From las8323@rs175174.ks.boeing.com Mon Jan 07 11:14:59 2002
Subject:Re: do you solder?

Lon,
Everything Bruce said is great and I'm sure there's a great many
places on the web for step by step instructions that will not sound as
good :-)

For a relay installation, where there's much more current involved
than, say, a guitar, be very certain you have a solid mechanical
connection before you solder. That is, in this app, do not rely on
the solder for attachment or continutity, it's just there to keep
things from moving.

On the Amphenol connector, the hollow barrels on the back that you
stick the wire into count as a good connection :-) When you flip your
amp over, you'll notice the wiring (called "point to point") will have
"loops" and "wraps" around terminals or connections. Emulate this
sort of technique. There is plenty of work to do long before you plug
in the iron (or gun -- these are particularly useful for this type of
wiring). Take note of the old relay hookups (if original) and
duplicate those.

Ordinarily, I'd tell you to build a few patch cords first to get used
to soldering, but this sounds well within your reach with a little
effort. I'm perpetually in the middle of several electronic projects
and my life is in a rosin core tailspin all because I learned how to
solder.

Good luck!
Larry

> >This is a dumb question, I'm sure, but I need some advice. I'm not
a
> >soldering craftsman and I wondered if you-all would attempt to
install the
> >relay from the supplied instruction sheet, or should I punt and
have someone
> >else do it. (I am an engineer and can follow detailed directions,
I just
> >seem to have a little trouble keeping solder on the intended
connections
> >instead of all over the damn place.)
> >
> >Your recommendations? If I do this, what kind of an iron should I
get?
> >What kind of solder, and what about flux -- do you all use it? I
suppose if
> >I screw it up completely, I can always take it in to the shop to
get it
> >working again.
>
> I'm not a soldering "craftsman," either -- although I can do a
pretty decent job if I take my time. Here's what I've found over the
years:
>
> 1. Get a GOOD soldering iron; one that has a controlled
temperature. I use a Weller WTC iron, and it works fantastic. Now
the bad news: A good soldering iron will set you back at least $75
(US). Those $15 Radio Shack jobs just won't do the trick, IMHO. If
you don't want to spend the money, and can't borrow one at work or
from a friend, seriously think about having a tech do the work.
>
> 2. Use a small, flattened tip on the iron. The width of the tip
should be about the size of the typical joint you are trying to
solder.
>
> 3. Use a good 60:40 or 70:30 solder with rosin-core flux. NEVER
use acid-core solder on electrical connections. Get the thinnest
solder you can find; I have no problems getting skinny solder to flow
onto a large joint, but lots of problems getting fat solder to flow
onto a small connection. For most jobs, I use solder that is about as
thick as fishing line.
>
> 4. When soldering, touch the iron to the connection for 1-2
seconds, then add the solder to the connection. Reversing this
process is often easier to do, but it's asking for too much solder on
the joint.
>
> 5. If you get too much solder on a joint, use a piece of "solder
wick" to remove some of it. Solder wick looks like a flattened piece
of the shield braid used in mic cables, except that it is soaked in
flux, and will actually draw away solder from a connection. You can
usually get a small roll of this product wherever you buy your solder
and iron.
>
> Regards,
>
> -BW
>
> --
> Bruce Wahler
> Design Consultant
> Ashby Solutions? http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
> CloneWheel Support Group and HiNote moderator
> 978.386.7389 voice/fax
> bruce@a...