Soldering assistance

[Jethro Rocker]

I have been soldering for decades, finally got a real soldering station a few years ago.
What I find is even with a wide tip it takes forever to never to heat up a large solder blob on the back of pots. Almost have to pick aa new spot and start from there and it still takes all day to heat up.
Was set to 750 put her up to 850. Couldn't unsolder the blob of the underside of a pickup to remove cover had to cut it.
Wassup?
Any advice? Am I just kinda dense?

 

[fitz]

I have been soldering for decades, finally got a real soldering station a few years ago.
What I find is even with a wide tip it takes forever to never to heat up a large solder blob on the back of pots. Almost have to pick aa new spot and start from there and it still takes all day to heat up.
Was set to 750 put her up to 850. Couldn't unsolder the blob of the underside of a pickup to remove cover had to cut it.
Wassup?
Any advice? Am I just kinda dense?

The larger (relatively) metal back of a pot or pup cover dissipates the heat from the iron.
I have problems with those too.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, adding a little fresh solder at the contact point sometimes gets the "blob" to melt.

 

[iblive]

I have been soldering for decades, finally got a real soldering station a few years ago.
What I find is even with a wide tip it takes forever to never to heat up a large solder blob on the back of pots. Almost have to pick aa new spot and start from there and it still takes all day to heat up.
Was set to 750 put her up to 850. Couldn't unsolder the blob of the underside of a pickup to remove cover had to cut it.
Wassup?
Any advice? Am I just kinda dense?

My experience. Always more difficult to un-solder something than to solder it. In fact. I've snipped wires before rather than try to un-solder them.

I'd echo @fitz on adding a bit of solder to fake the blob into melting.

Good luck.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

The larger (relatively) metal back of a pot or pup cover dissipates the heat from the iron.
I have problems with those too.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, adding a little fresh solder at the contact point sometimes gets the "blob" to melt.

Yeah granted but a big wide solder tip at 850? It somtimes never melts the blob. I will try that solder trick! Cheers!

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Yeah granted but a big wide solder tip at 850? It somtimes never melts the blob. I will try that solder trick! Cheers!

Also….this may seem counterintuitive….a wet sponge to clean the carbon from the tip(let the iron come up to tamp, then drag each side of the tip across the sponge), then tin the tip(apply a small amount of solder to the freshly cleaned tip as it comes back up to temp. You commonly see these sponge setups in the little spring stands for the irons.
This one is like mine…

My Weller station temperature control is handled by the selection of tips available for the iron.
I’ve done many projects with this, but one thing I haven’t done is remove a pickup cover…I can imagine that would require some power/heat.

 

[syscokid]

… finally got a real soldering station a few years ago.

What soldering station are you using?

What I find is even with a wide tip it takes forever to never to heat up a large solder blob on the back of pots.

Similar to what fitz has suggested, but make sure the hot tip is clean and in good condition. Tin the tip really well, till it looks like it has a slight excess of molten solder clinging to it. Make contact right away with the blob on the pot and the rest of it should melt almost immediately.

Couldn't unsolder the blob of the underside of a pickup to remove cover had to cut it.

If you clamp the pickup’s cover at its short edges, when the blob is thoroughly softened, insert a stainless steel razor blade between the pickup and its cover. Once the blade is in, lift the tip. Once it cools, pull the blade out and the solder connection should be broken. Reassembly and resoldering should be easy too! I’m pretty sure there are videos showing this method.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Also….this may seem counterintuitive….a wet sponge to clean the carbon from the tip(let the iron come up to tamp, then drag each side of the tip across the sponge), then tin the tip(apply a small amount of solder to the freshly cleaned tip as it comes back up to temp. You commonly see these sponge setups in the little spring stands for the irons.
This one is like mine…

My Weller station temperature control is handled by the selection of tips available for the iron.
I’ve done many projects with this, but one thing I haven’t done is remove a pickup cover…I can imagine that would require some power/heat.

Thanks. I do have the sponge.
Soldering grounds to pots is fun too.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

For removing solder blobs, I have one of these ancient artifacts…

 

[Jethro Rocker]

What soldering station are you using?


Similar to what fitz has suggested, but make sure the hot tip is clean and in good condition. Tin the tip really well, till it looks like it has a slight excess of molten solder clinging to it. Make contact right away with the blob on the pot and the rest of it should melt almost immediately.


If you clamp the pickup’s cover at its short edges, when the blob is thoroughly softened, insert a stainless steel razor blade between the pickup and its cover. Once the blade is in, lift the tip. Once it cools, pull the blade out and the solder connection should be broken. Reassembly and resoldering should be easy too! I’m pretty sure there are videos showing this method.

Ok that's helpful too! I haven't been tinning my tip if ya know what I'm sayin... like I said, maybe a but dense
It's a Hakko.
On the back of pots sometimes old blob never melts.
Not looking at opening any more PUps.
Thanks lads

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Thanks. I do have the sponge.
Soldering grounds to pots is fun too.

They say that one should use “distilled” water, to avoid mineral contamination.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I could have googled all this but would way rather hear it from real experienced lads I trust.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

I could have googled all this but would way rather hear it from real experienced lads I trust.

I learned in my pre-net years…like when you could walk into a RadioShack and buy components and opamps and such.
I did my first pickup swapping when I was like 15-16…and I was horrible at it. I got better though…as did my tools.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I think I just fudged around for years without research even with the net.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

It's not like I do tons of it. PUps n pots etc.

 

[syscokid]

And now, it’s time for…

 

[DirtySteve]

I'm late to the party. I have no advise that hasn't already been given.

I use a Weller SPG40 soldering station. I can't find a link so I guess they don't make them anymore. It's a 40 watt iron, I have it set at 4 1/2 on the dial and I have no problem soldering (or unsoldering) the back of pots or just about anything else. I do have to turn it all the way up to solder pickup covers and even then it's not quite enough, but I can make it work if I hold my tongue just right. I don't use the big fat wide tip or the pencil point tip, I use the in between one. Like the one laying on the sponge in this pic...

 

[DirtySteve]

Forgot to say...

Gibson solder is hard and doesn't want to melt easily, I have no idea what they use. On pot lugs it's fine, but on the back of pots it can be hard to melt. I always add my own solder on top because it melts easier. I use 63/37 leaded solder because lead free sucks and 63/37 has a lower melting point than 60/40.

 

[iblive]

I'm late to the party. I have no advise that hasn't already been given.

I use a Weller SPG40 soldering station. I can't find a link so I guess they don't make them anymore. It's a 40 watt iron, I have it set at 4 1/2 on the dial and I have no problem soldering (or unsoldering) the back of pots or just about anything else. I do have to turn it all the way up to solder pickup covers and even then it's not quite enough, but I can make it work if I hold my tongue just right. I don't use the big fat wide tip or the pencil point tip, I use the in between one. Like the one laying on the sponge in this pic...

I have the same station. Works great.

 

[Don O]

I never solder to the back of pots. They are not designed for that. I use a single point ground design. All grounds return to a single point. I use those lugs in the center of the pic.



But, if I need to work one with soldered pots, I get out the big gun. Works every time and fast.