What to do if the soldering iron does not melt solder

Why doesn't solder stick to the soldering iron tip?

During soldering, both specialists and beginners may experience a situation where tin does not stick to the soldering iron tip. Such a problem prevents any further procedures for soldering parts and requires immediate elimination. The reason may lie in the solder itself, as well as in the tip, working conditions, insufficient preparation and many other things. In order to understand all this, you need experience.

Main reasons

The most common type of solder is tin-lead. The melting point of such an alloy is about 270 degrees Celsius. If the soldering iron heats up to 300 degrees, this should be enough for work, but if the tip overheats and its temperature significantly exceeds the melting point of the solder, then soot from consumables remains on the surface. It not only spoils the appearance of the tool, but also interferes with further work.

Contamination and oxidation prevent solder from sticking to the soldering iron tip.

Soldering iron tips are most often made of copper. When severely overheated, this metal is more susceptible to oxidation, which leads to the appearance of a film of oxides on its surface. A thin layer of copper oxide may be invisible to the eye, but it is precisely because of its presence that solder does not stick to the soldering iron tip. If we consider the immediate reasons that lead to the fact that the molten solder does not remain on the tip, but simply flows off it, then there are only three of them:

• contamination of the surface of the tip, which occurs from soot and other reasons;
• oxide formation, which even with a visually clean surface does not allow the molten material to adhere to it;
• high temperature of the tip, which does not allow the solder to remain in the desired working condition.

How to properly prepare tools for work

If the tin does not stick to the soldering iron tip, it is quite possible that the preparatory operations were carried out incorrectly, or they were not carried out at all. First of all, when preparing the instrument, you need to tin it.

Without this procedure, even in the absence of oxide and contamination, solder will still not stick to the metal during soldering. Tinning involves coating the surface of the tip with tin. The same procedure should be carried out with the parts being soldered, this will improve the quality of the connection.

The process is extremely simple: you need to dip a hot tip into tin, which will cover its surface.

If there is carbon deposits or an oxidizing film on the tip, they must be removed before tinning. The same procedure is recommended for new instruments.

The surface is cleaned mechanically, for which sandpaper or a fine-grained file is suitable. The surface must be cleaned thoroughly, without leaving deep scratches and grooves on the metal surface.

If there are depressions and scratches, it is in them that an oxidizing film will form and dirt will accumulate, which will then be difficult to clean.

Important! The soldering iron should be cleaned only after it has cooled down. This process is best done before soldering rather than after it.

Cleaning the soldering iron tip from contamination

When the surface is cleared of all deposits, flux must be applied to it. If there is liquid rosin, it is also applied to a cold surface using a brush or other auxiliary objects. If there is flux in a solid state, the tip is immersed in it at the moment when it warms up and reaches the desired temperature.

Important! It is better to immediately lower the tip into the rosin so that as it warms up it sinks into its surface. This will reduce the chance of oxidation

Situations may arise when the tip does not tin. This is very similar to the problem when solder does not stick to the soldering iron tip.

If the temperature of the tip becomes significantly higher than the melting point of the solder, it simply does not stick to the surface of the metal, but flows off it, since it is in a liquid state. Nothing else except lowering the temperature will help here.

The cleanliness of the surface and the absence of an oxidizing film will not play a role if, under the influence of the high temperature of the tip, the material melts and drains. If the temperature continues to rise, it will simply begin to evaporate.

The best option is when the temperature of the tip is slightly higher than the melting point or equal to it. This makes it possible to maintain the transition state between solid and liquid, which is required for soldering. After overheating, the tip must be cleaned mechanically again.

If everything is done correctly, the solder will stick to the surface without any problems. The optimal temperature allows it to be in the desired state, avoiding lumps and liquid drops.

After cleaning the soldering iron tip, it is recommended to tin

In case of nickel plating

Owners of nickel-plated tools also wonder why the solder does not stick to the soldering iron tip. It is believed that there is no need to tin it, much less clean off the coating with a file or sandpaper. But over time, after a certain period of use, it becomes noticeable that the material stops sticking to it. Cleaning of the coating occurs in a slightly heated state. You should try to wipe off all the carbon deposits with a damp cloth. After this, the procedure is as follows:

• lower the tip into the rosin, on which a piece of solder will lie;
• for solid rosin, as it warms up, the tip must be pressed into the material, melting the area around the solder so that it sinks and melts;
• through the rosin, touch the solder with the tip so that it covers the working part of the tool.

Conclusion

The best solution for situations where solder does not stick to the tip is to control the temperature. Do not allow the soldering iron to overheat. Timely cleaning and proper completion of all preliminary work will help you never wonder why solder does not stick to the soldering iron tip.

If the solder does not stick to the soldering iron How to tin a soldering iron

Source: https://svarkaipayka.ru/oborudovanie/payalniki/pochemu-k-zhalu-payalnika-ne-lipnet-pripoy.html

Soldering iron problems? Find out why they occur

Situation: a pressing question that most often interests novice radio amateurs.

If you are a beginner and, after much deliberation, you decide to purchase your favorite tool for the long-awaited soldering, you unpack it and, in anticipation, turn on the 220 V electric soldering iron, and it begins to heat up and at some point begins to smoke. And along the way, it also gives off a rather unpleasant burning smell.

And at some point he started soldering poorly: he didn’t melt the solder, didn’t stick it to the tip, and generally behaved badly. Is this even normal? What to do when such situations arise and is it worth doing anything about it at all?

Sold the marriage? Is it faulty and starts to burn the first time you turn it on?

Answer: in fact, nothing bad happens. The manufacturer simply applies a special oil that prevents the formation of corrosion on metal parts. Thanks to this, long-term storage in the warehouse is ensured. High humidity, low or high temperatures and other adverse weather conditions are not scary.

When you turn it on for the first time, any soldering iron will smoke because it takes some time for this oil to burn out. When it evaporates, the tool will be ready for use.

Why doesn't solder stick?

Situation: you often solder for quite a long time, tinker with electronic circuits at work or at home, but at some point in time the tin began to stick poorly to the tip, and then stopped sticking to it altogether. What is the problem and how to solve it?

Answer: Many radio amateurs repeatedly encounter this situation. Even modern non-burn stings can burn over time. Not to mention the old copper ones that are used in Soviet soldering irons. So, let's look at this question:

• If you are using an old soldering iron with a copper replacement tip , and the consumables no longer stick to it, you need to clean it with a file or sandpaper. After this, it is plugged into the network, and when it heats up to the melting temperature of pine rosin, it is actually lowered into it. This allows you to effectively remove the oxide film from the surface. When it starts evaporating with a slight smoke, it's time to apply solder to it. Now he will be able to hold on well. When the entire sting is covered, remove the excess using a cellulose sponge. After this, repeat the procedure. The operation can be repeated several times to consolidate the effect.
• If you have a modern model with a fireproof tip that has become unusable, we recommend replacing it. Well, if it doesn’t work out, but you need to solder it urgently, it needs to be tinned in the same way as in the previous example. Although it is worth noting that the manufacturer does not recommend sharpening the tip, since when sharpening you will damage the special non-burning layer. But as an emergency measure, it can be sharpened and tinned in the same way as copper. However, the service life will be shortened quite quickly.
• In order for the tip to last a long time , especially with a coating, it must be periodically maintained in the manner indicated above and always leave a little tin on the tip. More precisely, it should be covered with a thin layer. By following these simple rules, you can significantly extend its service life. And of course, you shouldn’t overheat the soldering iron.

Why doesn't it heat up?

Situation: the soldering iron does not heat up well, takes a long time or does not heat up to the temperature required for soldering.

Solution:

1. With a 99% probability, your faithful assistant has damaged a soldering accessory such as a heating element . What should be done in this case? Yes, just replace it. In modern soldering irons, this is quite simple to do - you disassemble, remove the old heating element, the faulty one, and simply replace it with a new one. Modern ceramic heating elements cannot be repaired.
2. You have an old, ancient Soviet soldering iron , in which the heating element is a nichrome thread wound on a copper rod; if the wire breaks or burns out, it makes sense to replace and rewind. Moreover, if the spiral becomes shorter, its resistance, and accordingly the power, decreases. And it’s not at all a fact that it’s worth spending effort on it.
3. Also, insufficient heating can occur due to poor contact between the tip and the heating element . This problem can be solved very simply - check the contact, tighten the screws with a screwdriver, secure them, in general, all parts should fit snugly against each other.

Why does not it work ?

Situation: it just doesn’t heat up and doesn’t show any signs of life at all.

Solution: First, ring the wire; the electrical cable may be bent and broken, or it may be broken. Well, it doesn’t hurt to check the heating element, which can also fail over time.

Of course, a banal, unlikely, but theoretically possible situation - there is no light in the house or apartment and no voltage is supplied to the heating element. Again, a multimeter for home use will help, the simplest one literally costs as much as a kilogram of meat, but believe our experience, if you do not violate the operating conditions, even a cheap digital tester will serve you for more than one year.

Well, there you have it, the most common problems that can occur with your soldering tool. You now know what the reason is and how to deal with it, so when faced with similar situations you will not be at a loss.

Source: https://electronoff.ua/academy/post/problemy-s-payalnikom-pochemu-oni-voznikayut-i-kak-ih-reshat.php

How to Record a Song in Adobe Audition

How to learn to solder. I decided to prepare just such a small special lesson, not directly related to the main topic, for those who not only have to solder cords, sockets, plugs, but anything else in general. So, let's begin

What do we need for soldering?

Of course, a soldering iron (ideally a soldering station), tin solder, rosin, ideally solder wire, which is a long, thin tin tube wound on a reel, similar to a wire, in the cavity of which there is rosin. Those. when soldering, in this case, we do not need, as in the old fashioned way, to lower the tip of the soldering iron, now into the rosin, now into the solder, but all this happens simultaneously at one point. More on this below

You can purchase all the necessary components at your nearest radio store.

If you do not have a soldering station, which is initially ready for soldering immediately after switching on, but a regular soldering iron, then before work (especially if it is new) you need to prepare it in a special way - tin it, otherwise it will not solder. Now let’s look at what “tinning” means.

How to tin a soldering iron?

Take a file and apply it flat to the cut of the soldering iron tip. Now we sharpen in the same plane, periodically looking at the tip, until it becomes flat, smooth and shiny.

After this, we lower the heated tip into rosin and immediately into solder (into tin). There will be almost no solder sticking to the tip, so immediately after this procedure we apply the tip to a small board, preferably of natural origin (not chipboard), preferably spruce or cedar (resinous), but in principle, any will do, you’ll just have to mess around longer.

So, we repeat this procedure (rosin → solder → board) until the cut of the tip, prepared in advance with a file, made of yellow-gray heated copper, becomes silvery and shiny from the solder evenly covering it. This is what is called “tinning”, in this case a soldering iron.

This is what a tinned soldering iron tip should look like.

Now we will learn to solder wires (after tinning it) to a brass tin, also tinning it from the beginning.

We dip the soldering iron tip into rosin, then into solder, and immediately, with the plane of the tip parallel to the plane, we bring it close to our brass test subject, without allowing the rosin to evaporate, we press it, then we rub it in, we grind, in general, we tin. If the rosin has evaporated or spread, we repeat the process, and gradually, gradually our tin is covered with high-quality solder adhering to it. If the material is clean or without strong oxides, then such tinning occurs quickly.

If solder wire is used, then we lean the tip of the soldering iron against the tin, and bring the tip of the solder wire to the point of their contact, trying to touch more of the tinned part of the soldering iron, and rub it against this part so that the tin and rosin enrich the contact point.

How to tin a wire?

Now let's tinker with the wiring. Carefully remove the insulation just enough so that we have enough space for soldering, and for the location of the heat-shrink tube (or other insulator) so that later there are no short circuits (short circuits)

It is easier to tin the wire, because Usually, the metal under the insulation is clean, not oxidized. We dip it in rosin, placing the tip of a heated soldering iron on top of it and slowly pull the wire out from under the soldering iron after the rosin melts and starts smoking. This is done, as you probably understood, so that the molten rosin envelops the contact part of the wire. Now we enrich the soldering iron tip with solder, touching the tin, and bring the tip to the rosin adhering to the wiring.

If the wire is copper and clean, tinning will occur immediately.

If not, you may have to repeat the operation or use solder paste instead of rosin - a special chemical (like soldering acid, if anyone is familiar) that allows you to tin, for example, even iron.

This is what solder paste looks like.

How to solder a wire?

We have a tinned experimental brass tin and a tinned wire, which we now have to connect, seal with heated solder and then cool in order to forever maintain their electrical connection, which we do by bringing the tinned part of the wire to the tinned part of the tin.

We bring the soldering iron tip enriched with solder to the place of their contact so that the solder covers the tinned parts of the soldered parts well. This will be facilitated by the rosin involved in the process. If something doesn’t go well, dip into it. Once the parts are in the molten solder, try not to move them anymore. You can lightly blow on the solder area until the shine of the solder darkens slightly, indicating that the solder has hardened.

That's it, congratulations! You did it.

How to unsolder the wire?

You can unsolder wires and various soldered joints using the reverse method - by heating the soldering area (tinned and dipped in rosin, heated) with a soldering iron tip until the solder melts.

And probably the final touch - you can also dip a small paint brush into the solvent and wash off the remaining rosin in the soldering areas.

What can you solder?

More precisely, what metals are good to solder? In the first place, this is, of course, copper, brass, gold, silver, lead, and, of course, tin. It is worse to solder (tin) iron, steel, zinc. To tin the latter, you will have to use a special solder paste (see figure above). There are also metals that cannot be soldered at all, for example aluminum.

Source: http://www.auditionrich.com/umelye-ruchki/kak-nauchitsya-payat.html

Solder does not stick to metal

Soldering stainless steel is a rather labor-intensive process, but at the same time there are no great difficulties here. Alloys containing up to 25% nickel and chromium are alloyed together quite simply. Moreover, these alloys can create strong bonds with other metals, with the only exceptions being magnesium and aluminum alloys.

But you need to pay attention to the fact that some nickel-plated alloys when heated to a temperature of 500-700 degrees. Carbides can form; their level of release depends on the duration of soldering, so the procedure time must be reduced.

The resulting carbides significantly reduce the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. In order to minimize the precipitation of carbides, titanium is added or additional heat treatment is carried out upon completion of soldering. Under the influence of hot solder (tinol), the cold-hardened stainless material can crack, so soldering occurs after annealing, without using loads during soldering.

is most often used as a flux for processing stainless steel . It is applied to the joint in powder or paste form. When the borax melts, the rest of the metal gradually heats up to a bright red heat (850 degrees). When this temperature is reached, solder is injected into the joint.

Removal of material adhering to the stainless surface upon completion of soldering is done by rinsing the soldered product in water or by sand blowing. Hydrochloric or nitric acid, which can be used in cleaning, are very undesirable at this stage of working with stainless steel, since they, along with the solder, will corrode the base metal.

Soldering stainless steel at home

Perhaps everyone knows that a home handyman is constantly faced with everyday difficulties that he needs to eliminate on his own. But it often happens that you need to do the work associated with processing stainless steel yourself. Therefore, this will require certain skills, abilities and knowledge. You will also need to acquire some materials and tools. Here is a list of everything you need:

• Soldering acid;
• Electric soldering iron 100 Watt;
• Tin solder for joining metals;
• File or sandpaper;
• A tube;
• Metal cable.

Now that you have decided on the soldering tool, you need to know the steps to perform the actions:

• To process stainless steel, you must initially ensure that you have flux and a 100-watt electric soldering iron. You need to know that there is no point in choosing a more powerful soldering iron for processing stainless steel. The flux is ordinary soldering acid. Also, do not forget to always have tin-lead solder on hand.
• When all the necessary tools and materials are ready for soldering, you can begin work. First you need to clean the stainless steel joint: this can be done using sandpaper or a file. Upon completion of cleaning the work areas, it is necessary to apply soldering acid followed by further treatment. If the treatment does not work (the solder does not stick to the surface of the stainless steel), then you need to re-manipulate the soldering acid on a thoroughly heated surface, then perform the treatment again.
• In the case when you made a second attempt, and it was not successful, and the solder lags behind again, then the working surface of the stainless steel needs to be cleaned with a special brush, which you can make your own: you will need a piece of pipe with a cross-section of 5 mm, where you place thin wires pulled from a metal cable . Now, apply acid to the soldering area, and then bring the brush and soldering iron here at the same time. Then start working with two tools. It should be noted that this process is very helpful in removing the oxide film from the surface of stainless steel.
• When the parts have been tinned, begin soldering stainless steel using a soldering iron and flux.

Soldering with a gas torch

The parts are heated using a gas torch or a tin-plated soldering iron tip. When working with the burner, you must ensure that there is not too much oxygen in the flame, because this causes the stainless steel to oxidize. This can be determined by the color of the fire (it should be blue); if the color is pale and the fire is weak, then this indicates an excess of oxygen. To warm up the connection, the burner must be moved smoothly.

By periodically touching the metal with solder, the quality of the temperature achieved is determined. Heating is sufficient when the solder melts not from the flame of the torch, but from touching the metal.

Then solder is immediately applied to the part where the joint needs to be made, while the parts continue to be heated so that the solder, melting, slowly fills the joint completely . If there is not enough liquid solder in some area, it is heated more strongly than other places, and the solder itself flows into it. A clear sign of high-quality soldering is the leakage of excess solder from the joint.

Working with hard solders

Stainless steel soldering works well using flowable, liquid, fluxed solder with a low melting point and high capillary characteristics. This solder is quite elastic and has excellent deoxidation properties, which are very useful when working with stainless steel.

It can also handle brass, copper and some other materials. Soldering with such hard solders is very suitable for stainless steel. Stainless steel does not contain cadmium, and the percentage of silver here is 30%. Processing the material with hard solders gives good results, making it possible to obtain durable and high-quality metal fastening.

HTS528 solder can cope with copper, brass, nickel, bronze, stainless steel, and other metals. Along with other hard solders today, this tinol is the most in demand. The solder looks like a rod treated with red flux. The rod size is about 45 cm , and the weight is 20 g. The melting point is 760 degrees.

How to choose a flux for soldering

Small elements are soldered with adjustable gas-air burners (this method is more suitable for jewelry). Larger parts are best soldered with acetylene. The same applies when choosing a flux for stainless steel, since this metal is very demanding on flux. Flux for stainless steel consists of 10% calcium fluoride, 20% boric acid, 70% borax .

For small stainless steel parts, you can prepare a flux composition that includes 50/50% boric acid and borax. This flux must be diluted in water, then applied to the part; when it dries, the solder will adhere perfectly to the metal surface.

That is, the soldering area is not etched, but only cleaned using sandpaper. Copper does not spread well over the surface of steel, so it is better to use L 63 brass. For better soldering, you can also use silver and brass to make solder from them.

Recommendations from professionals

There are many people who, so to speak, “ate the dog” when working with soldering. And they share personal experience gained in practice, giving useful recommendations:

• It is best to choose a soldering iron with a non-burnable tip.
• An electric soldering iron needs a power of 60-100 watts. The most optimal soldering iron is 100 Watt. A less powerful soldering iron will not be able to heat the metal.
• Phosphoric acid works best as a flux.
• It is advisable to use tin-lead rods as solder. You can also use tin in its pure form. It must be said that it is better to solder utensils with tin, since pure tin does not contain lead.
• When working with soldering, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment.
• Soldering must take place in a well-ventilated and open area.

  How to weld galvanized steel to metal

Basic mistakes during soldering

If an error is made during preparation, selection of materials, or during the soldering process, the solder may not spread over the surface and may not hold the parts together. It happens that the parts were not properly cleaned or were not heated up properly. This often happens with large-sized products. The tip of the soldering iron must be thoroughly cleaned after any session, and in order for jewelry work to be possible, its tip must be sharpened from time to time.

To obtain a high-quality connection, do not solder stainless steel with pure lead or use rosin. If the solder is made of tin, then working with it can be quite difficult due to its weak consistency. If the tin does not melt more than to the state of warm plasticine, then most likely it will not hold the connection, constantly breaking and crumbling. The optimal state of tin for fastening is if it looks like a liquid.

High-quality solder, which is laid according to all the rules, can only be scratched , but not separated from the stainless steel soldering area. In order not to damage the connection in the future, after soldering the product must be allowed to cool down at rest. When the joint has cooled, it is cleaned of any flux and solder that remains at the edges, and then washed thoroughly with soap.

Source: https://respect-kovka.com/pripoy-ne-prilipaet-k-metallu/

What to do if your loan is overdue: how to get rid of bank calls and other tips

Many of us have loans. Some people borrowed small amounts from the bank for a short period of time, while others have to pay back quite a lot of money. Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to pay the monthly fee on time. So I ran into the same problem.

I always repaid my loan on time. But a couple of months ago, due to health problems that resulted in unplanned expenses, I fell behind on the payment. I was very worried about this, but a friend (she works in a bank) taught me what to do.

First of all, you need to plan when you will pay off the debt. Secondly, answer the bank's calls. I'll explain why later.

Delay 1-2 days

If you are overdue on your loan by a couple of days maximum, then you don’t have to worry about it. The fact is that banks often regard such a delay in payment as a technical failure in the system. As a rule, with such short delays, banks do not take any measures. But it is better for the borrower not to abuse the institution’s loyalty.

The fact is that even such a short delay can spoil a person’s credit history. In the future, it will be difficult to take out another loan or an apartment mortgage. Therefore, try to make payments a couple of days before the due date.

Overdue up to 1 month

If the loan is overdue for a month, there is no need to panic either. As for my case, I was late with payment for about a week. Within a few days after the delay, banks begin calling the client. I explain why in such situations it is better to answer. The fact is that bank employees call to find out the reason for the delay and the date of the planned payment.

If you explain the situation and say what date you will make the payment, the calls will stop. The employee will enter the date into the system, and no one will bother you with calls before the announced date. That's exactly what I did. Never be afraid to answer your phone! Yes, the conversation is unpleasant, but no one will bother you in the future.

Several months overdue

I have never had to deal with a similar problem, but a friend of mine had a similar situation. Despite the fact that her loan was small (she took out a credit card from Sberbank for 60,000 rubles), the court took care of her delinquency. But even after this, she did not pay off the resulting debt. Now she is on the register of bailiffs, for which reason she cannot even travel abroad.

With such a serious delay, the borrower begins to actively call at work and home. And if the client also had guarantors when applying for the loan, then a flurry of calls hits them too. Some banks may refer the case to a collection agency, which, as you know, does not allow you to live in peace.

Please note that if there is such a long delay in payment, the bank has the right to demand that the remaining loan amount be returned in full. And if there is a delay on the credit card, it will be blocked. That's why it's better not to let things get to that point.

Guide to action

Once a delay occurs, your main task will be to close it as quickly as possible. As I said earlier, if these are temporary difficulties, for example, associated with deteriorating health or departure, then you can simply explain to the bank that you will deposit funds in the near future. But if you begin to understand that you simply cannot pay off the remaining loan amount, then you can use some methods to solve the problem.

So, what to do if your loan is overdue and you know you won’t be able to pay it off:

1. Refinancing . To do this, you should seek help from another bank to close the existing loan agreement in yours. That is, you must take out a new loan for the same amount, but for a longer period. This will reduce your monthly minimum payment, making it easier for you to move on with your life.
2. Restructuring. As a friend explained to me, this option involves the bank reviewing the currently valid terms of your loan agreement. For example, the client may have their loan repayment schedule changed, the term extended, or given a deferment. The peculiarity of restructuring is that it will help avoid the accrual of penalties and fines. That is why you should not ignore calls from banks if you understand that you are not able to pay the loan.
3. Recognition of bankruptcy. This is another possible solution to the problem. However, it is not suitable for all clients. For example, a person whose loan debt is more than 500,000 rubles can declare himself bankrupt. In addition, the delay must be more than 3 months. Please note that a prerequisite is that the value of your own property is insufficient to pay off the debt. Also, the client must not have a criminal record in the past.

If you were unable to solve the problem using the methods described above, then most likely you will receive a subpoena. In such situations, the positive thing is that the accrual of penalties and fines is suspended. After the bank goes to court, the final amount that the client must return is fixed. If possible, hire a good lawyer who will study the contract and maybe find gaps in it that can be used to resolve issues in your favor.

Most often, after the trial, an agreement is signed that sets a debt repayment schedule. In such situations, you will be included in the register of bailiffs, and you will also be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country. This is what happened to my friend. However, she did not even deign to appear in court. Better not do that.

If the case was transferred to collectors, and they began to threaten you and your loved ones, then feel free to contact the prosecutor’s office.

Source: https://gaidi.ru/lajfxaki/chto-delat-esli-prosrochil-kredit/

Solder does not stick to metal - Metalist's Handbook

Often there is a need to fasten steel parts without drilling and without welding. Soldering steel will help. But how to do it correctly, because there are special nuances here. A few recommendations from experts.

What kind of steel solders well?

Some grades of steel lend themselves well to soldering, while others are soldered with great difficulty and do not want to be combined with any solder or with any flux. As a rule, soft steels "for nails" are easy to solder. At the everyday level, this can also be explained by the fact that the material is dotted with microscopic craters and irregularities. But there are also electrical grades that are especially hard and elastic, and are used for shafts and precision mechanics. It's your luck here

The question is that it is impossible for a home craftsman to determine the brand by eye. You can only find out how well a given part made of steel, or an alloy close to it, is soldered by experimentation.

How to make a tin connection - procedure

It all depends on how successfully the part can be tinned and how strong the contact of the tin solder with the steel is. In order for the contact to be satisfactory, if possible at all, the following must be done:

• steel stripping, chemical stripping under solder;
• heating the part to the melting temperature of the solder, keeping the solder on the part under flux for some time in a fluid state.

Cleaning the steel is first done mechanically, using sandpaper, to remove layers of rust and dirt. Then a composition that reacts well with iron oxides is used as a flux.

The most harmless to use, but effective in this case, is orthophosphoric acid, which can be easily purchased at a car store as a “rust cleaner.”

The required power of heating devices depends entirely on the mass of the parts.

The process of soldering two steel parts

If you need to solder two large nails, then the power of one soldering iron 100 W will not be enough. To heat up a large nail or a similar weight steel part clamped in a vice, you need to use a hair dryer. Or a gas burner.

You will also need cotton wool on a stick to supply flux to the heating zone, and a soldering iron of 50 W or more.

• The sanded steel is heated with a burner.
• Phosphoric acid is applied to the hot part and molten tin solder is immediately applied with a soldering iron.

As a rule, steel parts that can be soldered develop a very strong bond with tin, i.e. When the metal is coated, it is tinned.

The same is repeated with another detail. Then the two parts located together are heated, and additional solder is applied to the contact area with a soldering iron.

How strong is the soldering of steel, can it be made stronger?

The strength of such a connection will be determined by many factors:

• strength of bond between solder and metal,
• connection area,
• direction of the load in relation to the welded planes.

But in any case, the strength of tin soldering cannot be compared with what is commonly understood as the strength characteristic of steel or “metal welding”.

You can strengthen it by using another solder - special strong and more refractory compounds containing silver, zinc, copper, etc.

Another direction for increasing strength is to cover with solder not only the plane, but also the sidewalls of the part - covering the part with solder. Then the pull-off resistance under multidirectional loads will be greater.

Extra strong soldering, special solders

To use compounds that provide a strong connection with steel, with its own melting point of about 800 - 900 degrees, you need to use a graphite crucible.

The work should only be carried out by specialists in metal smelting. It is necessary to know the basics of metal melting, the procedure for handling melts and safety precautions. In general, soldering of steel with heavy-duty solders is performed at specialized enterprises.

Possible solder composition:

• 55% zinc, 45% copper, some silicon to increase fluidity.

The composition is melted under a layer of coal in a graphite crucible. Steel parts to be soldered are heated with a gas burner. Phosphoric acid is used as a flux. The melt is fed to the parts. As a rule, tinning and soldering are carried out during one heating of both the parts and the solder.

But such soldering of steel is more complex than simple welding.

Source: https://ssk2121.com/pripoy-ne-prilipaet-k-metallu/

How to solder silver?

Hi all! Today I’ll tell you a little about how to solder silver with tin with your own hands. This question often arises when the female half asks to solder a silver ring, chain or earrings. For any radio amateur, this is a challenge and a reason to get out jars of flux.

When can you solder silver?

Silver is a fairly soft metal, so products made from it often break. For example, a broken chain, earrings or a cracked silver ring are simply taken to a jewelry workshop. But with certain soldering skills, it is quite possible to repair the product at home.

Jewelry made of silver with tin must be soldered very carefully so as not to spoil it. Silver has its own characteristics and working with it occurs somewhat differently than, for example, with tin, which is familiar to repairmen.

Types of solder for silver

It is extremely important to select the correct silver solder. Scrap silver cannot be used as solder, since the solder must have a lower melting point than the material that is supposed to be soldered.

The melting point of silver is +960 degrees Celsius.

Such a refractory metal requires special solder. As a rule, these are alloys of silver with other metals. Such alloys are close to silver in terms of reliability, strength and resistance of the solder joint to corrosion.

The higher the percentage of silver, the stronger the solder is considered. Depending on the change in the proportion of silver, the melting point, density, and resistivity also change.

In this regard, PSR-3, PSR-10, PSR-15, PSR-25 are most often used (the number means the silver content as a percentage). If special connection strength and high corrosion protection are required, then you can take PSR-72.

There are powdered solders on sale, as well as those consisting of individual pieces 2-3 mm in size. Sometimes solders are found in the form of wire or sheets. In this case, you will need to prepare pieces of the required size yourself using nippers.

Flux

For high-quality soldering, it is necessary to ensure that oxides are removed at the joint using flux. The easiest way is to make your own flux from powdered borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) and potash (sodium carbonate). The components should be mixed in equal parts, after grinding the borax crystals into a fine powder.

You can also use the more effective store-bought flux PV-209, which has increased activity. It consists of boric anhydride (up to 35%), potassium fluoride (up to 42%) and potassium tetraborate (up to 23%). To obtain the required consistency, this flux should be diluted with water or glycerin.

One of the most common ready-made fluxes is rosin. This substance is a special resin that forms a film at the soldering site, which prevents contact with surrounding oxygen.

Soldering iron

When soldering, it is necessary to create a reliable connection between the parts. If the power of the soldering iron is insufficient, a cold solder will form and the connection will be no stronger than glue. Typically, a soldering iron can only join small parts using a small amount of silver solder. An example in the next video.

An ordinary soldering iron, powered by an electrical network, is designed for soldering tin or lead solders, the melting point of which is from 200 to 300 degrees Celsius. When working with refractory metals, you need a much more powerful soldering iron, capable of heating up to 700-800 degrees. And here gas burners come to the rescue.

Gas-burner

To fully melt silver solder, it is better to use a compact gas burner with a flame temperature of up to 1300 degrees Celsius.

Most often, such burners are fueled with propane, but a butane-propane mixture is also allowed. To obtain higher temperatures, acetylene-based gas mixtures are used, which produce a flame with a temperature of about 2000 degrees Celsius. To solder silver items, ordinary propane is sufficient.

Propane is often sold in a can. The burner has a special adjustment system and a burner tip to ensure that the flame is supplied directionally and evenly. You can also adjust the flame using nozzles. For soldering, you can install a nozzle with a flat nose.

Methods for soldering silver

The process of soldering silver is not much different from soldering other metals, however, there are some nuances when working with a soldering iron as opposed to a gas torch.

Soldering silver with a soldering iron

You must first install a thin tip on the soldering iron. If the soldering iron power is 40 - 60 W, then it is recommended to use PSR-3 solder, the melting point of which is 315 degrees Celsius. This solder is also convenient because it contains a resin that acts as a flux and protects the alloy from oxidation.

When repairing a silver item at home, you should not use tin-lead solder (for example POS-60). Such a connection may not be strong, so this solder should only be used as a last resort. Moreover, lead quickly oxidizes and gives a dark matte color.

When starting to solder silver at home, you need to do the following:

1. Thoroughly clean the surfaces of the silver parts to be joined from various contaminants and oxides, degrease;
2. Heat the joint so that the temperature at the point where the silver is soldered becomes higher than the melting point of the solder;
3. Apply solder along with flux to the joint; it is more convenient to have tubular silver solder;
4. Heat the resulting joint with a soldering iron, ensuring that the solder melts and distributes it between the silver parts;
5. Wait for the product to cool and polish the joint so that no traces of soldering are visible.

Soldering with a gas torch

Soldering with a gas torch and tin provides a more reliable connection, but requires more attention and skill:

1. It is necessary to clean the surfaces of the parts to be joined from blackness, dirt and oxides;
2. Apply flux to the joint, which can be either purchased or prepared independently;
3. Place a piece of solder of the required size at the soldering site;
4. Carefully heat the product around the soldering area, monitoring the position of the solder to prevent it from being blown away by the flame;
5. When the solder begins to melt, increase the flame until the solder forms a uniform seam with a shiny surface;
6. After soldering is completed, allow it to cool and clean the joint to remove any traces of flux. Next, you can polish off the excess tin.

Solder joint strength

It is worth noting that solders made from alloys of silver with copper and zinc are quite universal and can solder any metals. Silver solder has the advantages of high strength, flow rate, wettability and corrosion resistance. A soldered joint with tin containing silver is stronger than lead. The disadvantage of silver solder is its high melting point and significant cost, since silver is a precious metal.

The strength characteristics of PSR-1.4 solder in comparison with other solders are shown in the table below. Even a 1.4% silver content in the solder significantly increases tensile strength while maintaining a low melting point.

The number in the name of the solder indicates the percentage of silver in it. Thus, alloys PSR-2.5, PSR-15 and PSR-25 can be used for soldering products that do not experience significant loads on the seam.

To obtain a high-strength connection, PSR-45 solder is used, consisting of 45% silver, 30% copper and 25% zinc. It has high viscosity, malleability and fluidity. The solder joint will be resistant to corrosion, stretching, vibration and shock.

Solders PSR-65 or PSR-80 have even higher strength properties, but have a high cost.

It must be said that silver solder is very difficult to find on sale, but you can make it yourself. How to make silver solder yourself and how to solder with a gas torch can be seen in the video.

Source: https://masterpaiki.ru/kak-payat-serebro.html

How to solder correctly with a soldering iron

Greetings, dear friends! One thought came to me: I’m running my own amateur radio blog, but there are still not enough articles related to technology. This article should change the situation somewhat.

So what will today's article be about?

The article will be, as you probably guessed, about soldering technology, about how best to perform this action so that it turns out efficiently and reliably.

By the way, have you read about how to make boards yourself, I highly recommend it. In addition, I have thought of one topic that will simply turn everything upside down [urlspan]don’t miss it[/urlspan].

I remember the first time I tried to solder something. For these purposes, I took my father’s large 100-watt soldering iron (this soldering iron looked like a hatchet, my father used it to solder tanks and buckets), a piece of tin and some kind of bottle with soldering acid.

Since I didn’t have any knowledge about this action, I decided to improvise and naturally nothing worked out for me. The drop of tin that I managed to fuse with a Babai solder did not want to stick to the leg of a healthy resistor torn out of an old TV. The smell of evaporating acid filled my nose, but to my amazement it did no good. Oh, I suffered a lot then, and in addition I gave myself several burns.

So read on and you won’t have to burn your fingers or sadly look at a poorly soldered connection.

Process technology

The technology of this process is actually very simple, and at the forefront you just need to understand everything that exactly happens when we poke a soldering iron into the molten solder. Well, let's probably start in order.

Soldering is the process of forming a permanent connection by diffusion of solder (metal or alloy in a molten state) into the pores of the metals being connected, followed by crystallization of the solder.

To connect two parts by soldering, you need to heat the surfaces being soldered, then you need to ensure that the molten solder flows into the pores of the parts being soldered.

This process can be hindered by dirt on the surface of the parts, as well as an oxide film that forms on the surface of the metal in the presence of air. Therefore, any parts to be soldered must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. If the parts are covered with rust or are simply dirty, then the molten solder will not be able to flow where it should flow.

So we have two metal parts that we would like to combine into one whole product. This could be a resistor leg that we want to solder into the mounting hole in the board. Therefore, first of all, we must make sure that the process is clean; the board must be clean and free of grease, as well as the resistor terminals. Although the resistor, as a rule, if it is new, does not need additional cleaning.

Everything would be fine, but in the open air an oxide film constantly forms on the surface of the metal, and this can hinder us. There is absolutely no need to worry about this, since flux will help us deal with this.

Flux is a substance used to remove the oxide film from the surface of the metal, as well as reduce surface tension.

In most cases, we will use rosin as a flux, which can be purchased at most radio parts stores. Rosin is actually an ordinary resin, sold in small jars in a solid state.

I said solid because there is also SKF - alcohol-rosin flux, which is sold in small bottles. You can make a solution of rosin in alcohol yourself at home, and then pour it into nail polish bottles, which is very convenient.

So, to solder a resistor into a board, you need to apply a little flux to the surfaces to be soldered. To do this, poke a heated soldering iron into a jar of rosin, fusing as much rosin onto the tip as needed (we determine this experimentally; if you overdo it, nothing bad will happen, you’ll just have to suffer later by wiping off the excess flux). Using a simple poke, we transfer the resin melt from the soldering iron tip to the surfaces to be soldered.

Not just any soldering iron is suitable for soldering radio components. The soldering iron should be small (this is just convenient, since modern radio components tend to constantly miniaturize), convenient and, if possible, have temperature control.

Now the oxide film can no longer form on the surface of the metals. The next step is to form the solder joint. Place a drop of solder on the soldering iron tip.

When soldering electronic equipment, POS 61 grade solder is used, melting point 190°C. In a brand of solder, the number indicates the percentage of tin (it turns out 61% tin, the rest is lead). You cannot solder with pure tin, as it forms a fragile connection. There is even such a thing as tin plague, you can google it on the Internet and watch videos. Simply put, this is a phenomenon where, when exposed to low temperatures, tin literally crumbles before our eyes.

So, to seal the resistor, we put a drop of solder on the tip of the soldering iron and touch the parts to be soldered with a small poke for 3 - 5 seconds. Our task is to warm up the parts being soldered in such a short period of time, to ensure that the solder spreads over the surface of the parts and to try to form a beautiful soldered joint.

That's all the technology is, isn't it difficult?

So it is, but in this whole process there are a number of nuances that I would like to dwell on in more detail.

1. Soldering temperature

You probably noticed that I recommended touching the soldered surfaces of radio components for no more than 3-5 seconds. This is due to the fact that during prolonged and excessive heating, some radio components may be destroyed. Maybe this is not so important for resistors, but silicon transistors and diodes can suffer greatly from this.

It is for these purposes that it is recommended to use low-power soldering irons of approximately 25 W, or generally use a soldering iron with an adjustable tip temperature. This option, in my opinion, is the most advantageous for the reason that we kill two birds with one stone. We protect the capricious radio element and also ensure a stable melting temperature of the solder.

After all, if the temperature is excessive, the solder will become unusable and will be such a grainy mess on the surface of the soldering iron that it does not contribute to a high-quality solder joint. Well, if the temperature is not sufficient, then you know, the solder will not be able to melt and the connection will also not work.

2. Grounding

If possible, the soldering iron tip should be grounded. The fact is that some radio components, in particular field-effect transistors, are very sensitive to static electricity.

As is known, the potential difference on synthetic clothing can reach 1000V, which can damage the field-effect transistor. I think it would be sad if, after a long, painstaking installation of the device, you are convinced that the device is completely inoperable due to a broken transistor.

Soldering irons of modern soldering stations have their own grounding, but what to do if you only have an EPSN 220V 25W soldering iron? To be honest, I rarely bother with this, I always managed somehow, but there is a way. You can modify the soldering iron, connect the soldering iron tip to the ground bus of the building, or throw it on a heating battery, something like this. By the way, probably for these purposes, EPSN soldering irons have a small eyelet on the heating element.

3. Metal of soldered parts

In fact, there are metals that are easy to solder, such as silver, copper, brass, zinc, nickel. There are metals that require a lot of work to solder. For example, it is almost impossible to solder aluminum outdoors.

An oxide film forms on the surface of aluminum almost instantly, so no matter how much you clean the aluminum, it will be very difficult to solder it. There are special fluxes for soldering aluminum, but I think the main task when soldering aluminum should be to ensure that the metal is isolated from the air during the soldering process.

On the Internet, I heard about one method of soldering aluminum, in which the parts to be soldered are immersed in oil, thereby isolated from air, then cleaned and soldered in a large amount of active flux.

4. A little about fluxes

When soldering various electronics, in 99% of cases, ordinary pine rosin is used. This flux is good because it is absolutely neutral. Unlike soldering acids and aspirin tablets, it does not have a corrosive effect on the metal. This means that over time the solder joint will not suffer from rust or oxidize.

It is even possible not to wash the rosin flux, but this will affect the appearance of the solder joint (it will be stained with droplets of solder), but this indicates that the rosin does not have any negative effect on the metal.

There is another flux based on the same rosin - rosin-gel. This flux is simply amazingly effective, it allows you to solder what other fluxes cannot do.

Sold in syringes. I really liked this flux, although it is a little expensive, but everything is relative. Only it must be washed, due to its conductivity.

I once assembled a programmer and was very surprised during the process of setting it up. Through thorough testing, I came to the conclusion that the signal propagated along the bare dielectric section of the PCB. It turned out that unwashed rosin-gel gave such problems, only when I washed off the flux everything returned to normal.

I would like to recommend another successful flux, which by the way can be obtained at the pharmacy. This is regular glycerin. There is only one problem: pharmaceutical glycerin is usually sold in the form of an aqueous solution. So before use, it is advisable to evaporate the water, just do not overdo it with heating. I once witnessed a small fireworks display when, while heating a bottle of glycerin, I was distracted by a boiling kettle. It's good that the wife and child were not nearby

Source: http://popayaem.ru/texnologiya-effektivnoj-pajki.html

What to do if solder does not stick to the tip

Beginner radio amateurs often encounter difficulties when the solder does not stick to the soldering iron. He doesn’t want to, and that’s all. In such conditions, soldering becomes not just torture, but a real torture of the nerves.

How much effort and patience it takes to catch this nimble ball of molten solder with a sting. But then it needs to be conveyed to the details. What if the tool tip is not flat? What to do then? All you need to do is carefully prepare it for work.

Main reasons

Tin-lead (the most common) solder melts at a temperature of 250-300 ℃, and this temperature is quite sufficient for work.

If at some point the tip gets hotter, then the solder and flux on it can simply burn out, leaving unsightly traces of their presence.

In addition, the copper from which the tip is made will begin to oxidize due to overheating and a thin film of copper oxide will appear on the surface. Because of it, the solder does not stick, and the “slag” remaining on the tip does not add “stickiness” at all.

So, there are two main reasons why solder does not stick or hold. The first is contamination of the tip, the second is oxidation. If you eliminate them, the work will go like clockwork.

Proper preparation for work

Direct preparation of the tool for soldering involves tinning. After all, it is to untinned metal that the soldering material does not stick.

Tinning is the process of covering a surface with a thin layer of tin.

By the way, parts are prepared for soldering in the same way. How to tin the soldering iron? Yes, very simple. Only it is not the entire instrument that needs to be tinned, but only its tip.

First you need to clean it mechanically. A file or sandpaper is suitable for this. You need to clean thoroughly, without leaving grooves or scratches in which an oxide film could remain. Of course, the soldering iron must be cold.

After thorough cleaning, you need to cover the working surface with a layer of flux. If a liquid composition is used, then immediately after cleaning it is applied with a brush; if solid rosin is used, then the soldering iron must be immersed in it as the tip heats up.

There is no need to wait for the soldering iron to heat up, because an oxide film will inevitably form in the air, which will again prevent the solder from sticking. Overheating is the reason that the copper tip does not tin.

After the soldering iron has warmed up to the desired temperature, touch the solder with the tip and rub it. You can grind the solder using a sliver of hard wood - birch or oak. In this case, do not allow the soldering iron to overheat.

The solder sticks perfectly to a properly tinned soldering iron and does not lie on it in lumps or drops. It evenly coats the copper tip and leaves it quietly when needed.

Why doesn't solder stick to the wire?

Beginner radio amateurs often encounter difficulties when the solder does not stick to the soldering iron. He doesn’t want to, and that’s all. In such conditions, soldering becomes not just torture, but a real torture of the nerves.

How much effort and patience it takes to catch this nimble ball of molten solder with a sting. But then it needs to be conveyed to the details. What if the tool tip is not flat? What to do then? All you need to do is carefully prepare it for work.