I'm in the process of re-chipping my K1 with Zimos and am hitting a problem I often have, which is cleanly soldering fine wires.?

I have an ERSA temperature controlled soldering iron with a variety of tips but often find I can't get a clean coating of solder on the tip nor cleanly tin the end of a wire, and then quickly solder such a wire to the tiny connector pads. I've tried both tin&lead and tin&silver cored solders but suspect this may be part of the problem. Should I stick with tin&silver with a dedicated tip? And what size tip is best and should I use any flux?

I would really appreciate some advice from experienced chip fitters.

John

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Hi John,

Thanks guys. I would also appreciate some advice on what temperature to use

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John,

John,

Here's what I use.....

• Ersa iron with the pointiest tip they do.
• Keep one just for electrickery.
• High silver low temp solder. (From Ngineering via EDM)
• No clean up flux (also from Ngineering)

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Solder station set to about 275 degrees. Drop of flux (it's a liquid in a bottle with a precision applicator). Bit of solder on the iron, tin the wire. Another drop of flux on the decoder pad, tin with the same solder. Touch the two together and touch with the iron tip.

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• Usually to work on a decoder this is all viewed through an optivisor.

• ?Use one of the scrunchy brass swarf thingies to clean the tip and not the wet sponge. Takes too much heat off the iron.

• ?I've got something called 'tippy' or some such. It's a hard paste in a round tin about the size of a 10 p. Every now and then poke the iron tip in it and appears to condition it.

• ?If you are soldering on to a pad that already has solder on it you may need a higher temp to melt it. I stick the iron on 350, melt it and add some of the lower temp solder to alter the alloy to work at a lower temp.

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If you end up soldering to surface mount LED's you'll need this solder as general purpose electrical solder melts above the death to LED temperature.

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Hope this helps

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[I have the solder & flux in stock but am off to Wales in the morning for five days driving Merddin Emrys]

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Paul Martin
EDM Models

Thanks Paul that's really helpful. And thanks Rod for your guide - I'm plan to replace the LEDs in the headlights using SMDs.

I'll do a bit of internet shopping and come back to you Paul if I cant get the solder in a few days.

John

I normally work with the iron set to 100 degrees higher than the melting point of the solder. I might increase this if I am working with a large piece of metal (but this wouldn’t apply to electrical work) or decrease it if I am working with, say, delicate white metal pieces (since 100 + 70, the melting point of LMP solder, is above the melting point of white metal - not a problem with large pieces of W/M though).

I, too, have a full range of tips, but I only change them in relation to the size of the work, not for electrical/non-electrical, but all of them were initially tinned with a very high melting point silver-based solder which doesn’t melt at the temperatures the bit is normally set to. I am also religious about wiping the bit every time it goes to or from the stand, so it is always clean, and I use Power-flow flux.

The iron is the expensive Antex one with the digital read-out. I thought that I was quite good at soldering before I bought it but, in practice, it has been a revelation, making soldering tasks practical that would have been frustratingly difficult previously.

David Woodcock

John,

The solder you want is

and the flux is


When it comes to soldering decoders and in particular your SMT LED's you will get no better advice than to read the "how to sheets" here


All the above advice has been sound but one alarm bell went off loudly with the words from David Woodcock above due to his response being off topic
DON'T USE POWERFLOW FLUX ON YOUR DECODERS? -?? bye bye warranty.

Don't get me wrong, its great stuff and I use it for nearly all my brass and nickel silver soldering. However, the context here was soldering electronics and, in particular, decoders. PowerFlow is an agressive and corrosive flux and not suited to electronics work. If you soldered your decoders with it you'd have to wash them under the hot tap ( not great for electronics) and fully dry them or, if you don't get it off, you'll have a hideous and midly conducting crust on your decoder terminals.

John - if you see this thursday morning and want some solder and flux and let me know before midday I can stick some in the post as I leave for Wales. I'll catch up with you next week for payment

Paul Martin
EDM Models

Paul will be pleased to hear that I don’t use DCC and hence no decoders. I do use PowerFlow for other electrical work and have experienced no problems at all as a result but I have taken note of what he says and it won’t be allowed anywhere near any electronic devices.

Thanks for the warning!

David Woodcock