question on soldering

[warlocke]

hey just wondering whats the way to apply solder to wires, the way i do it is put the tip on the top of the connection, then put the solder wire right under the tip and let it drip down into the wire,

is this the correct way or no. and if not can anyone correct me? or even supply me with some tips on the proper way to do it.

thanks for any advice yall.

[GenevaDirt]

NO....you want to heat the wire and object you are soldering it to and then let the solder flow into the strands...if you let it drip it cools and will not adhere properly.

[monkeyracing]

It's just like soldering copper pipes when you're plumbing a sink. Heat the target a bit, and the solder should flow into it. It's a little tricky, but you can get the hang of it. This should help too. http://downloads.oreilly.com/make/wp...ring_small.pdf

[jeffdjeffd]

GenevaDirt got it. The soldering gun should never touch the solder. Heat the parts needing soldered, remove the tip, touch the solder to it and let it flow.

Practice soldering before doing any real soldering. It is an art. You need the correct wattage to heat just enough without melting insulation, etc. You also need the right type and guage of solder.

Good solder joints are shiny silver. Cold joints are dull.

[oxbrain]

Put a little blob of solder on the tip of your iron to make the heat transfer faster. Then put the tip on the wires and touch the solder to the wires next to the tip.

[JPT]

Above all, the parts being soldered need to be CLEAN. The cleaner the parts, the better the connection.

[monkeyracing]

It also helps to tin your pieces too. That should be covered in the tutorial.