JeromeK99

iTrader: (3)

The 100watt iron sounds like it might be a gun.. well they are only 100watts for an instant and it has a very small tip.. hard to transfer heat.

Costing more doesn't mean it's better.. most expensive irons are made for electronics like a poster above stated.. they have small tips.. you need a chisel like tip and 45w to 60w should do fine if using the right kind of solder. Deans solder if you can find it is really good stuff... but has a high silver content and takes a lot of heat.. Better is 60/40 lead/tin solder available from Radio Shack with rosin (flux) core. I recommend the .062 thickness.

I have used a 45w 900 degree iron from Sears/Craftsman ($10) and can solder just about anything I need to in R/C. New tips come in a pack for $2.99.

I too recommend a battery jig to rebuild the pack side-by-side rather than in the stick if you have to put 2 cells back on. If you need ShoeGoo to add to strengthen the pack.. you are probably crashing real hard way too often.

I agree that practice makes perfect is the way about it..


Good luck!

Jerome

bprocket

iTrader: (2)

One of the problems I've had in the past was a cold solder joint and holding the iron to the part too long. I started the method noted by Buddha - use flux, tin parts and iron, then solder parts together - the the results have been impressive. I can now get a solid solder joint very quick and with a lot less solder. So, long-story-short, the method works.

Beeen

iTrader: (8)

This may have been mentioned already but I didn't see it; make sure you're not using lead-free solder.

SUNA

iTrader: (47)

I know the "dangers" of handling lead...as for lead free I have been told it is harder to solder and is more prone to cold joints. I don't see the benefits...lead conducts better than tin.

rocket-mtrsprts

iTrader: (1)

.......or you could use Silver Solder......silver conducts better than either of the other two.

SUNA

iTrader: (47)

Meh...2% silver.

Plus I can go anywhere and buy a 1lb 60/40 rosin core for ~$20.

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

Started out using a 100/140watt gun building batts, deans solder. Was OK besides an ocassional bar joint that I could pop off and would have to redo.

Now use a weller 80watt iron with much bigger tip. Once I've got cells and bars pretinned, I'm on the cell prob less than a sec which is much, much less time than with the gun even at 140watts. Far stronger joints, better result.

I bought all the deans solder I could find - don't plan on running out. Taking the lead out of solder is just political correctness run amok. You'd have to solder 26hrs a day in a tiny confined space breathing only the fumes to see it buildup in your blood. Big bro saves us all again (and screws the product up for all of us), lol!

riene5

This is a great thread, really helps.

Quick question, if I am not going to be soldering battery cells together (I'm using lipo packs) what would be the recomended wattage for an iron?

I want to be able to solder wires onto the motor, put connectors onto battery harnesses. Is 60W+ as stated above still recomended?

I can vouch that anything 25W or under is useless - my el-cheapo 25W iron is not crash hot (no pun intended)!

I can find quite a few soldering stations available locally around the 45W-55W level, but the only one over 60W is a 100W station and it quite pricey in comparision (more than double the 55W). Do I go for broke and get the 100W station?

szakcajaru

Really IMHO unless you are regularly building battery packs and doing a lot of soldering a high wattage iron is unneccessary. A 40w iron is all that's needed for soldering motor wires and battery plugs. As long as you also purchase flux and 60/40 solder you should get along fine for what you're looking to do.