Soldering Tips

Soldering Tips 

A few easy to follow fundamental procedures to assure a neat, strong, and uniform joint.

1. FITTING - The strongest joints are produced with the closest fitting members. Make sure surfaces are smooth, free from burrs, fit snugly.
2. CLEANING - Parts must be thoroughly cleaned. Remove all oxides, dirt, and grease by buffing, sanding, or pickling.
3. FLUXING - Cover all of the joint to protect the metal against oxidation, thereby aiding the flow of the solder. To reduce the amount of cleaning after soldering, it is advisable to flux the entire piece.
4. JIGGING - Secure proper alignment of parts and prevent their movement during the heating process. A jig should be made of as light a gauge material as possible and with as little contact area as possible. Use a poor heat conductor to avoid the loss of heat (DO NOT use copper or aluminum). When joining different thicknesses of metal, preheat the heavier piece first to avoid overheating the smaller one.
5. HEATING - Use a soft flame and slowly, uniformly heat the joint and surrounding metal before soldering. Continue heating until the joint shows a dull red color. Use the color of the work to judge the temperature. Concentrate the flame along the joint. Do not let the material get to a bright salmon red. Let the heat of the parts to be joined flow the solder. Do not try to flow the solder with the flame from the torch.

Common Soldering Problems and Their Causes 

The Solder Will Not Flow

The surface of the metal is not clean
The tip of your torch is too small
Not enough heat has been applied to the metal
The wrong spot on the metal was heated
Too much flux has been applied to the joint

 

The Solder "Balls Up"

There is not enough solder
The area arond the solder joint has not been heated enough
The solder has been heated too much

 

The Solder Runs Away From The Joint

The metal is not clean
There is not enough flux
The torch tip is too large
Uneven heat has been applied to the metal around the solder joint
The torch tip is producing too much heat

 

There Are Pits In The Solder Seam

The solder is not clean
The solder joint received too much heat
The metal is not clean
The alloy of the solder has broken down after being heated multiple times from different solderings

 

The Solder Joint Has Gaps

The metal is not clean
The solder is not clean
The to pieces being soldered do not fit together properly

 

The Solder Flows Unevenly

The metal is dirty