of a pup is also 10 times the cost of a pot]
So be careful and use a heat sink if possible.
You can't hurt a pot or pup cover with a 100W iron, but you CAN with a 40W iron. It's not so much the amount of heat on the back of a pot or cover that will destroy it, but rather how LONG the heat stays in contact with the pot. With a 40W iron you need to keep the iron in contact with the pot a long time to get it hot enough to melt the solder. This time causes the heat to dissipate throughout all of the pot, possibly causing damage. And with a 40W iron you will tend to add lots of solder quickly without getting the pot back hot enough (for fear of hurting it) and you will get solder "blobs and "cold solder joints". With a high watt iron, it heats the pot instantly and melts the solder before the heat has time to dissipate to the more delicate parts of the pot.
Just remember three things for soldering excellence: 1) "Meat follows heat", meaning, heat the metal and let the solder flow onto it...do not heat the solder and let it drip onto the (cold-er) metal. that gives you "cold" solder joints and solder blobs. 2) Keep the solder as thin as water, just barely enough to coat the wire and lug/pot back. Too much solder just adds more heat, that you don't want, and it doesn't contribute anything AT ALL to the strength of the joint. 3) A lot of heat for a short duration of time is MUCH, MUCH better than a small amount of heat for a long period of time.
[I've been referring to potential damage to pots, but everything is multiplied 10 times when soldering a pup cover on. The metals are much thicker and take much more heat to get them hot enough to melt solder. If the heat (even a small amount) is left on too long the least damage that can happen is melting the wax potting. But the solder connections INSIDE the pup can be melted and even the thin winding wire can be damaged. And the cost of a pup is also 10 times the cost of a pot]
So be careful and use a heat sink if possible.
Sorry OP for hijacking the thread, yet very useful tips being posted here. Heat matters, really does. I had to fix a screw hole on a JB trembucker baseplate that got way, way too loose with time. It's one of my fav pickups and had to fix it, so I bought a set of small solder lugs, sanded the small hole side, cut it to size and tried to solder it to the base plate. What a fscken pita with the 40w Mickey mouse toy. Got the job done eventually but very frustrating, the heat dissipates through the base plate and the little fella just doesn't cut it.
Now-a-days it's ridiculous not to have a 100W iron...they are so cheap! Here's a kit for under $15 that has a digital display and adjustable heat up to 932 degrees, 5 extra tips, a sponge tip cleaner, and solder.
https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Dm...&sprefix=100+w+soldering+iron,aps,199&sr=8-16
But instead of using the wet sponge to keep the iron tip clean, use this (not only does it clean the tip better, but it doesn't cool it down like the wet sponge):
https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Cl...32&sprefix=soldering+iron,aps,311&sr=8-7&th=1
I would also recommend using flux paste in a tube or syringe (easier to use than liquid or thick paste in a tin).
I use flux every time I use the solder (even my rosin core solder). It makes the solder flow even better. Works especially good on hard to solder or hard to heat metals (like pup covers and baseplates). I also use the tip cleaner every time I pick up my iron off its stand, and every time I put it back on the stand. My iron tip never gets gunked up...always shiny clean.
https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Dm...&sprefix=100+w+soldering+iron,aps,199&sr=8-16
But instead of using the wet sponge to keep the iron tip clean, use this (not only does it clean the tip better, but it doesn't cool it down like the wet sponge):
https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Cl...32&sprefix=soldering+iron,aps,311&sr=8-7&th=1
I would also recommend using flux paste in a tube or syringe (easier to use than liquid or thick paste in a tin).
I use flux every time I use the solder (even my rosin core solder). It makes the solder flow even better. Works especially good on hard to solder or hard to heat metals (like pup covers and baseplates). I also use the tip cleaner every time I pick up my iron off its stand, and every time I put it back on the stand. My iron tip never gets gunked up...always shiny clean.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
I like that it is similar to what I do. I have a piece of 320 sandpaper next to me and give each side of the tip a couple of passes on the paper.
Sounds like you're not cleaning it regularly. Even using a wet sponge is better than nothing, but the brass ribbon cleaners are best.
