tips for tinning tips

[Dad-1]

IF only you lived within 25 miles I'd come to see what could
be achieved with my materials.
I'm certain it's not the soldering Iron, or the bit.
I feel it's to do with a lack of compatibility between the solder & flux.
Flux should make it run and not stay like balls of water on a wax polished car bonnet.
The solder is liquifying - hence you getting balls of metal.

When I think most of my fine soldering is done with a pencil point bit that is permanently
part of my market stall soldering iron - probably cost me £4.50 10 years or more ago.

Geoff T

[centenary]

Well, according to Carr's, their Orange solder flux is compatible with their 'speedy' solder. Their speedy solder has a melting point of 183 degrees.

https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/produc ... flux/c1028

https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/produc ... kets/c1007

[Roger (RJ)]

When it comes to tinning bits I start from cold, touching rosin cored solder to the bit as it starts warm up. The idea is to get a coating of flux (which melts much sooner than the actual solder) on to the bit before it gets hot and starts to oxidise.
If you use a separate flux you can still apply it to the bit before it heats up and then add the solder.

[potatan]

I MADE A TRAIN GO!

https://imgur.com/a/dodgy-soldering-ill ... ow-vvD3jZm

Okay, not the most exciting of layouts but after 3 days of frustrations I'm pleased to have finally soldered two wires to an 87mm Peco ST-1

The new soldering iron tip arrived this afternoon and it was accepting solder straight away, tin-tastic, and it was happy working with all three solders I have tried this weekend.

Onwards and upwards now - I'll need to practice my technique a bit so I don't melt away all the sleepers. One problem is the lack of space between the N-gauge sleepers and as I'm using setrack at the moment I can't push them out of the way and slide them back when the soldering's complete.

But at least I have a functioning soldering station now, and can play with heat settings, angles, helping hands and the like while I try and figure it all out.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice

[aleopardstail]

I MADE A TRAIN GO!

https://imgur.com/a/dodgy-soldering-ill ... ow-vvD3jZm

Okay, not the most exciting of layouts but after 3 days of frustrations I'm pleased to have finally soldered two wires to an 87mm Peco ST-1

The new soldering iron tip arrived this afternoon and it was accepting solder straight away, tin-tastic, and it was happy working with all three solders I have tried this weekend.

Onwards and upwards now - I'll need to practice my technique a bit so I don't melt away all the sleepers. One problem is the lack of space between the N-gauge sleepers and as I'm using setrack at the moment I can't push them out of the way and slide them back when the soldering's complete.

But at least I have a functioning soldering station now, and can play with heat settings, angles, helping hands and the like while I try and figure it all out.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice

if it works its good enough, gets neater with practice. I found with N gauge track, and latterly with OO, its variable. some bits of rail a quick wipe with flux and then a hot iron with a dab of solder for a few seconds and you have a lovely tinned pad. some other bits the solder 'balls' up and won't flow, and even if you can stick a wire it is a poor joint and it comes right off.

a quick wipe with a file helps, as I have found does some IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol, I have it from a 3d printer but the spray electrical cleaner stuff also works) - file, then clean, then flux, then tin with solder and maybe sometimes it works.

for N with set track I gave up, I soldered to the bottom of the metal fishplates, solder took to them just fine, its not ideal as eventually the contact can degrade, but as a starter for ten its not bad

and lovely looking little loco too