dct147

Hi guys, im having some issues with soldering now hope u guys can help.

i`m trying to solder wires to my new esc. and this is my problem.
using a
20/200W gun
60/40 solder led.
tried tinning the ESC wire connectors
problem now is i can`t get the wires to sit in and there is a massive amount of solder on all of the connectors .i cant get them out despite holding my solder onto them for a long time till my ESC gets really hot.
tried putting in new solder onto the connectors to melt them but it just hardens up. that was actually how i got those massive amount of solder onto the connectors.
2 of the connectors dropped out because of the heat, causing the socket solder to melt. i managed to put them back, they melt easier.

Am i using wrong soldering led?
how can i remove the excessive led now without overheating my ESC (causeing a desoldering effect)
attached is how it is now.

can anyone help pls.

thanks

ta_man

iTrader: (168)

Unless you are incredibly skilled (and maybe not even then) this is not the kind of thing you use a soldering gun for. Get a good iron. There are many that are recommended for RC electronics. I've been soldering for over 50 years and I would not use a gun for that.

I recommend 63/37 solder over the 60/40.

Once you have a good iron, here's how to get that excess solder off: Get the iron to max temp. Put a little flux on the solder posts on the esc. Hold the ESC upside down and touch the iron to each post with the iron pointing up into the post. When the solder melts, it will flow onto the iron. Flick the excess solder off (someplace safe) and do the next post.

dct147

Thanks for the advice. thing is, this solder feels like it takes a quite while before it melts. before its barely melting, my ESC gets very hot. so I cant hold onto it for too long a peroid of time.

I changed 4 soldering iron, current one i`m using is a goot TQ77 20/200W I hope this is good enough. Will it be better if i soldered off the connectors then work on them individually instead?

I`m new to this. If i were to remove the connectors and soldered them back on after, is it as simple as it seems? will it affect any electronice?

ta_man

iTrader: (168)

You keep talking about this TQ77 20/200. I looked it up. A) The tip is too small. B) you need an IRON with a larger tip with more heat capacity (like someone else said in the other thread you started). Your solder is probably melting slow because the gun does not have the heating capacity that is needed for the job. Among the tools I occasionally use is a Weller D550 325 watt gun. On heavy jobs it is no match for a 45 watt iron with a chisel tip.

It may be sad that you bought the incorrect equipment to solder RC stuff but there is really no point in asking for advice if you are going to refuse to take it.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

As others have said your iron is not anywhere near what you'd want to be using for these electronics. You want an iron like the Hakko FX-888 or something similar. And furthermore you need a solder tip that is at least 3.2mm wide which your current gun does not seem to have.

Once you get a new iron, read the beginning of this thread and completely read the soldering advice listed here because it will make your life a lot easier during your next solder job.

the rc guy

so you all think its safe to try and solder wires on the esc lugs after 2 have fallen off... so no shorts inside esc .. ?? i think he melted the lugs off then the solder joints inside . the solder flowed to a location inside of esc making a dead short so lipo or any battery hooked up is now directly shorted so smoke n fire will follow. esc is now unsafe to wire up and id never connect a battery to this esc......

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

I'm not doubting that could have happened. But worst case he can practice on the ruined one first and go onto a new ESC when he manages to make a nice joint.

marine6680

iTrader: (2)

I cannot stress enough the importance of the right tools for the job.

An iron that does not have the heat capacity to heat up a large joint quickly will just slowly heat up the whole assembly.

Get a proper iron, solder guns are horrible for this kind of work. I never use them for any task.

Get a large enough tip for the iron... Solder tip size is important.

Read my original post completely... And do not think for a second you can shortcut the process, or skimp. You are already in a bind with the ESC, so you need to have good equipment to fix the problem.

LzREngineering

I bought a roll of 63/37 solder off eBay as I read it's a better quality than the 60/40 should change from solid to liquid qicker. However, when I'm using it the 63/37 seems to turn in to a paste before melting and comes out a dull grey colour whereas the 60/40 I have melts quickly and has a shiny finish when set.
Am I doing something wrong with the 63/37 solder?

ta_man

iTrader: (168)

You got Chinese stuff? No wonder. You have no idea what's really in there and if it behaves as you described it is probably not 63/37 tin/lead.

Get Kester Brand. Yes, it will cost more than the Chinese stuff but IMHO it is worth every penny.

Over the years I've gone through 2 pounds of the Kester 63/37 and it has always been great.

marine6680

iTrader: (2)

Something is simply wrong with that solder. That is not normal for a quality 63/37 lead tin solder.

Buy a reputable brand from a reputable source.

{tpc}

iTrader: (26)

So from the photo dct147 showed, im not sure how or if the solder could have "flowed back into" the ESC. From the photo, it looks like some of the connections are shorted together.

I haven't read the entire thread, but at least on this last page I have not seen solder wick mentioned as a way to remove the solder. Obviously with limited knowledge and the lack of a proper iron, solder wick is probably the opposite of helpful. A desoldering gun would be best, but most don't have this equipment available to them.

What I would do with the ESC from post #571 is remove all of the solder from the terminals shown with solder wick (or as much as I could) so they are not shorted together or so there are not any globs on the outside. I would also try to get as much off the inside of the lugs themselves. Since the lugs were "loosened" or fell out, I would flip the ESC over and clean off the solder off the bottom of the lugs where they attach to the board as well. Then I would reflow those lugs from that side (this may be difficult and require tweezers or something else to hold the lug in place) with fresh solder. Once happy with that connection and that no lugs are shorted, I would allow it to cool all the way down, and prepare the wires, taking care to keep the exposed wire "small" and "not frayed looking" while tinning with solder.

At that point one should be able to place the wire on the lug and solder it down easily without heating the lug off the board again. To me the ESC in question doesn't look fried or anything, so as long as no attempt was made to power it up, if it is fixed correctly, it should work just fine.

A couple of things to note, in any instance, if not already noted, is that if you are heating a solder joint in an attempt to remove something (a wire, lug, etc), if you flow a little bit of fresh solder on the joint first, it will flow the rest of it faster and make removal easier. Also, one shouldn't be afraid of using high heat, even on a circuit board as long as one knows how to use it correctly, and when to use it. Depending on the amount and thickness of copper on the board, more heat might be necessary for whatever you are trying to do. In this hobby, I would say for the most part a high heat isn't necessary because the copper foil on most boards isn't very thick. Note that too high a heat for too long a time can and will burn a circuit board and can cause a foil trace to "pull" off of the board.

I use a corded Hakko FX-600 for my rc stuff and for the most part it does a fine job. I had to purchase a larger tip because the one it came with was too small, but all together it was under $100. Small and easy to fit in the box. I think its 75w? I'd like a higher wattage but thats personal preference, and Hakko makes quality stuff. If I need bigger, or more wattage for something, or more precise, I have the tools at work. All Hakko.

the incubus

iTrader: (17)

{tpc}

iTrader: (26)

I guess that works too, and maybe you aren't saying this, but I solder wick and desoldering guns are not miracle products or solutions. They are tried and true methods.

For me, the issue with the "drop" method is that you stand the chance of splashing hot solder somewhere you can't see that would create damage to other components. Besides the fact that other damage might happen from dropping something. Oh, fwiw, you can remove solder from wire using wick or desoldering guns. You won't get it all, but you can get to back to the correct amount.

the incubus

iTrader: (17)