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How to Solder (back to Speaker
Cabling)
Updated
24-Apr-2002 05:40:47 PM
As I learned when I was about 10 years old, "solder is a conductor, not a
glue."
So, here's how to solder:
- The wires must be clean.
- The joint must be mechanically sound absent the solder. In other words,
the solder should be almost superfluous.
- Twist the wires tightly and then clamp the wires by their insulation so
they don't move while you are soldering.
- Place the hot iron or gun on the joint from below, as heat rises. After a
few seconds, touch the solder to the wire far from the tip of the soldering
iron or gun. Do NOT touch the solder to the iron or gun, as it will melt right
away and therefore you can't tell if the WIRE is hot enough.
- When the wire is hot enough to melt the solder, it will flow towards the
heat. You don't need much at all. Just enough to flow into the joint.
- Remove the solder and the iron or gun and let it cool.
Special Advanced Technique—When you
touch the iron or gun to the wire to begin heating it, touch the iron or gun
directly with the solder to create a pool of molten solder between the iron or
gun and the wire. This helps the heat transfer. This amount of solder plays no
part in the joint itself--it's just there to help with the heating. The rule
about not touching the solder that will flow into the joint directly to the iron
or gun still applies. In other words, you touch the solder once to the iron or
gun, and (after a few seconds) a second time to the end of the wire.
By the way, you use rosin core solder for electrical stuff, never acid core,
which is for a different purpose.
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