[Hitman2513]

The battery holder on my Vlocity has one of the wires torn off and I suck with soldering using a $2 iron isn't helping. Is there an alternative way to stick the cables on to the little circle or do you guys have any tips?

[REDCOBRA]

Here's how you can try soldering again
1) Remove the solder you put on using a suck or braid
2) clean and tin the tip of the iron
3) strip the wire then then stick it in the connection hole
4)attach a heat sink

5) Solder, Make sure the solder on the wire and connection point looks like a shiny volcano
6)remove everything and let it cool maybe shrink wrap it, then test it.

[junits15]

REDCOBRA, on 17 October 2012 - 02:00 AM, said:

Here's how you can try soldering again
1) Remove the solder you put on using a suck or braid
2) clean and tin the tip of the iron
3) strip the wire then then stick it in the connection hole
4)attach a heat sink

5) Solder, Make sure the solder on the wire and connection point looks like a shiny volcano
6)remove everything and let it cool maybe shrink wrap it, then test it.

this^
basically make sure your iron is very clean and well tinned, also strip the wire so you have a nice clean lead, and tin that too. Then use soldering braid or a solder sucker to clean the pad off, after that put the fresh lead you made earlier through the hole in the pad and solder. You always touch the solder to the joint while heating it, never put the solder on the iron and touch the joint.
Good luck!!
I learned how to solder through trial and error, it's pretty sime once you figure it out really

[get.lit.up!]

Pics would help me give you specific instructions on how to approach this task.

And although you may think this is bad I would recommend using a leaded solder over lead free so you can insure that the solder melts with your $2 iron, flux also helps with the melting process.

Lol I'm so spoiled with temperature controlled $150+ irons but then again I basically solder for a living

[REDCOBRA]

Soldering is the only important thing I learnt when I was in Engineering class lol

[Hitman2513]

How do you properly clean an iron? Lol mine is full of brown crap on the tip but it's still in the same shape.

[REDCOBRA]

Hitman2513, on 18 October 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

How do you properly clean an iron? Lol mine is full of brown crap on the tip but it's still in the same shape.

steel wool and a wet sponge

[gibbeepbroxzor]

Napalm

[Cap'n Biff]

This is why they teach fabrication in technical colleges...

So, some pointers:

• DON'T use steel wool to clean the tip. It is best to use brass. It is a softer metal, and won't gouge the tip, which is iron. You might not see the gouges, but they will be there, and will compromise the tip of the iron or pencil.
• Even better than brass is tip cleaner. This is a putty that has chemicals (a mild acid for one) that when heat is applied will liquify and lift and remove corrosion (rust and dirt from the tip). It is in a small container that can just sit next to the iron.
• Tin the iron tip. Once the tip is clean, NEVER let the iron sit on at temperature with a bare tip. This is how the tip corrodes and breaks. ALWAYS blob some solder on the end of the iron or pencil if you are going to let it sit unused for more than 30 seconds. You can wipe the solder off just before to go to use it. Also, when you store the iron, leave a blob of solder on the tip. It will harden when it cools, that's OK. It prevents the tip from rusting.
• If you have a piece of sponge, moisten it and use it to wipe the iron tip clean between uses. Not dripping wet, just damp. The iron tip cools every time you wipe it off, and immersing the whole tip in water (which is a fabulous coolant), means the tip cools down more, and takes longer to get back up to temperature.
• Watch out for the wire insulation. Unless the insulation is teflon-impregnated, the wire will heat up as you solder it and melt the insulation into a hot, gooey, flesh-burning mess. Don't hold the iron on the wire for more than a few seconds at a time.
• If you put a small amount of solder on the iron tip before you touch it to whatever it is you are soldering, the solder will liquify and "flow" faster, and you'll not need to hold the iron tip to the wire (or whatever) for as long.
• Use solder with a rosin core. The rosin is a substance that liquifies at a lower temperature than the solder, so when the solder wire touches the iron tip, the rosin (sometimes called flux) flows out and away from the heat first, and it dislodges any dirt or grit on the surface you are soldering to. This helps make a cleaner, stronger solder joint.
• WEAR EYE PROTECTION! I can't count the number of monkeys I've seen who were goggle nazis on the field (and rightly so) and then go and solder without safety glasses on. Don't be a dumb-ass. WEAR EYE PROTECTION!
• BE CAREFUL. You are poking at stuff with a pointy thing that sits somewhere between 600 and 700 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hot enough to set pretty much anything in your house on fire. BE CAREFUL.

This post has been edited by Cap'n Biff: 18 October 2012 - 05:02 PM

[junits15]

Hitman2513, on 18 October 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

How do you properly clean an iron? Lol mine is full of brown crap on the tip but it's still in the same shape.

tip cleaner from radioshack
heat the iron up, dip it in the tip cleaner, there will be a lot of smoke and steam and it should come out nice and clean. Then brush it with steel wool and tin it

This post has been edited by junits15: 18 October 2012 - 05:02 PM

[get.lit.up!]

I like how I am the ONLY one that wears safety glasses at work

[Hitman2513]

You know what Im just gonna buy another 2$ iron. Thanks a lot guise