Dave.
I use a rosin core .015 solder from Radio Shack. I don't know specifics but I have two spools one not even opened. I also use a .032 for the big wires under the layout. Works good for me. After hundreds of decoders and a couple miles of buss wires and hundreds of feeders, I've probably used twenty to thirty feet of solder all told. I probably waste a lot because I'll burn off about an 8 inch piece instead of working off a spool.
Pete.
wrench567 I've never needed flux for my electronics soldering. I get good results tinning the wires and the pads.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for your input.
I'm curious to know what type of solder you are using. I use Kester 44 resin core solder with a 63/37 ratio, 0.030" dia. I don't know how old the spool is, but it came from my dad's workplace when he left there around 1968.
I can solder with it without applying extra flux but I find things go much quicker and much more reliably with a tiny bit of flux added. Every joint flows almost instantly and I rarely have a 'cold' joint despite my shaky hands which make soldering sometimes very difficult.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I've never needed flux for my electronics soldering. I get good results tinning the wires and the pads. Maybe someday I'll try it. Keep the tip clean and tinned and you shouldn't have a problem. Have a little piece of Scotchbright handy for giving the solder pads a few swipes to clean off any oxidation if needed.
About the only problem I get is forgetting the shrink tube on the wire first. Or soldering the LED backwards. When you get old and you don't do it often enough, you forget which side is the cathode.
P. S. I've seen some horrible decoder installs even by professionals. Too much wire stripped off the end is a big one. Not good to have a half inch of bare wire soldered on a pad. Or a giant mass of wire. Fixed a club members locomotive that the dealer installed the decoder. Masking tape around the wires instead of heat shrink.
One of the current threads in the Electronics and DCC forum asks what soldering irons are the best. I made the point that it doesn't matter how good your soldering iron is if you don't use the proper technique. I that post I offered to share my soldering process if people were interested, and Brent (Batman) suggested that I start a thread on the topic so we can tell others what works and what doesn't work.
Here is the thread:
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/297253.aspx
I won't repeat the discussion about which soldering irons or stations work the best, but for the record, I use a Xytronics soldering station like this (photo compliments of Brent). It works really well:
https://www.amazon.com/Xytronic-LF-399D-Lead-Free-ESD-Safe-Soldering/dp/B018RE794U/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1GG9R08ULTBOU&keywords=xytronics+soldering+station&qid=1706228084&sprefix=xytronic+soldering+station%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc
I run my iron at 700 degrees. I have already tinned the iron if the tip is new.
Here is my method:
1. Apply a tiny amount of flux to the wire and the pad to which the wire will be soldered. Ngineering sells flux that does not need to be cleaned off after soldering;
2. Clean the tip of the iron. That's what the brass sponge is for. Eventually the sponge will start to look dirty and you will need to replace it. Otherwise you will start to pick up impurities from the sponge. I clean the tip of the iron constantly, literally every time I pick it up;
3. Get a very small amount of solder on the tip of the iron and then tin your wires and the contact points. I tin the contact pads even if they have solder already on them. Tinning simply means to apply some solder. Having clean non-oxidized surfaces is essential!;
4. Apply a tiny bit more of the flux to both surfaces;
5. Clean the tip again with the sponge;
6. Get another small amount of solder on the tip of the iron;
7. Hold the wire(s) in place and touch the tip of the iron to the joint. The solder should flow from the tip of the iron into the joint very quickly. Hold the wire absolutely still until the solder has solidified. DO NOT hold the iron on the joint for more than 2 or 3 seconds or you may damage the circuit board or contact pads. If it doesn't work the first time, start from step 1 and try it again.
My Xytronic soldering station is now about three years old and it has been used fairly regularly. I have never had to replace the tip. On my previous soldering station, which was a Weller, the tip burned out very quickly. If your tip has turned black and won't accept solder anymore, the tip is shot. You can buy special compounds for re-tinning your tips, but even they didn't work on the Weller tip. I have never had to use the tinning compound on my Xytronic tip.
You should buy some solder specifically designed for electronics work. Ngineering sells the proper solder.
https://ngineering.com/soldering.htm Scroll down.
Please understand that I'm not saying that this is the only method that works, or that the Xytronic soldering station is the only good soldering station out there. I'm just saying what works for me.
As Brent suggested, this thread is designed for others to share their methods (and maybe their mistakes). so please tell us how you do it.