Quinton

iTrader: (2)

I've soldered over the years with about a 25% success rate.
Can you tell me some tips in order to solder up my batts and motors so they don't pop off when they get hot/warm?

BimmerDriver

Clean surfaces (no oil), flux and a hot iron with a broad tip. A pencil tip will lose heat too quickly, a broad tip will hold the heat. For batteries you don't want to have contact for a long time that heats up the cell. Without enough heat you get a "cold" joint that will pop off easily.

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

I use a weller 40 watt. And deans solder. An abrasive on the part you are soldering to will help, (scoreing the surface). Tin the tip And in a circular movement on the piece move it around and when theres a puddle on the piece shouldnt take long release it. Pretined wires should be pretty easy to connect, the key is heat with a self fluxing solder.

On batteries score the end's +/- Pretin tip and in a circular motion apply solder until a small puddle is formed. I'm guessing batteries are glued or ca'ed. Useing a battery jig from your local track or hobby shop. Set the battery bars on, pressing down, hit with the hot soldring iron until puddle is liquid still useing circular movement until puddle is on top of the bar, release tip and keep holding till solder cools. should be good to go. Takes practice, hopfully this helps. Hard to do on the net, I'm sure some one at the track or hobby shop can give some training.
Also some one with computa skills will get on here and post a training film and this post will be useless. Good Luck. And keep your tip clean Thanks.

AdrianM

iTrader: (4)

Keep your tip clean. Tin it and wipe it on a wet sponge before soldering anything. The solder on your tip can oxidize fast if your iron is really hot and if you don't wipe it off it will contminate you solder joint and make it look cruddy. Cruddy looking solder joints have higher resistance than clean shiny joints.

I just use regular old Radio Shack 60/40 rosin core solder...it works great.

I also use an $19.99 Orange 40W Weller Iron. It works better than any fancy $200 solder station I have ever tried. I gets WAY HOTTER than any 40W Iron should but this is awesome for batteries. The really high heat means you can tin the ends of the cells and solder on the bars super fast for less heating of the cells.

Skiddins

Personally...

Batteries;

Score the ends of the cells with a small screwdriver so the solder has a surface it can grip onto more easily (like a large # pattern but with more lines etc).
Use a solder flux 'pen' to put some flux on the ends of the cells, tin the end of my 80W weller by wiping the hot tip on a wet sponge pad then adding some solder to the tip (enough to put onto the end of the cell for a battery bar to attach to).
Using a Deans battery jig, hold the battery bar in place with some pliers, add some more solder to the tip of the iron and push the battery bar against the cell using the iron.
If the iron is lower wattage you can tin the battery bars, but my thermo-nuclear iron can do the end of a battery bar to the cell in less than 1 second.
Weller Iron

Picture wasn't to actually show the soldering but you can still just about see it.



The motors are basically the same but I use a smaller variable iron at work, set to 350 degC with a 4mm? chisel bit to achieve the following;


Always try to clean the surfaces before and I always use a Flux Dispensing Pen to put some flux on any surface before soldering, you wouldn't beieve how much difference it can make!

Skiddins

Quinton

iTrader: (2)

More info on here then I've learned about soldering over the years - maybe that's why I went nitro. lol j/k

Well, my joints are not shiny, they're dull. I've been using an older gun-type solder, where I have to pull the trigger to get it hot.
The tip has plenty of past solder on it.
Where can I get one of those cheap orange solders from?
Can I get the flux (what is flux) from the same place?

I'm in no way a serious racer (or even a racer) I just want to be able to solder wires onto some used GP3300 batts I bought from coastaltony. I've got'em soldered right now but it probably won't be too long before they pop off again. Took me forever to get my wires soldered onto the dean's ends!

Guess I'm finally just sick of this da mn soldering business whoppin me! lol

Quinton

iTrader: (2)

Hey, and what's the deal with those connectors on your batt pack? Why not solder the wires direct?

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

Rosin core is the flux, 60/40 radio shack. And they may even have the weller 40 watt. I got my weller at westlake ace. Brain melt HUH? You had to ask. Deans is a good solder to, it's made for R/C the solder your useing may have to much acid in it. That will eat up tips pretty bad. Kepping the tip clean and fluxed will make the tip last longer. If letting the iron sit for long preiods of time while plugged in the solder will eat the tip up on the weller's. Just ask for the self fluxing solder. I think there called hobbico 900 or some thing, those tips last in the long run, Ask your local hobby shop. Later Keep it smoke'n the motor last longer.

cyber3d

Call a local RC shop and ask for a demo. Then try it yourself with their techniques have them observe and advise.

Victor

VooDooPH

iTrader: (18)

use the hottest iron you can find. i use a Newstar 100W iron. looking to get a Goot 20/200W iron in the future. i very seldom use flux. for battery bars, use a jig.

also, clean the tip as often as you can. i use a metal sponge in a half cut coke can and dip the tip before each and every time i'm about to use the iron.

C_Suzuki

i know ive asked this before but i really want to know if this si a good soldering iron:
http://canadiantire.ca/browse/produc...=1168154618803

wallyedmonds

not really.

C_Suzuki

whats wrong with it jsut curious cause it gets quite hot and its well cheap i guess

wallyedmonds

oh it work's but mine died fast,i think it was my fault tho. this thing is good when you don't have power to plug in too.

C_Suzuki

that kidna the thing i noticed it doesnt last very long mybe 2 hours on setting number 4 and maybe a few more hours on setting one