i just got a soldering iron and i have know idea what to do! cansomeone help me? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Well for starters what are you trying to solder? You want to get some good solder I like http://www.beefyproducts.com/product.asp?itemid=1882&catid=156 from Beefy Products. You may want to pick up this from radio shack http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049774 and http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062740&cp=2032058.2032236.2032313&pg=2&parentPage=family

Basically the flux helps solder stick to wires. so if you strip the end of the wire and dip it in the flux then solder the end of it onto the motor or battery. Make sure you have a hot iron, 40 to 45 watts. Be careful not to burn yourself!!!!

what do ya need to do, and how old r u, r ur parents ok with this!!!lol!!!

but of course I will help you (french accent). lol. Ok first we will make a list of supplys that you will need. First of course you will need solder. go to radio shack and pick up the finest diameter 60/40 rosin core solder. next get a copper scrub pad. to clean the tip with. also you will need a tin of paste flux. I have found that dutchboy all purpous paste flux works very well. But do not use the a flux with an asid base. make sure it is rosin based or says general purpous.
here is the list again
1.60/40 rosin core solder finest diameter you can find
2.copper scrub pad
3.all purpous or rosin core paste flux

Now it is realy hard to explain how to solder in words so I am going to give you some some vidio links. Word of caution. In the one video the man is using asid based flux do not ever use asid based flux on electronics. also these soldering jobs are for small scale rc is a larger scale so your tecnique will vary a little. from what they do in the video but this is a starting point.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1919863212115951662&q=soldering
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5055347101142736442&q=soldering
I hope these videos will help you with soldering.

HOPE THIS HELPS
Sean Scott

soldering can be a hard task, the first thing you can do to make life easy is to get a very good very hot soldering iron, once you have a good soldering iron, and getting the right solder like j-dub said, and really it all just takes practice after that and trust me from experiance it really isnt all that hard with a good soldering iron that is one of the main keys to soldering and also always keep solder on the tip of the iron before you put it away and while it is burning so you do not burn the tip up,
hope this helps

but of course I will help you (french accent). lol. Ok first we will make a list of supplys that you will need. First of course you will need solder. go to radio shack and pick up the finest diameter 60/40 rosin core solder. next get a copper scrub pad. to clean the tip with. also you will need a tin of paste flux. I have found that dutchboy all purpous paste flux works very well. But do not use the a flux with an asid base. make sure it is rosin based or says general purpous.
here is the list again
1.60/40 rosin core solder finest diameter you can find
2.copper scrub pad
3.all purpous or rosin core paste flux

Now it is realy hard to explain how to solder in words so I am going to give you some some vidio links. Word of caution. In the one video the man is using asid based flux do not ever use asid based flux on electronics. also these soldering jobs are for small scale rc is a larger scale so your tecnique will vary a little. from what they do in the video but this is a starting point.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1919863212115951662&q=soldering
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5055347101142736442&q=soldering
I hope these videos will help you with soldering.

HOPE THIS HELPS
Sean Scott
Darkscope001, nice video's

For RC I would recommend at least a 60 watt high quality iron,such as a hakko,weller,one of the main things with a high quality iron is the recovery time,also you want to have as large a tip as possible a pencil point tip won't cut it in RC.Don't skimp on your Iron you will regret it,you can get a really good High quality iron for $50- $100.it's well worth the investment.

hmmmm I beg to differ. My first Iorn was a craftsman 40 what and it reached a teampature of 1100 deg and it only cost 9 bucks at sears harwhere. and I had used everything from a flat tip to a conicile tip and all of them worked very well. granted that the fine point tip took a while longer to melt the solder. it does not realy matter when you are working on motors because they dont care how hot the tabs get and if you are woried about overheating the brushes by having the iorn on the motor tabs for an extended pereod of time you can just use clip on heatsinks that draw the heat away. So dont let anyone tell you that you need and expensive Iorn because all of the people why buy the wellers and the hakkos have to specal order there tips the craftsman you just walk into your local sears hardwhere and pick up a new set of 3 for about 5 bucks. :rolleyes:

HOPE THIS HELPS
Sean Scott

P.S. Even though I have ben using a cheap Iorn for many years I am yet to have a soldering job break on me. its all about a clean tip and tecnique not about how expensive your soldering iorn is.s

Go to walmart and get a Lenk 90W soldering gun,there only $20 and it will get the job done! I have solderd motors, batteries, deans ( but watch out! if you get it too hot it will melt crooked and you will have a hard time connecting them). Also it stays off untill you pull the trigger then after 5secs your ready to solder....now for soldering make sure you get ROSIN CORE not ACID CORE. Now take the iron place it on what you want to solder and make it nice and hot...then place what you want to bond together and hols the iron on top for additional heat....you will see to solder start to liquify and bubble then immediatly take it off! After a few seconds you should have a nice bond that will hold for GOOD! A shiny smooth bond it a strong happy bond. Hope this helps... now back to soldering batts. Danny.

Dark scope,the thing I found to be true with the cheap $9 irons is they have no recovery time,as soon as you try to touch the tip to the item all the heat is sucked out and the iron can't recover fast enough.That is why you can't get off the item soon enough,especially for batteries you need a good iron,I've heard all the "you don't need a good iron stories" You get what you pay for and a $9 iron is just that, a $9 iron.

Absolutly get the best iron you can afford. I picked up a 100w at a local electornics store for 75 bucks, big 1/4 inch blade tip.

Soldering batteries can kill them so a high watt iron is the way to go. Mine is basically tip to batt, a bit of solder and DONE in 2 seconds...

You do get what you pay for, go cheap and you will regret it.

Also MOST IMPORTANT.. if you drop the iron DO NOT try and catch it.. I tried once and well, that hand was trash for a bit (can you say OUCH (i would use more colorful language but this is a family friendly site))

Basic solder rules are; Clean, HOT and QUICK

Absolutly get the best iron you can afford. I picked up a 100w at a local electornics store for 75 bucks, big 1/4 inch blade tip.

Soldering batteries can kill them so a high watt iron is the way to go. Mine is basically tip to batt, a bit of solder and DONE in 2 seconds...

You do get what you pay for, go cheap and you will regret it.

Also MOST IMPORTANT.. if you drop the iron DO NOT try and catch it.. I tried once and well, that hand was trash for a bit (can you say OUCH (i would use more colorful language but this is a family friendly site))

Basic solder rules are; Clean, HOT and QUICK
I do agree with pepe and jim smith about spending more on a better soldering iron, and yes jim I have done the same thing drop it tryed to catch it and yes you talk about hurting,,,,,!!! lol

lol Ive never droped a soldering iorn before but I have accedentaly grabed the heating element and what a pain I dont think ive let go of something so fast. But sereously If you dont believe me go out to sears and look for the craftsman 45 watt soldering iorn http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Portable+Power+Tools&pid=00954042000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Soldering+Tools+%26+Accessories&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes and try it out. if you dont like it your only out of the hole 9 bucks. but I think the thing works great. and realy you can diss the iorn especaly if you are still using that 14 dollar weller. not talking to anyone who has posted yet. But I dont use the craftsman anymore but I love it. right now im using the radioshack computerized coldering station. it has great recovery because the tip is computer controled so the computer applys more power if the tip is cooling down so I dont have to wory about the mass of my tip to keep it hot when soldering.

just curious will acid core eat stuff like"acid"??? if so why do they make this??

just curious will acid core eat stuff like"acid"??? if so why do they make this??

Acid core solder is used for soldering metals together like plumbing and slot car chassis's you need the acid to etch the metal in electrical it will dissolve any circuit boards

lol Ive never droped a soldering iorn before but I have accedentaly grabed the heating element and what a pain I dont think ive let go of something so fast. But sereously If you dont believe me go out to sears and look for the craftsman 45 watt soldering iorn http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Portable+Power+Tools&pid=00954042000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Soldering+Tools+%26+Accessories&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes and try it out. if you dont like it your only out of the hole 9 bucks. but I think the thing works great. and realy you can diss the iorn especaly if you are still using that 14 dollar weller. not talking to anyone who has posted yet. But I dont use the craftsman anymore but I love it. right now im using the radioshack computerized coldering station. it has great recovery because the tip is computer controled so the computer applys more power if the tip is cooling down so I dont have to wory about the mass of my tip to keep it hot when soldering.
darkscope001, I have used the weller one's before and they actually work pretty well

the iron i got was my dads, ( he used it only for little electrical stuff). and it was only a 15wt. so i got a $24 weller 40wt, and the guy at my lhs taught me to solder, ( it alot easier to learn in person). and it's alot easier than i thought it be. but anyway, thanks for all your advise. i'll will be sure to use it in the future when getting a better soldering iron. so thanks again!

the iron i got was my dads, ( he used it only for little electrical stuff). and it was only a 15wt. so i got a $24 weller 40wt, and the guy at my lhs taught me to solder, ( it alot easier to learn in person). and it's alot easier than i thought it be. but anyway, thanks for all your advise. i'll will be sure to use it in the future when getting a better soldering iron. so thanks again!
good deal, hopefully everything works out for you!!!!

the iron i got was my dads, ( he used it only for little electrical stuff). and it was only a 15wt. so i got a $24 weller 40wt, and the guy at my lhs taught me to solder, ( it alot easier to learn in person). and it's alot easier than i thought it be. but anyway, thanks for all your advise. i'll will be sure to use it in the future when getting a better soldering iron. so thanks again!

You should be fine with that iron.

ok thanks!