Soldering problem

[newbryford]

Carrying the solder on the iron is not a good idea only if you are using cored solder without any other additional flux applied to the joint.

As all it does is burn away the cored flux before it can be of any use as it heats up on the iron.

 

 

 

[Torper]

2 hours ago, Crosland said:

 

Kit building is usually done with non-cored solder and separate flux, in which case carrying the solder on the iron is perfectly OK.

 

I'm sure it's OK, but having used the carry-the-solder-on-the-iron method for years, I've now found it easier and more efficient to bring the iron to the solder, whether cored or not.  What I tend to do is apply some flux to the site of the joint, snip off a very (surprisingly!) small bit of solder, put it on the joint where the flux tends to hold it in position, and then apply the iron.

 

DT

Edited May 24, 2019 by Torper

[ROSSPOP]

15 hours ago, Torper said:

 

I'm sure it's OK, but having used the carry-the-solder-on-the-iron method for years, I've now found it easier and more efficient to bring the iron to the solder, whether cored or not.  What I tend to do is apply some flux to the site of the joint, snip off a very (surprisingly!) small bit of solder, put it on the joint where the flux tends to hold it in position, and then apply the iron.

 

DT

Blimey! you must be a dab hand at balancing bits of solder on your projects........

 

so where do you balance the solder on a handrail????

 

 

 

 

 

....I suspect you use both methods.........      I bet the solder on the tip of the iron is the most time efficient......

 

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by ROSSPOP

[Phil Parker]

16 hours ago, newbryford said:

Carrying the solder on the iron is not a good idea only if you are using cored solder without any other additional flux applied to the joint.

As all it does is burn away the cored flux before it can be of any use as it heats up on the iron.

 

You need flux sloshed around no matter how you get the solder to the kit. Lots and lots, all washed off at the end of the soldering session.

[hayfield]

17 hours ago, Crosland said:

 

Kit building is usually done with non-cored solder and separate flux, in which case carrying the solder on the iron is perfectly OK.

Crossland

 

Whilst I have no scientific knowledge on this subject, my soldering skills with low melt solder greatly improved by putting the solder and flux in the joint and taking the iron to it

 

However with normal solder wire I flux the wire/joint and take the solder to it on the tip of the iron

[ROSSPOP]

 Nuttinc !

Edited May 25, 2019 by ROSSPOP
duplicate post

[WIMorrison]

I find that sometimes taking the to the solder works and sometimes carrying the solder works, very much dependent upon what you are doing  at the time.

 

i just use what is best for the task in hand

[Torper]

9 hours ago, ROSSPOP said:

Blimey! you must be a dab hand at balancing bits of solder on your projects........so where do you balance the solder on a handrail????

....I suspect you use both methods......I bet the solder on the tip of the iron is the most time efficient....

 

 

Indeed.  I use the iron-to-solder method largely on joints where I find that a small dab of liquid flux will hold the small piece of solder in place until the iron gets to it (and it really does only need a very small piece of solder, usually cut off a length of solder wire).  For items such as handrails and situations where the piece of solder wire won't stay in place, I'll use solder on the tip of the iron, although for some such cases an RSU and solder paste works well.

 

As to time efficient, that may or may not be the case but in any event takes second place to getting the job done as well and neatly as possible and for that I'd back the iron-to-solder method every time (which is why I now use it whenever possible).  But as always, everyone to their own,

 

DT

Edited May 25, 2019 by Torper
typo

[Imustbemadatmyage]

Many thanks for all your comments. I am now managing to solder fairly well, as this picture of the underneath of code 55 n gauge rail shows (I hope!)

 

 

[spikey]

Not a lot wrong with that

[Imustbemadatmyage]

35 minutes ago, spikey said:

Not a lot wrong with that

Many thanks 

[newbryford]

6 minutes ago, Richard Croft said:

I was once struggling with droppers on points and my solution at the time was to rough up under the rail a little bit with a small file and the solder stuck to it perfectly. I use a 50w soldering iron and resin core solder, nothing fancy. I have seen people using flux and it seems to take longer to achieve the same results. I solder every day and never have any issues with the resin core stuff.

 

Richard

 

It's not the "roughening up" that works - it's the cleaning of the joint.