marsh28 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Its all about the solder used. Make sure it has alot of flux. The kinds radioshack had always worked excellent for me. Soldering shouldn't be that big of a deal. I suspect your solder is bad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I have to say that I agree: RS always seemed to have good solder. I think I've used up 3 or 4 8oz rolls of their 60/40. I've used several of their other alloys including a 62/36/2 silver bearing that worked great. Rumor has it that RS solder was Kester re-branded. Speaking of Kester, If you want the Cadillac of Solders, Kester 44 60/40: http://amzn.to/1kccoek If you only want to buy 1 size of solder, I'm a fan of .031 - it is small enough to give me good control, but big enough to hit .1 pitch pads without over heating them. Yes, Kester is expensive but worth every penny. (Sort of off-topic)-- For you 'Mid Level Solder Heads', let me also suggest an excellent all in one station that doesn't break the bank. http://amzn.to/1M2BfME. I got one of those last year and have NEVER looked back. The iron is excellent, heats super fast, and holds temp well. It's no Hakko or Pace, but it is about 1/3 the price... The desoldering gun is a joy to work with. I pull the trigger and it has a constant strong vac. That means I can completely clean out the hole the first time. The biggest problem people have with rework is not getting all the solder out quickly. Either they over-heat the pad and it pops off, or they wiggle the component to get it to break free and rip the pad off. Replacing a triac (once you get the board out of the enclosure) takes about 5 minutes with one of these. I can hit all 3 legs with the desoldering gun, turn the board upside down, and the triac falls out. Pop the new one in, Solder 1 leg, check to make sure it is aligned properly, hit the other 2 and done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seriouslylosingit Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 Thank you all so much. All of your suggestions are very helpful. I am short on time this weekend, but plan to get after it again early next week.. DevMike, the expense is minimal if it saves a lot of time...at the rate I have been going, I'm about 4 hours in with nothing to show for it but frustration.. I'm pretty sure I'd pay any reasonable amount to not lose another 4 hours of my life. Thanks again everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebuechner Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I agree the smaller diameter solder is ideal for doing this kind of work. Radio Shack solder is what I prefer also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiplorenzo Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 The one thing I saw a friend of Mine do is to use Ethernet Cable to power the lights, you have to put 2 of the 5 or 6 cables together, but they are also Solid Copped, and he poked a small hole in the strip, then put the 2 ethernet lines in them then a drop of solder and it holds... I've tried soldering wire to the smal Strips, and its a real pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh28 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Ha. I cut up two 2811 strips to make smart floods for the windows of my house. The solder joints on those things are small and delicate. Took forever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Either I will reenforce what someone else has posted or add my two cents. First I will admit that I hate some of this new solder. I am from the old school and used what is called 40/60 solder with flux core. This new stuff is carp. Extra flux is good, but I have not needed it. Clean joints is a plus for sure. Also just a small ball of solder on the tip of the iron goes a long ways to helping transfer heat quickly to the joint. A quick heat up to temperature is very important. A slow heat up is going to cause something to get burnt. Also pre-tinning the wire and the pad is good advice that another has given.1) clean tip (soldering iron)2) just a small ball of solder on the tip of the iron.3) clean and tinned wire or pad4) a bit of extra flux helps cause the solder to flow.5) once the solder flows do not move the wire(s) before the solder cools enough to become a solid again. And I have been doing this for 40 years. And I still burn my fingers from time to time holding the wire til the solder cools enough so that it does not move around as the solder becomes a solid again. If you try to use needle nose plyers the soft pvc jacket will deform. Unless you hold it back far enough that the jacket does not heat up. But this goes back to having everything clean so it heats up quickly and then get off of it in matters of seconds. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 +1 On the newer (probably environmentally friendly) solders. Some of them just don't flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I do a lot of soldering in different hobbies and have never used extra flux. Kester 44 60/40 is all I use now. Be sure to prep the ribbons properly and then tin both surfaces you want to join and then join them. Hot finger tips are a sign of doing it right IMHO. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh28 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I tried using some of the electrical solder they sell at Lowes/HD and the stuff is absolute CRAP. I don't get how they can get away with selling it. I guess its not really intended for delicate electrical connections, still.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytruden Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Holidaycoro.com has some helpful videos on soldiering those types of strips. Here is a pretty good one: There is one that is a little better, but I couldn't find it as quickly. Like DevMike said, quality iron is the key. I got this one, and am quite happy. http://goo.gl/ra2hZI Don't know if you are using a tool with clips and a magnifying glass to help hold all the wires. Really helps now that my near vision is bad. Good luck. Don't give up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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