Meade How do you solder?

[ChevyBoy]

mapp gas gets hotter and burns cleaner. oxygen is the best. all u need is a propane torch though or even butane.

[andym85]

mine is a butane torch...and like you said, it just takes some trial and error. when i said you gotta find the right amount of heat, i said that because you can start to melt the wire jacketing, but you should feel it getting to hott before that happens...just takes practice. i think flux is only used when soldering copper together, like for plumbing.

[candyman206]

When I soldered my terminals, the solder kept on wicking into the wire itself then about an inch of wire was stiff in the jacket.

[ChevyBoy]

also, u can just get the torch and melt the solder itself instead of heating up the terminal

[David]

also, u can just get the torch and melt the solder itself instead of heating up the terminal

nooo dont do it like that it wont hold for very long

you must melt it into the wire or its worthless

[andym85]

^^^x2...if u do it that way then you really arent getting any solder down into the wire...it is more of a surface conection which will eventually break if any amount of tension is applied...trust me, i know from experience

[ChevyBoy]

i mean aim the torch towards the wire and put the solder right in front of it. itll heat up the wire and let the solder flow through too.

[andym85]

you should do that, but only after you have sufficiently heated the wire to the point where the solder will melt when touching the wire, in order to achieve the best connection.

i also was told a tip when using ring termials that are smooth on the inner surface (such as mine)...get a thread tapper (or whatever its called) and create some threads on the inside of the terminal to give the solder something to hold on too

ehh...come to think of it, maybe we are saying the same thing...just in two different ways...idk

[ChevyBoy]

no not what i was sayin at all. but not a bad idea. theyre just talkin about a tap.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P6...ore&dir=catalog

[kingsuv]

When I soldered my terminals, the solder kept on wicking into the wire itself then about an inch of wire was stiff in the jacket.

That happens to me when the wire itself gets too hot. Less heat on the wire more on the solder. It takes a while to get it right. I have plenty of wire around like that.