How To Solder Ultimate Guide -EricTheCarGuy
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- I produced a video about this a few years back and honestly, it wasn't as good as I would have hoped. Here's a link.
• How To Solder Wires To...
Since then I've improved my skills and my tools and I believe I have a much better video for you as a result. As they say however, practice makes perfect. So if you want to get good at soldering, get yourself some 60/40 solder, a good soldering iron, and some scrap wire you can practice with. Before you know it, you'll be an expert.
Camera: Brian Kast
Special thanks to Ryan Blace who provided some tools and connectors that weren't seen in this video. There is however an extended version of this video which does feature this extra footage that is available to Premium Members on my website. More information here.
Information on Premium Membership: www.ericthecarguy.com/premium...
The best place for answers to your automotive questions: www.ericthecarguy.com
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Weller Soldering Station: www.jbtoolsales.com/weller-wes...
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Butane: www.jbtoolsales.com/k-tool-700...
Wire Stripper: www.jbtoolsales.com/titan-tool...
40/60 Solder: www.jbtoolsales.com/firepower-...
Soldering Paste Flux: www.jbtoolsales.com/shark-1203...
Soldering clamp: www.jbtoolsales.com/lisle-5500...
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I love the non-intentional noise of the clock ticking when you were doing the solder lol
And an extra long joint at that perfect timing
15:09 lol patience is key I am learning.
It's crazy how much judgement videos like this bring out. Explaining how to do a simple task and so much negativity comes from it (referring to the older video). I worked in a development center with hundreds of engineers, and I can tell you the amount of thought that went into soldering for development vehicles (read: not production) was quite little. Soldering is a very forgivable task and it's easy to achieve an outcome that works. Don't over think it when it isn't worth the time based on your individual scenario. There's a big difference between soldering your speaker connections at home, and producing 10,000,000 vehicles off of a production line.
Well put!!!
+Engineering Explained I disagree. If you're bad at something, you shouldn't be in the business of teaching it. There are already good soldering tutorials on youtube by people who actually know what they're doing. Recommending plumbing flux for electronics, in automotive no less? Unforgivable. Say hello to corrosion in a few months…
Exactly! It kind of reminds me of when I dabbled in the Class A CDL area of employment. Everyone is the best! So it was hard to learn from a specific place. The best thing to do is get the general idea from a source and then perfect your
own method bc soldering is one of those things that you have to get a feel for yourself. Everyone works at their own speed so temp settings and iron speed won't be the same for everybody. So with that being said...I appreciate Eric for taking his time to show the ropes! Now it's time for people to quit complaining and do their own thing with this info that Eric took his time to do. Shout out to you EE as well! I love your vids and have been subbed to your channel for a while. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Lead free solder IS harder to work with Eric it's a well known fact, although you would get used to using it once you'd got the iron, solder, flux types etc working together properly.
60/40 is 'leaded' solder (it contains lead) it's actually 60% tin 40% lead and is easier to work as you have found out :)
63/37 solder is also very good, it's known as eutectic, which means it has a very short space of time between it's liquid and solid states. This can be a great help as there's almost no time having to hold the wires together whilst the solder cools & solidifies.
Also.. even though the wire is flux cored, it doesn't harm to still use a little liquid flux too, especially on wire that could have oil residue on it (e.g in a garage etc :) )
Great vid mate
A few tips for automotive guys:
1. For automotive use, always use heat shrink tubing with highest shrink ratio. I use 4:1 adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. It gives much thicker wall after shrinking. I found 2:1 ratio heat shrink tubing don't have thicker wall after shrinking and the joint will prone to getting punctured.
2. Don't use acid based flux.
3. Always use adhesive lined heat shrink tubing, especially in exposed areas to water proof your joint.
4. Use heat gun to evenly shrink the tubing. Lighter can be used in emergency.
5. If you are joint is bigger, want to joint wires of larger gauge, using the narrow tip of soldering iron will not give that much heat, move the joint a bit backward to the thicker side to the tip. It will heat up the joint quickly and you will be able to solder quickly.
This is what I learned over a re-wiring job that I have done recently and I want to share with the community. Happy to hear for more suggestions.
Thanks!
You need to use 3M silicone dielectric grease on top of the soldered joint before shrink tube!
Soldering is much more involved than what was presented here. You must choose the correct type of solder and its diameter, as well as the correct amount and type of flux for the job being done. The Weller soldering station probably has many different tips available for it to do different types of soldering jobs, I know my Weller station has about 6 or 7 different tips available for it. Setting the temperature just above the melting temp of the solder is much better than just setting it on the highest temp setting. In this case it didn't really matter because it was just the soldering of a piece of wire to itself, but if you are soldering heat sensitive electrical components they might not stand up to the heat and a heat sync may be needed to lower the amount of heat that reaches the component that is being soldered. Soldering for plumbing is totally different than electrical and usually involves a propane or MAPP gas torch with a lot more heat. Since soldering in automotive cases, for me at least, usually involves connecting broken wires back together, I prefer to use My Weller dual temp soldering gun unless I have to solder something that I need to use a lower heat setting. Silver solder is more expensive and generally not needed for automotive soldering with one exception. I would use it to resolder the connectors for the rear window wire connection tabs or the soldered wires to power the heated rear window should they ever need repair if they ever come off the solder joint on the window. In that case it will require a lot of heat with a heavy duty soldering gun.
Always make sure that the tip is tightened to the soldering pencil or gun. A loose tip will not get heated to the temperature needed to melt the solder. Unleaded solder and leaded solder have different melting points they both work fine and are used for different soldering jobs. The solder core comes in different types also rosin core and acid core. know which one to use for the job you are doing.
Thank you for your input John!
Why do you use silver solder for rear window wire connection tabs? Are there any other tips for doing this successfully?
spelunkerd I used to work at the Chrysler McGraw Glass Plant. The solder they used for repair work was Sn 25 Pb 62 Bi 10 Ag 3 for soldering the clips and pigtails onto the glass. The heating lines on the backlite are silkscreen printed on the glass with a silver paste and then the glass is sent through the furnace for bending and setting the silver paste into the glass. This is how Chrysler did theirs. I would assume other auto manufacturers did theirs nearly the same.
John B. Kobberstad With the increased complexity of working with lead-free solder, wouldn't it be easier to use 60/40 solder for those tabs? I"m not sure I can find solder that matches the ratio you quote.... Or, is the issue high heat and high resistance without a small amount of silver to promote conduction and raise melting point?
You can buy silver bearing solder in many places. Radio Shack even has it. The reason for the silver is that it conducts better than lead/tin and still melts at a low enough temperature that it doesn't damage the pads on the glass.
You are getting better, well done. But I have few tips for you. To clean a tip, brass solder tip cleaner is much better than sponge, it cleans all sides of tip at once and doesn't cool it so much like damp sponge, which prolongs tip's life - try it and you'll never go back to sponge. Another tip, dont push solder wire to joint too soon, it draws heat back, so it takes you longer to melt it, also that rosin core has lower melting point than solder itself, so you are burning it away while it still cannot melt the solder, so preheat for few seconds, than apply solder. By the way, the Edd China method is official method used by NASA, so it is NASA method, they do it, because you don't have to touch the wires, so they are perfectly clean and also if you'll desolder them, they are nice and straight, ready to be soldered again.
Awesome. Thanks for your input!
23 year avionics technician and I was trained and certified to the NASA Standard... your "Edd China" method is called a Lap Splice. There are actually other types and methods... if you have a few hours and beer read this:
www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/87394.pdf
Thomas Jackson Excellent link for reference. IDK how much it delves into soldering because I just looked it over. But, for cable management, shielding, termination, etc. it's absolutely WORTH a read. I've been in in the Electronics and Electrical fields/trade for 30+ years. State licensed, Degrees in Design and Engineering, w/numerous certifications (CT-S, etc.). If it's good enough for NASA, it's a safe bet it's good enough for your car, or anything else you're working on!
Rosin doesn't melt the solder. It eats away at the oxide layer of the metal you are soldering. Solder doesn't like to "stick" to oxide layers, so by adding rosin which is slightly acidic you eat away at that protective layer and the solder will then flow onto the metal faster, more easily, and more thoroughly.
Again, I definitely appreciate the fact that you're contributing to CZcams. And being that your area of expertise is in car mechanics and not electrical engineering, I can surely appreciate how in your field, soldering is somewhat of a secondary task. So please don't take my previous comment as a personal insult, but father as just a bit of constructive criticism.
I'm always happy to see people contributing content to CZcams, regardless of subject matter but if we all try to remain conscious of the factual content of what we post; at least when it comes to instructional videos, then we will collectively yield a significantly better resource platform for the other users.
Cheers :-)
Hey Eric, the 60/40 is tin and lead together. The other one you had there was lead free. Lead free solder is generally much more of a pain to work with. It melts at a higher temperature, and it's harder to get a good solder joint. Also it can crack and create cold solder joints more easily. The only benefit is that it's safer to the user when soldering.
Eric I just love your humility man. It makes me feel good "having a go" as a DIYer. I've learned a lot from this video, thank you, please keep doing what you're
Don't use pipe flux. It will eat up your tips and can etch copper traces.
I use liquid flux made for electronics. Not as messy as the paste. Small bottle with a brush applicator.
That soldering station should not have to be turned way up. Could be it is just too low power for heavy wire. Ideally you want one with a temperature setting (temperature controlled.)
I prefer my old weller gun with a 2-position trigger. High to heat up then low wonce you get going. It only takes a few seconds to warm up.
Thats right. Use a tin solder with flux in it...and don't spend too much time after the tip is pre-tinned...it will burn off all the flux
@@mondeo984 Exactly!
Scott H acid core flux solder for pipes and rosin core for electric wires
I'm so glad I found this video! I'm midway (I hope), into fixing a bunch of mouse-eaten and frayed wires on my truck, and I wish I had seen this video before I started soldering with the basic stuff I had. It makes me want to go back and redo the so-so joints I already made.
U showing how long it takes for the wire to heat up is keeping it real. I appreciate you so much
I think I did a much better job with this version. How To Solder Ultimate Guide -EricTheCarGuy
Practice makes perfect :) Its a skill and so takes time to get it right.
The solder you are using is too thick [for the heat mass you have] which is one of the reason it is taking so long to melt in the two methods you showed first, look for some lead solder in the 1mm and lower size it will melt a lot quicker.
Heat is the killer of electronic parts and you want to use as little of it as possible to solder [why i am so glad you got a decent weller station :) ]
The use of thinner solder that has lead in it [its not always bad just don't breath in the fumes] with ther right tip on the solder iron and you will find in time you can lower the temp of the iron to just above the melting point
Tinning the tip for me is putting a bit of solder on it then wiping it off on the pad.
The 'Ed China' method is the one I was taught in basic electronics [for radio ham] in the UK and has you can see the solder melted a lot faster [due to the lower heat mass]
Again practice makes perfect :)
Great video. As a car audio and electronics installer this video will be great for newbie installers on soldering basics. As ***** said thinner solder will help a lot for that size wire.
Great "how to" for begginers +1 ericthecarguy
That ed china method is also called the "certified nasa method", which is pretty much what the name indicates. When you're applying solder to the wire it's called pre-tinning.
I find it much harder to do between wires, however it works out pretty well when soldering your wire to something else, like a metal tab.
Love the video. Here are 2 tips. 1. use thinner solder 2. always use flux. If you always use flux it will ensure that you have made a good connection even though some one may not be that good at soldering yet.
3:36 The tip did not wet with solder because you left the station at maximum temperature with a tip that was not tinned properly. Every time you return the handtool to the holder, tin your tip. This way only the surface of the solder gets oxidized and you will be able to wipe it off maintaining a fresh clean tip surface that will accept solder. Do not just clean and leave hot.
The " X " twist is called the " Western - Union " splice It was developed by Western Union to run telegraph lines back in the 1800's
And it is not endorsed as a method since....many decades.
Not in a moving vehicle.
@@nickma71 Installed electric fence to discourage varmints from getting into my garden. The Western Union splice (when necessary) was recommended because of the strength imparted to the wire fence.
@@jw8406 Is it working for the varmints?
That lead-free solder is somewhat harder to use successfully because it has a notably higher melting point.
Keep up the great videos Eric.
Thanks Eric. It's great that you do this for everyone. Also that you had just a few outtakes off this video, showing the full process. Say, for that first example when you humorously said that eventually the wires would heat up enough, thank you for that. Because it is what we all go through, thinking: "what's going on? this isn't working. I must be doing something wrong". And the only reason was that we should be a bit more patient. Give it time. Thanks for being a normal guy doing normal stuff. And for teaching us. Keep it up, greetings from Argentina.
Love the video! I'm just starting out with soldering (though I really don't have too much use for it) so this was very helpful! Was looking at some other soldering tutorials and when I saw you had a video about it I knew I had to check it out. I own an older Honda so your videos are what keeps bringing me back whenever I need help. And if EricTheCarGuy has a video about it, it's guaranteed to be good!
Eric N9ZN-Extra here, one of your members buddy. I wanted to weigh in one the solder and the use of flux. You have two different types of solder, one is made from Silver and the other is a combination of tin and lead hence the number over number shows the proportions of tins and lead used. Silver is great in many applications but it requires a slightly hotter temperature and it is a far better conductor of electricity than lead/tin solder. As you noted in the video flux speeds things up and you almost told us why. The reason you SHOULD USE flux is to insure a better connection of solder to the wire. Flux rapidly coats the surfaces of the wire and insures the solder adheres to all of the wire surface better than without using it. You are absolutely right flux speeds up the heating process of the wire and if you looked closely you will see when using flux the insulation near the solder joint melted a bit more than without using the flux. Flux can help you use a little less heat than you may need without it. If soldering something like a battery terminal to a wire harness you need flux so the solder will permeated all the strands of the wire inside the terminal and allow heat to transfer more rapidly. In applications like soldering a wire harness you will also want to use a heat sink to help draw excess heat away from areas where is is not needed like the area covered with wire insulation. I could go into all kinds of soldering applications but what you have shown us is generally (90%) what everyone will need in automotive work. Keep your practice up any solder joint should be SHINY AFTER IT HAS COOLED TO TOUCH. If the finished joint is DULL reheat the connection and re-solder the joint. A dull surface indicates the solder molecules are not fully bonded to each other correctly and conductivity is lost in those bad joints.
radio shack solder is 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead.. It has a lower melting point. The other one is 100 percent lead FREE so it has a higher melting point, that's why it was harder to use. That other one is ok for plumbing because of the lack of lead.
ALso, plumbing flux is very aggressive on electrical wire. You can use a electronic specific flux that won't eat up the wire as much. Also, whether using flux for plumbing or electrical work, always wipe away excess flux and clean the connection after joining the pipe/wires.
Wow for 15 years I thought I was doing everything right but I guess not I learn how to solder again in a much better cleaner way thanks Eric
Great video
I noticed that your alligator clips are munching up the insulation. You could put some heatshrink around each jaw on the alligator clips. That should still grip things nicely and not munch things.
Awesonymous RC that's actually and outstanding tip. so thank you!
El Fueda no probs!
+Awesonymous RC Or even better than heat-shrink: use silicone tubing over the jaws. It won't melt or shrink at soldering temperatures.
I was going to suggest the same thing!
little tip that i have learnt from having 2 electronics hobbys (guitar and amp repair and car wiring) is that sometimes it helps to add solder by touching the wire from underneath as you did, but then touching the tip with solder, close to where the tip touches the wire, and the solder will usually help it heat up quicker, and if its hot enough, the solder will flow into the wire, and this has always been the best method for me
I have been soldering over 40 yrs. and yet I still learned something's from you. You know though that you shouldn't use your naked fingers to apply the flux. LOL! other than that it was great..... Oh yel, I have one of those trigger type guns and I use a rubber band on the trigger to keep the heat on between joints. There are 2 heat settings on those guns and all the way in is the lower setting which works well keep the tip warm. Keep the good ideas coming
Just subscribed to your channel bud. Been getting a crash course on auto repair thanks to being the PROUD owner of a 93 miata! Everyone tells me to get rid of it, but that's not going to happen. I cant afford to pay a mechanic so I do research and then work on it myself. So far I've done the brakes, timing belt and water pump, upgraded my differential which required new driveshaft and axles, and I'm currently working on a cranks no spark situation. Your videos have been really helpful for common sense tips. I like your style dude. Keep up the work , its appreciated.
ERIC, a larger spade type tip will help you, the contact area is too small for quick heating, never use leadfree solder its bloody horrible.
Smashing job eric, yes you have indeed redeemed yourself :-))
Thanks for the input and for your comment. Not just in this video, but many others. Thank you.
+EricTheCarGuy
top tip apply some silicone around the repair then slide the shrink tube this will weather proof the joint
Always use lead free.
If you're remotely competent it's close enough in performance as makes no difference, and you really really need extraction - especially with leaded.
You also don't need a bigger tip, just don't use the very tip of your tip - it'll tin several mm further up than where the tip was used in this clip... Use it a little higher up and you'll get more heat transfer. Applying fresh solder to the tip once it's in contact with the wires also helps - you'll see it bridge together as the fresh solder brings a little fresh flux to the party.
If you're incapable of working with lead-free solder and without supplementary flux, your problem is incompetence, not materials.
Hey Eric..Goldie here...HUGE HUGE fan. I always try the things you recommend. Which is why I'm commenting again lol. I bought the diamond disposable gloves you use...AWESOME! Night and day difference between the other stuff I was using. Now with this video I bought the radioshack brand 60/40 solder. WOW. I was using the HarborFreight solder before since it was cheap and it was SO hard to solder. I thought I was doing something wrong cause it just wasn't going right. Now I know the problem was the product quality. I use radioshack flux and solder and man do I feel like a pro! Eric YOU ARE THE MAN. Keep up the awesome work and hope to meet you in person one day. - a huge fan Goldie
Haha I was getting so aggravated when you weren't using the flux, until you finally did. I honestly swear by the stuff... Nice video! Love the new angles, adds lots of perspective.
Thank you, this was very helpful! I struggled all day yesterday trying to wire up flounder gigging lights on my boat. I think I will try that 60/40 and the flux to go back and redo what I screwed up
Excellent video Eric, I always use what you called the Ed China method never failed me in over thirty plus years, I don't touch the conductors at all by twisting them, just strip the insulation back dip in the flux, then apply the solder, never fails and makes a permanent joint that lasts for years and years.
I enjoyed the video even though I have been soldering for years. The Air Force taught me about doing such tasks since we had to do repairs on the aircraft, and equipment we worked with, but I didn't know about people using the foam to clean the gun. I always used the paper towels to clean my gun instead. I saw others do it, so that was what I did also, even though we didn't get to use the solder gun that much on the job. Thanks for sharing this information, and I hope you enjoyed the July 4th holiday.
This was very helpful, it wasn't shown in this much detail in trade school. Tin the tip and a lil flux goes a long way. I'll need new tips cause I now know mine are burnt out but now I know how to make em last. Thanx again
Hi Eric, I liked your video. I have been research how to use a soldering iron. I use to know how but it's been so long I've forgot how. so last night I started looking for answers. I found some really good ones. I learned that you can make the solder flow more quickly at the contact point if the solder, wire, and iron tips meet at the same point. Not iron and solder on the opposite sides of the wire. You want to make sure you have, hot heat low contact time, than low heat and long time. Especially with small component because long time low heat will damage the components. Always tin the tip, tin the wire, and tin the tab or pads first and that reheat the pad and when the solder liquefy again then push the wire in to it, and remove iron tip, stay steady to cool. That way you don't have to hold the solder at the point too. just the wire and the iron!
That really makes it easier!
You might want to look up on CZcams "10 best soldering tips".
Thanks again fore your video It's been a big help to me. Keep Up The Good Work
Retired Industrial Maintenance Tech
Todd P.
@Eric thank you for posting i always wanted to learn an try soldering an after seeing this i was set an went out an got me one to learn with thanks
Eric, you should get a chisel-shaped tip for the soldering-iron (like the one you have on the butane iron). Gives you way better heat transfer than the thin conical ones.
Also, the flux plumbers use are not the same as you want for soldering electronics or cables, it's totally different stuff.
And one last tip, get some thinner solder, starts melting easier and it's easier to control the amount of solder you put on the joint.
But overall, great video, will definately help lots of beginners making decent solder joints!
Plumber's flux is meant for unleaded silver solder...
2:57 I like the little helping hands alligator clips idea, I have the commercial one with the ball and socket positionable arms for the alligator clips, but the simple wire loop one is nice and easy. I'll have to make up a few with the scrap solid wire. 👍
Really helpful Eric, thank you for taking the time to make this and share it!!
Used to make wire harnesses (high school age) for Semi Industry.
Enjoy your voice and style (no jokes or music) I’ll keep watching. Stay Healthy 🧬
Excellent video!
Possible additions: Lineman's splice/Western Union, solder sizes (makes the job so much easier), and the difference between silver and lead based solder.
As always, your channel is awesome. Thank you for what you do!
practice practice practice. I was pretty terrible at soldering until this latest gm recall where you cut out the airbag connectors in the front seats and then solder the wires together. after all that practice i've gotten pretty good.
I had a lot of trouble trying to solder but this REALLY helped me. Thanks!
Thanks for the great video! I tried soldering today at work but failed miserably. With the instructions from the video and everyone's comments, I think I'll be more prepared next time!
Eric,
the 60/40 is 60% tin and 40% lead alloy that is common with electrical work. Good video.
Tip: When you have the soldering iron under the wires, and you seem to be waiting a long time for it to heat up and flow, just touch the solder to the soldering iron BESIDE the wires, and it will flow to the wires, heat them up, and make the soldering go much easier. If you notice, in this video, the solder ball was BELOW the wires hanging off of the iron, this is what you don't want. You want the solder on the iron to actually touch the wires. Been using almost the same method as Eric for more years than I can count. Never had a failed joint
Eric you were saying one solder was better that another, I have heard that lead free solder is sometimes harder to work with. I like the mini helping hands you made nice touch. Great video. Thanks for the tips and instruction
In high school I went to the Erie County technical school as well as my high school, and I was doing a project that had to do with electrical circuits and my tech teacher gave me some flux core solder and it was the best thing I have ever used in terms of soldering.
So I think you should try it.
Again
-Flux Core Solder
Another thing, the solder that you used to use was Lead Free and silver bearing so it took a lot longer to melt and fuse.
The new solder that you use is 60/40 which means it's part lead part silver bearing so it melts and fuses faster.
^^ this might not be right but I believe that was the case. ^^
Thank you so much for all your time and effort into all the videos that you make. I greatly appreciate it, you've taught me a lot.
oh boy. this vid has convinced me to finally do a basic soldering tutorial. ETCG is great but soldering is like spray painting- it looks easy but is fairly involved.
I am just learning to solder, and you were a very good inspiration!
thanks for the tip about the flux. ive never used it before!
I learned to solder by watching this!! First time out and I just saved a $100 pair of Grado headphones for less than $30! With the lead-free solder included with the low=budget Weller no less! Thank you thank you thank you! As a temporary wire holder I used my (unplugged) meter probes' alligator clips stuck in a thick book.
Thank you for another awesome auto tech video! I was originally into Computer Information Systems/Tech so this particular video is right up my alley. I would like to advise you against using acid based flux with Electronics (PCBs, components, etc) and Wiring because the acid will actually cause the wiring to corrode over time. However, using Rosin Paste/Flux is my preferred method of soldering any application. Another thing which helps is you could coat the wires in dielectric grease before applying the heat shrink tubing.
Keep the videos rolling! Thank you again!
Ace my good friend 👍 I've definitely learned something today. Have a good one mate ☺
Hi Eric, I use the same blue and yellow wire stripper as you, the silver knob at the back of it, is actually a tensioner for a variety of different sized wire, so you don’t cut through no wires, only the insulation, not sure if you knew this tip, but mate great videos your doing, keep up the great work 🤙🏼🇦🇺
Good techniques and advice! I do have one tip that would help save you a lot more time. The solder you used is best for soldering copper pipes with a torch. In other words, thick solder for a lot of heat over a large surface area. When I switched to thin solder only about the width of mechanical pencil lead it melted and wicked into the wiring strands twenty times faster. The thicker the solder is the more you have to heat up the wiring to compensate for all the heat the cooler solder is absorbing out of the hot wires when they're in contact with each other until the solder gets up to its melting point.
Just a tip, when you were heating up the wire to draw in the solder, if you just touch some solder in between the iron tip and the wire it transfers the heat much quicker to the wire and then when you touch the solder back on the opposite side of the wire to the iron tip it will be much easier and quicker. Thanks for the vid! :D
Excellent. 60/40 here I come. Have been doing it wrong all my life.
Great video interesting to watch to the end perfect advice thank you
That Weller station is awesome! But I think you'll get better results with a chisel tip instead of the conical tip (Weller sells many different styles of tips to go with those). Conical tips dont provide very good heat transfer. Also I find that the brass mesh tip cleaners work much better than a damp sponge.
+davecooper360 agreed Chisel has a larger surface, hence better heat and results
I've been hit and miss with the Ed China method, with the problem being getting the two soldered ends to stay close enough so that the connection between then is not just a bridge of solder. The flux addition is a great update for me. Thanks
For wire soldering work where moisture can be an issue like under the hood in the engine bay, I always use the heat shrink tubing that has a coating on the inside that melts to the wire as the tubing shrinks and thus is water/chemical proof.
It is quite good.
thank you Eric ...gonna use this when I resolder my guitar
Nice, I've been studying soldering too and this will help me a lot :)
Good Job Eric! You improved alot... Just adding to your "Ed China" method. The reason for this method is that if you solder wires in any other way and then need to undo the joint, it will be very difficult and time taking to do. With this method it is very quick to join and undo joints very quickly. That is also the reason why this method is preferred by NASA.
I was jumping up and down when you mentioned Ed China. Wheeler Dealers is one of my favorite shows.
Also, top work on this video.
poor ed doesn't ever get paid though.. he does all the work and then when they add up the costs, i never see ed's labor in there.. factor in the labor, almost every one of those deals are losers..i still watch though.. did anyone else throw up in the mouth a little when they painted over the SS badges on that 68 camaro? talk about totally casting doubt on that paint and body work.. if i walked up to it i would think backyard re-spray or macco/earl schibe.. both those guys should have their peepee's whacked with a ruler for that one..
The lead free solder takes a ton of heat to melt. The radio shack solder (in the video) is leaded and sticks better. Clean wires and adding some flux will help the solder stick better. I love my chisel style tips on my Weller.
I have a wire stripper like that Klein here- a tip with those. Put the wire in the appropriate section, then rotate around the wire, then pull off the insulation.
Still not as convenient as those one step tools like used here, but it makes a huge difference.
Couple of points. The numbers on the solder represent the mix of metals by percent. Old lead/tin solder is being replaced with other "lead-free" where the lead is replaced with a different less well known heavy metal. I find 60/40 easiest to use but there are a lot of different kinds for different purposes. Careful of your flux. It is meant to chemically clean the wires to allow the solder to "wet" the surface. This cleaning is often done by the flux turning into an acid when heated. The acid is corrosive to tools and wires. Residual acid could cause the wire to fail later. Last be careful of "freezing" the joint. Let it cool and solidify without moving it. Frozen solder looks frosty on the surface and can break or fail. It only takes an extra second or two of waiting.
Good vid. Thanks
"Lead free" solder are of two types Antimonial 5 %/ tin 95%, and tin 95%/silver5%.The purpose of a flux is to keep the joining metals clean to enable the solder to physically mix with both surfaces and bond the two surfaces ( surface tension effects are improved with a flux) ( an intermediate alloy occurs where the solder metal penetrates the parent metal). The flux is critical in soldering as without flux the joint will not develop the bond . Heat is crucial as the metal needs to melt and flow into the joint, try soldering tinplate, brass and galvanised iron, then u would appreciate the use of soldering
malteser I used flux on all my solder joints and wire brushed off the joint afterwards to remove any corrosives left behind.
+malteser There are dozens of lead free alloys, but the two common ones for electronics are SAC305 (96.5% tin, 3% silver, 0.5% copper) and the cheaper, but even harder to work with, 99.3% tin/0.7% copper.
Seems to take forever for the wire to get hot. What I do when soldering wires together is to increase the surface area between the soldering tip and the wire by adding a bit of solder right above the point where the iron meets the wire, this allows the heat to be transferred much quicker. Once this is done the solder can applied to the wire directly.
Well this one's about 70% better than the first one so he's making improvement.
Good video. This is the first video of yours that I've seen that I actually know the methods pretty well too lol. I'm learning tho! :)
I personally use thinner solder to speed the process up.
I also picked up this thing called a Helping Hand at my local hobby store, and its two alligator clips on repositional joints with poles. It was like $10 and its got a weight on the bottom of it to keep the thing your soldering from slipping away.
your last two methods are exactly how i do it. great video, as always. thanks and keep them hondas running.
your the man.so easy to listen to and watch.very knowlagable.thanks m8
The solder issue: what you saw is the difference between leaded and lead-free solder. Leaded works well but it's leaded (wash your hands after soldering). Lead free is "safer" but has a higher melting temperature (and other issues too). Hence, I personally only use leadfree if and when needed (rare).
Hi everyone good video here's a few tips from me , I spend on average 4 hours a day soldering as part of my job. Using the right tip for the job is very important. The type of tip you used in the video is more suited to soldering components, for example re working the circuit board behind an instrument cluster. For soldering to wires two wire together I would use a chisel tip (mines 4mm wide) this allows for much faster heat transfer to the wires, it takes about 5 sec to flow the solder. I use liquid flux as it absorbed in to the wire better At the end of the job leave the soldering iron tinned with a generous amount of solder, this much improves the longevity of the tip as it stops it from oxidizing,
Awesome soldering 101!!! Nicely done!!
After you wipe the tip preferably with a brass sponge, then apply solder to seal it until the next use.
I never knew how to solder but thanks to this vid I do now thanks Eric!
Great job, The iron tip could be shinier and tinned more, adding more solder to tip while heating wire will transfer the heat a LOT faster, which is why Edd China's method is good(more solder to transfer heat on each end). Also, that solder is too thick, always use the thinnest solder you can find, it melts faster and all you have to do is just feed faster. Dipping your iron tip in a copper scrubber is the best way to keep your tip shiny and super efficient! Love the vids Eric!!
Thats what i can never get over....is the time it takes to get the wire hot enough. I had tried this exact method with a wire i was trying to splice into a harness. and the wire was so thick i must have waited ten minutes heating the wire because the iron wasnt getting hot enough. The heat of the gun plays an important role. I always crimp where i can and solder where i cant crimp. Thanks for sharing
I use 0.3mm,0.6mm and 1.0 mm solder and choose which width is best for certain wires etc. My current o.6 I use the most when soldering parts onto a printed circuit board (PCB for short) It's mix is 63/37 and I really like it.
Hi Eric. Greetings from down under. Great vid. About to do a small wiring job on my motorcycle and your vid gave me a lot of guidance. I think using flux is the key. I recall my dad (a retired fitter and turner) swearing by its use. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. :)
thank you for taking the time to teach everybody yiur skills..much appreciated
The Ed China soldering method was originally used by NASA engineers ;) They used it in a space shuttles - so it is "Space technology" :)
As an avionics tech by trade (23 years and counting) this is the ONLY way I am allowed to solder wires together. I know we are held to a higher standard, but there are some simple tips to
1. Clean with alcohol what your are about to solder.
2. Use Flux (for electronics - not the plumbers stuff) EVERY TIME.
3. Tin your wire before soldering.
4. Remove all traces of flux. It's not corrosive but will attract stuff that is...
Thomas Jackson You have J-STD too? Not sure of any other certs but the "Ed China"/"Nasa" method was the way I was told to do stuff. Saying that, we also soldered after crimping 38999 pins which i've later found isn't the norm.
jonno85uk Certified back in the mid 90's. When I worked at Warner-Robins AFB it was a yearly class/certification. And man do I NOT miss soldering pins... haven't had to do that for about ten years now.
Excellent video and explanation
I switched from a sponge to brass this year, it's much better. If the tip gets super dirty and forgot to clean after last use, try 1200 grit sandpaper then re-tin immediately. You'll be amazed at how much better the solder flows especially when using flux.
Keep your tip shiny don't just put blobs of solder on it and say its good! That temperature is way to high or you just have a strange iron. The
NASA style of soldering is what I use which is tin ends of wires and then solder ends together, that way it is cleaner and very very strong. For large wires it can be easier to use a butane torch. Always use a Transformer type soldering station not a cheap iron, I've had so many break its not worth it. Some people will say don't use a wet sponge to clean the tip as the sudden cooling of the tip can cause excessive wear, instead use metal filings or metal scoring pad. Oxidation is a major cause of weak joints, I found to clean oxidized wires, degreaser worked well, some degreasers may not. Do not move your solder joints when the solder is cooling, this will cause a cold joint and is dangerously weak, you can tell if you have a cold joint by looking at the color, if its dull, you have a bad joint, instead it should be nice and shiny. But most important of all is, STAY DIRTY!
Thanks Eric your a lifesaver. To be honest i really didn't know a damn thing about soldering after this video i can really say it is alot easier then before. Your right a little bit of flux does go along way and 60/40 solder is my preferred choice. Thanks Paulie
Eric,I would look into those dry brass sponge for cleaning the tip,as it does not create thermal shock and cooling of the tip,also some tip tinner such as sal ammoniac,It will bring all those old tips back to life.thanks for the video!
Great video and great camera work!
I use the the same method of using alligator clips as a mini vice , but a little trick you might like is that I apply shrink tubing over the clip "fingers" that way they don't dig into the wire as badly.
For starters, +EricTheCarGuy didn't do a bad job in my opinion, and I solder a lot, considering I'm an avionics tech lol. I think the best tip I got when learning is that when you are soldering, once the solder melts and enough of it is on the joint, pull it away as fast as possible. If the solder is matte, it's a cold solder and will not hold under load; it'll just pop off. It has to be shiny. It's vital to have a solder vacuum pump if you're soldering pretty much anything other than wire joints, for those times when you do a cold solder, which everyone does.
Hi Eric - on the ed china method as you call it twist the ends of the wires together first and then tin them, put them together then flash the flame of your butane torch over them
and they will melt together perfectly. Give it a go! all the best.
Thanks for video Eric.
I remember watching the old vid like a hundred times lol. Thanks
Great video Eric, the second soldering gun you showed us I had one the same and l think you could only hold the trigger for a short time then had to let it cool down or it would burn out?? well it got launched and l got a stick one like you have no problems now, the flux you used also helps to remove the oil you leave when twisting the wires together, thanks again keep them coming and stay dirty
Excelente video, muy detallista y muy bien explicado, importante la calidad de herramienta. Gracias
60/40 rosin core solder is the ideal choice. But also you’re doing small wires. Basically if you’re smaller than 10 gauge you’re only hurting your progress using the .062 diameter solder. The .032 will get faster wicking with good penetration but won’t travel up the inside of the wire. Using the .062 you need more heat to get it to flow and as an effect it’ll tend to flow up under the insulation of the wire more than you want it too.
Another Great Video Many thanks Eric & Ed would be proud!!
Excellent video, I now realise where I have been going wrong. Thanks Eric. Like you, Edd China is my hero too.
ERIC! WE miss you! Hope you're enjoying your time away. Thank you for the awesome instruction you've provided. Say hi sometime!