Not shown in this video, but another very useful product for more aggressive cleaning and repair of a badly neglected soldering iron is sold as "tip tinner". You shouldn't need to use it regularly, only if your tip is so badly oxidized that the regular cleaning method shown in this video is insufficient.
Not all solders are flux core. Solders that don't have a flux core need to be used alongside flux. Using the wrong kind of flux will cause the wires to degrade quickly. Finally, always make sure your conductors have bright copper. If it's oxidized you're going to have trouble making the solder stick.
One tip that ive used for about 20 years is this: when youre done soldering for the day, shut off the iron snd use the residual heat to melt lots of solder covering the tip. Let it cool off and solidify. The next yime you turn on the iron, brush off the blob and your tip will be nicely tinned and virtially no oxidation will occur. I get literally *years* out of my tips by doing this.
I only solder from time to time, and every time, I feel like I am learning all over again. I found your video to be the most helpful that I have ever watched. thank you
I am almost 80 years old. I’ve been doing exactly as you explained for years. This is the first time I’ve seen anyone explain the proper way to do soldering the correct way. Good job! Keep up the goofy work.
THIS IS THE EXACT VIDEO I'VE BEEN NEEDING IN MY LIFE FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS!!!! I swear soldering two wires together seems like it should be as simple as tying your shoes, but I still needed someone to teach me that as well. BUY THIS MAN SOME TIM HORTON'S AND ANOTHER ROUND OF MAPLE'S FINEST!!!
I would add one more pro tip for making wires mesh together easier: straighten up the wire ends into two narrow "brooms", then push those brooms into each other before twisting them together. Also another solution for pointy tips is to use the edge cutters before putting insulation over, always remove the needles pointing out, your future fingers will thank you.
I started soldering when I was about 10 years old. I'm 85 and still soldering. I've soldered with every type of device including a torch. While working as a Quality Assurance Rep. I was a certified soldering inspector. Having said all that, take my advice and never, ever attempt to solder anything without using flux.
You are right, half the time there is not enough flux inside the core & unless the wire is new it certainly wont be easy without flux. He did not mention anything about getting whatever you are going to solder properly clean either.
@@frommatorav1 flux does help with the flow of solder between wire strands. Even though most of the soldering I have done is with fresh cut and stripped wires, extra flux made soldering so much quicker and easier.
AMAZING PRESENTATION! Complete and concise in a really short time! I work in industrial electronics for almost 30 years now and I'm most likely going to have my trainees from the mechanical field watch this video.
Have been soldering since I was about 8 years old, and professionally for 40 years. The methods you have shown here are absolutely correct. The only thing that is not is the use of a flame to shrink the heat shrink. This is frowned upon professionally for good reason. The flame has a tendency to char and burn the heat shrink because flames are too higher temperature. This can result in embrittlement of the heat shrink causing it to crack or split. The best temperature range to use is 200 to 250 degrees C dependent on the type of heat shrink used. The use of flames in some working environments is also prohibited due to the presence of flammable or combustible substances, especially when working on or making repairs on cars.
While I prefer a heat gun when shrinking heat shrink tubes I think he showed the problem of charring the heat shrink when using the edge of the flame. He did recommend using the blue part of the flame instead of the yellow tip and showed the difference it makes. While not the optimal way of heat shrinking it gives you an option when you haven't got a heat gun at hand.
2 tips to add from my experience. 1: I normally put the iron under the wire rather than on top, heat rises, as well as better visual without the iron in the way 2: When your done soldering, while the wire is still hot, the wire's insulation will be soft around the joint. If you're quick, you can push the soft insulation closer to the solder joint and it'll cool and harden. This adds a little bit of strain relief, "smooths" the transition between insulation and solder, as well as makes it so your heat shrink doesn't have to be as long. on small wires, I've even gotten both sides to touch in the middle, completely covering the soldering joint (obviously still used heat shrink for a proper seal)
Decent video. I learned a lot of the proper soldering techniques from my father who was a Comms/Radio Op in the Korean War and a "HAM"/Amateur Radio operator with a Tech license. I was building/assembling many of my own electronics projects starting at 8 years old, LOL. The DIY HEATHKIT projects were a staple back then. I then learned even more from a husband & wife team who both work for NASA as soldering techs. Some of the protocols they have to follow and techniques they use are mindboggling. Also, learn to know WHEN you should SOLDER, and WHEN you should use CRIMP connections. Cheers
While there is nothing wrong with twisting the wires first and then twisting them together I find the best joint is to actually splice the strands of the wires in to each other and then twist them, heat up the joint and solder. The problem with twisting already twisted wires together is even with tinned solder you are creating a much larger thermal mass that is harder to solder - particularly with larger gauge wire. It's also not as mechanically strong because wires that are twisted together like that have less surface area in contact with each other - so you need a longer joint to create enough twists.
Yep! IIRC fanning the cores, pressing them together, and then twisting them is the NASA approved way of splicing. Minimizes chances of sharp edges and ensures mechanical strength.
@@wydra9-1 can you provide a source for your NASA approved way of splicing? I am looking at nasa-std-87394a right now and not seeing your method mentioned. The standard i mention recommends a simple lap joint first for stranded wires.
I have a hard time heating thick wires with a Milwaukee soldering iron. That was a super nice technique you showed us of using solder to increase the area of contact for heating the wires faster ! Thank you for your video !
For joints like this, particularly in high-vibration environments, I cannot stress enough the importance of using adhesive-lined heatshrink for the most reliable possible joint.
🔥 *Excellent soldering guide!* Thanks for talking about why a clean tip is best and how-to, giving the X and V wire connection techniques, apply solder by wicking through the wires, and then verification (QA.) Also your parts list and recommendations are gold. You did all this efficiently and in an easy to understand format, in a fair amount of time 11 min.) _Bravo! Please keep up the great work._ 🎮
Just stumbled on this one! I've been soldering wires for 60+ years and I've always used the "wet sponge" method. I saw you use the copper mesh to clean the tip and had a flash of insight. There, by my kitchen sink, is a copper scrubber I've never used! Guess I found a use for it! 🤔
You should make a video on how to properly solder PCBs. The wire tutorial was the best I've seen on YT tbh...but soldering/ de-soldering on a PCB would be extremely helpful
This is now my go-to vid i will be using to teach my preferred soldering method, you manage to explain EXACTLY the way i try to tell people when they want to have a go soldering, i hate pulling apart anything electrical to find a blacksmith did the prior repair.... A mentionable tip for soldering several wires running alongside in a harness situation is to offset the cuts and solder connections by the length of the connection so that if the heatshrink is breached it will be on the parallel wires insulation and not directly next to another join.... Precision and process is whats needed and this video is exactly that, Thankyou....
Why not put a drop of flux on the wires? I don't like heating the wires and applying soldier directly because I often melt the sheath on larger wires before the other side gets hot enough to melt solder. I put a drop of flux on the wires and gently use the iron to melt it in. Then I put solder on the tip of the iron and touch it to the wires and it instantly gets sucked up and flows everywhere the flux went. I actually get solder a mm or two up inside the sheathing doing it this way. And you can very accurately control how much solder you're using. But the main thing is it doesn't require holding the iron on the wires to heat them up, so there's a lot less heat transfer up the wires and into connectors. Idk, works for me.
Your method is absolutely correct. You want as little heat transfer as possible so as to not melt the insulators. Keep in mind also that this video only has brand new wires also, whereas in many applications, a wire repair will be performed on wires that may have been exposed to oxygen and are slightly dirty. Using a small brush to clean the copper and dabbing some flux on the twisted joint is quite literally the only way that I've been able to achieve good results in the field. Not sure why he didn't mention that method. Also I tend to place the tip underneath the joint if possible, so that heat rises, I can control the puddle of solder better, and the end result is typically as you described, solder flowing into the insulation slightly, without the added heat.
Practically speaking do both. And buy more/less aggressive rosin core fluxes in solder to cover more situations without the need for a separate bottle. With clean pretinned wire I’m not pulling out a bottle of flux. I’ve even found myself soldering 100’ in the air. If I don’t have enough flux in the solder I over feed solder so the flux pours out onto the wire then flick the excess solder off the tip. It’s just not practical to carry excess flux there. For a small spaces with poor access at the bench or dirty wires flux makes life easier and I’ll use it.
I never solder anything without adding flux & I do a lot of soldering. The missing flux & teaching people to use a lighter on heat shrink sleeve are what is terrible about this video. Oh yeah, & the lead free solder, hate the stuff.
I passed the iso9000 quality certification. The only way is to heat the wire from underneath and apply solder on top so the solder will flow over and into the strands.
Proper physical splice (the X twist is my preferred, and I've done it enough that I can do it pretty quickly, even in place in my truck's engine compartment when I've had to), clean tip, liquid flux so that it wicks into the strands before applying solder and helps to more quickly pull the solder in, and my technique is HOT (405º C) and fast so that there's less time for heat to migrate into the insulation of the wire before you're done (almost a non issue regardless, when I use marine grade wire that has silicone insulation; which is my go-to every chance I get). I also prefer lead based solder but can use ROHS compliant solder if I have to (my job requires it). I often brag that my wire splices and tinning is among the best out there. Great video, and your methods are very similar to my own.
If your job requires RoHS, I hope that you have a dedicated iron, tip, cleaning pad, and other tools for that to prevent cross-contamination. You can fail inspection otherwise if they use an XRF gun or lead check swabs.
Totally agree on having a hot iron, I carry a simple 60w iron as it has the level of heat I need. Lower wattage irons are just not worth it for me, but good enough for people that are learning to solder as they can learn the techniques, then speed will come later with experience.
Nice! 0:14 ...I use my DeWalt bag for my soldering stuff too. Great minds. Great tutorial. One thing that has helped me is adding a bit of electrical flux to my twists. A lot burns off, but the solder seeps and flows sooo much better. Just have to clean up the joint with some rubbing alcohol afterwards. Last thought, no matter how many times I've told myself to add the shrink tubing prior to twisting and soldering, I still forget. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, all of your advice is very good. You mentioned automatic wire strippers at 4:29. They are wonderful and well worth the money. At 5:10, remember that you will usually have to slide on the heat shrink tubing before you twist the wires and apply solder. 1:00 The Hakko FX888 works well, but its controls are completely counterintuitive. Even though it only has two buttons, I can not change its temperature without rereading its instructions. You would not think that a company could make it all that difficult, but somehow they did. I prefer to set the iron at a very high temperature. If the iron is not quite hot enough, you will end up holding the soldering iron onto a heat sensitive component for a excessively long time waiting for the solder to melt. I have come to believe that a hotter iron is actually better for heat sensitive parts.
thats one good quality tutorial. easy to digest no unnecesary information streight to the point with different variations that can be better suited for different users. great.
The way I typically heat up the heat shrink is with the thick part of the rod of the soldering iron (not actually touching it, just getting very close, ideally from below). No risk of ugly black parts from the flame.
One important con-side of lead-free solder is that it is prone to fracture. If you solder any parts that experience lots of vibrations or temperature gradients, using leaded solder increases the probability of solder joints surviving longer time periods.
Great video. I have been soldering for decades. I prefer a chisel tip more heated surface area. I only break out the point one when I’m doing something very small.
I've been soldering for almost a decade and I still struggle with wires, I could use a refresher. Good bit of information. You've mastered the art of soldering wires but you need to work on wet sponge technique, bro. lol. wet sponge > brass sponge.
My recommendation instead of that kind of lighter is a small, portable, single jet butane lighter/torch. They sell very small ones, similar to what you'd use for lighting a cigar, but with only a single jet so not as powerful. They ignite instantly, are extremely small and easy to wield and light with only one hand, and give you excellent control over the application of heat given their reliably defined torch-style flame (it's unaffected by wind or gravity, so you can use it upside down, for example, and is always the same shape). Plus they're refillable. Just make sure you get one with only one jet - most cigar lighters or windproof jet lighters are thicker and put out way too much heat. They're often ignited with a thumb rather than a index finger, giving you better control than those trigger-style lighters... the one I have is toggleable and doesn't even turn off when I let go (mildly unsafe, but useful). I have butane lighters of all types, as well as a fancy hot air rework station, and everything else under the sun... but I use my single-jet butane torch 99% of the time.
Came here thinking I'd probably not learn anything new, but wanted to still see id I would and wasn't dissapointed! Definitely will be using the V-style twist in the future. Also, switching out the sponge that came with the soldering station just dropped pretty far down on my list of things to buy 😄 that's what I was taught to use 15 years ago, and I wasn't sure if that's completely ancient history by now, but I take it that it's good enough, even if not ideal.
A tangential / backup idea: but if you have to join wire and can't solder them, consider using the Western Union linesman's splice. It's a clever way of twisting wire together to form a mechanically strong connection. The resulting joined wires can be soldered together for extra strength, but soldering isn't absolutely required.
Two points: 1 - whilst automatic wire trimmers are very fast I prefer to use methods that allow me to manually remove the outer section, which I remove with a twisting action. This twists the wire without your natural oils getting on the wire, which reduces the chance of long term corrosion etc. 2 - lead free solder requires higher temperatures as you stated, so for beginners (who may not be quick at getting good flow) it might be advisable for them to use leaded solder when working with expensive or fragile components. Wires can very effectively transfer that heat far from the solder joint (as many of us know from holding those wires) 😂
Man, wish I had this video years ago when I had to make a whole bunch of custom LED blinkers for an escape room. Great video, it will make a fine collection to my hobby playlist.
As a certified solderer, I used the clips of my helping hands, as a heat sink so the solder does not wick too far up the wire. They will also protect any heat shrink tubing from premature shrinking. For my solder cleaning I only used filtered water from a room temperature container. Another thought. Does the Hakko solder station remind you of something designed by Playskool?
excellent explanations. I always have trouble soldering but your explanation of the heat transfer and why you tin the iron first and how it increases the surface area contact makes so much sense. I'll be trying these techniques very soon on my next guitar build. Thanks for the video Will!
I never thought about the zip ties with electrical tape, thats genius! Great video and was worth watching all the way to the end just for the zip tie tip!
If I use tape, I opt for the self fusing tape which is stretched when wrapping. It becomes one piece and the layers fuse together. It also replaces heat shrink tubing. I have a ball point pen I wrapped back in 1991 and it is still fused. It comes in 11 ft. rolls on a cardboard tube.There is a plastic separator on one side to keep the tape from becoming one lump.
Definitely a great video, my only input to the video is when you said something about laying the wires on top of each other (which is called a Lap Solder) how they are weak. I disagree, because in MIL spec soldering Class III (IPC-A-610 and J-STD) This is an approved method on splicing wires and is a very strong connection. I personally use this method (only when needed, they don't really like splicing at all) when building wire harnesses for military purpose. Although the method that you are using is very superior. That's all.
I always use flux core solder and additional flux on the bare wires first. I’ve always found that this flows way better. Especially when using the lead free stuff.
Great video, I learnt a few new things and being self-taught it reinforced things I've apparently been doing correctly. I didn't know about the trick with heat shrink and a lighter (in the blue part of the flame), what a game changer!
I use flux on the joint before applying solder then you can quickly go over the joint with the soldering iron to get some heat and and the flux helps get a great joint because it improves flow.
Love the pinecil, it melts solder faster than my huge yihua soldering station. I've also found the solder varies a lot, had some aliexpress solder that wouldn't stick to anything and looked dull. I bought some Kester solder and it works so much better, nice and shiny, flows freely and sticks to copper well. Both claim to be the same lead/tin rosin core composition
it gotta be easy using a soldering iron that costs what a brazilian does in a whole month. try with a $10 one and see how it goes 😂 the amount of rage I've gone through
Definitely could have touched on flux. It will make heat transfer and soldering an almost instant process, but you do have to make sure you clean the wires properly. Good in depth video for beginners!
I stopped using this method a few years ago, I now use solderseal heat shrink, far faster and less hassle. The end result is you get a soldered and sealed joint all in one step.
About the best sub-$500 iron I've used is the TS-100/101 with a 24V supply and the K-tip, you can get it for well under $150 and it has a ton of surface area for making good wire joints.
I've been soldering for 30 years and I approve of this video. That said, in most cases soldering is my last resort for splicing wires. If the joint is in a part of the wire that is regularly flexed or moved then there is a risk that the solder, because it is a harder metal than copper, will create a point over which the wire strands will bend and break, leading to outright failure or overheating, in current-carrying situations. My preference is always to replace the wire segment if possible, and if that's not an option then a mechanical connector like a crimped butt splice covered in heat shrink is my favorite. If it has to be solder then try to ensure that that the joint is protected from mechanical stresses, and that any flexing happens as far from the joint as possible. You can lightly bend the wire at the joint to see and feel where it bends and then apply a length of heat shrink to extend past the bend radius in either direction. A couple of layers might provide better strain relief.
I think the tip about putting the heat shrink tubing around the wire should have been said before the instructions about twisting the wires started. It's way to easy to forget to put the heat shrink tubing on and you really cannot fix that after the fact without redoing everything. Also worth noting is that the max amount of shrinking is pretty limited so some rules about how to select correct size would have been nice. And I think it's okay to use electric tape _under_ the heat shrink tube if you cannot get tight fit otherwise because the tubing must go around part that's too big.
Everything said in the video was really good for soldering in general as it's all about heat transfer. However specifically when it comes to wires it's really important to consider the environment the wire is within. Mainly this is an issue if the wire as part of its general life is expected to move and flex due to being attached to a moving part. Generally you will see stranded wire and connectors of some kind for wires that are expected to move. This is important because if you make a long solder joint joining 2 moving wires like the joints in this video it will be likely to fail over time simply because solder joints don't do good with motion and flexing.
Regarding wire splicing, the best method is a lineman's splice. You form a bend in both wires to hook the wires together, then you wrap each wire's hook around itself. When you add solder, you are cementing these hooks together. It is much stronger than laying wires alongside each other and wrapping them around. That method will work, but it is not as strong as a lineman's splice (the method NASA recommends).
I used resin flux with spong to thoroughly clean my iron tip after I am done for years. I'm using the old solid tips on digital radio shack iron. Cost was about the same though long time ago. In the mentioned soldering resin wire. I've also used solid 99% silver leadfree wire on some of my work. Having the resin is helpful when using that wire.
I usually prefer a butane soldering iron, I also fan out the stranded wires, push one fan through into the other, at about 60° to each other to start with, then twist around each other. It gives a nice even twist, intermeshing the two wires neatly. A great beginner's video nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. Thank you
Everyone was shocked how well I did soldering. I thought it was easy. That was years ago, and I didn't think I would use it as job path. Teacher was good at showing the right moves, and fit scales for how much to use for what, and what is good amount to "waste". I guess the people worse at soldering tried save it all and not lose anything, but ended up wasting more. Oh well... I don't exactly remember how it was, but I thought it was a joke. Cool video to be reminded of those classes.
I always prefer a chisel tip. There’s more mass and so they don’t lose heat to the job so quickly. If you have any type of heat sink at all, a pointed tip will shed heat rapidly. This is especially a problem with lead-free solder.
Best how to video so far! I would like to see one from you soldering a 10 gauge wire. Smaller wire I'm pretty decent,10 gauge is driving me crazy..... and it's a short drive 😊
Working with 10 gauge wire is definitely more difficult! But the same principles apply of maximizing heat transfer and then adding fresh solder. To achieve it in this case I would crank the temperature a lot higher, in the video I set the tool to 650F but for 10 gauge wire I'd go upto 750-800F. I'd also recommend using a much thicker tip than the one featured in this video, if you are using a Hakko soldering iron something like the T19 6.5mm tip would be good. Alternatively, you could try with a pistol grip soldering gun, I don't have much first hand experience with this type of tool though, so can't guarantee results. Regardless of the tool, you will need to hold the soldering iron in contact with the wires for much longer to adequately heat them up before adding solder. Also if your wire twists are loose, with air gaps between the wire strands, this will limit the rate of heat transfer. Ensure the wires are twisted as tight as possible. An alternative approach could be using heat shrink solder connectors: amzn.to/3Uelcoh I have used these before (including for 10AWG), if you use them, make sure you keep the keep the heat applied until the solder stops flowing completely. I've seen many cases of people removing the heat too quickly before the solder finishes flowing and this results in a deceptively poor connection (despite looking good from the outside). Finally, depending on your application and if soldering can be optional, Wago connectors perform very well too: amzn.to/3U7l3lw
@@WillDonaldson I so much appreciate the advice. I do have a trigger gun and I believe a loose wrap is the culprit. It was getting so hot the fork on the end of the wire I was (trying) to put together burted my arm from 4in away and my solder still wouldn't flow. Thank you again for your time
@@ronaldsteveson76 This video shows a different wire twisting methods that may work very well in your situation, best of luck! ua-cam.com/video/7t9nT3Hn9b0/v-deo.html
I dont solder but i knew this. I use a soldering iron i found for poking holes in my insect bins(it was gonna be trashed so i scooped it up, its not the greatest thing for it but its better then a landfill)
Great explanation. Best I have seen. It seems logical that heating the wire from below would be more effective because of heat rising. This would also allow the solder to flow downward through the wire towards the heat. Are the gains too small to matter?
Was taught over 60 years ago that wires have to be mechanically secure ( twisted is one example ). Like to have a wet sponge to wipe off soldering iron or gun tip. Prefer the multi core rosin solder.
Try applying flux onto the surface to be soldered before soldering. Also leave a thick amount of solder on the tip before storing the soldering iron. Next time you use the soldering iron all you have to do is wipe off the solder on the tip after it's up to temp.
Make sure the wires you are soldering are completely clean. Solder won’t attach to oxidised metal. Also adding a little flux will make the solder flow very easily.
I've learned from the pro's to twist and solder both ends separately after which you melt them together. You'd think the method in the video is more solid but I'm not sure and it doesn't look so clean.
Put flux on the wires first. And don't be afraid to put more solder on the tip for smaller wires. You don't want to sit there heating those because you'll melt the insulation simply via heat conducted through the wire. You want to quickly heat up the wire with the flux on it, which will draw in the solder already attached to the soldering tip. You will normally not need to add any more solder. Larger wires will mostly work the same way, though you will often need to add more solder, as you still don't want to put a large amount directly on the tip. The upshot is, use flux directly on the wire, rather than relying on the paltry amount inside the solder.
I suggest that everyone go watch the Pace series on how to solder, and go find some old 1930s to 1950s books on outdoor and indoor electrical work. Soldering is now illegal in all building codes but there were lots of unique and effective wire slicing techniques for use with solder. The Lineman's or Western Union splice when followed correctly became a NASA standard. Large solid copper wires were also soldered using a plethora of techniques. There is one very important type of solder that was totally overlooked, and that is 63-37 eutectic solder. The temperature range at which the solder is plastic and neither liquid or solid is very small with eutectic solder, making it easier to work with. Using the damp sponge shocks the scale off of the tip and it is a step that should not be skipped. Conical tips are also a poor choice. Use a screwdriver tip.
The weller manual that comes with their solder says use damp sponge for Lead solder; Brass wool for lead-free (dry). this instruction fixed my soldering issues with lead-free solder in recent years, along with tip-activator saved going through a lot of tips.
Not shown in this video, but another very useful product for more aggressive cleaning and repair of a badly neglected soldering iron is sold as "tip tinner". You shouldn't need to use it regularly, only if your tip is so badly oxidized that the regular cleaning method shown in this video is insufficient.
I tried heating up the wires and it just burned the plastic housing 😂
I use 220 sandpaper to clean the soldering iron tip and then coat it with fresh solder to prevent corrosion 👌
You can also dip the tip of your iron into some flux to clean the tip very effectively.
Not all solders are flux core. Solders that don't have a flux core need to be used alongside flux. Using the wrong kind of flux will cause the wires to degrade quickly. Finally, always make sure your conductors have bright copper. If it's oxidized you're going to have trouble making the solder stick.
I use a block of sal ammoniac for oxidized tips.
One tip that ive used for about 20 years is this: when youre done soldering for the day, shut off the iron snd use the residual heat to melt lots of solder covering the tip. Let it cool off and solidify.
The next yime you turn on the iron, brush off the blob and your tip will be nicely tinned and virtially no oxidation will occur.
I get literally *years* out of my tips by doing this.
Neato
So basically I should be seeing a big blob on the tip of the soldering iron any time I’m not actively using it?
@@HyperionBadger yepp more or less, you always want a tinned tip when you turn it off.
Great to know I'm not the only one doing this!
Originally thought you'd used one soldering tip for 20 years and was flabbergasted.
I only solder from time to time, and every time, I feel like I am learning all over again. I found your video to be the most helpful that I have ever watched. thank you
Same here.
I was going to write exactly this. 👍
I am almost 80 years old. I’ve been doing exactly as you explained for years. This is the first time I’ve seen anyone explain the proper way to do soldering the correct way. Good job! Keep up the goofy work.
Excellent video. i have struggled with soldering for years this solved all of my problems. The last thing we want is "premature shrinkage".
keeping your "tip" clean is also very important
You're gonna wanna stay out of lake washington in the coming months. For uh.. solder joint integrity or w/e.
THIS IS THE EXACT VIDEO I'VE BEEN NEEDING IN MY LIFE FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS!!!! I swear soldering two wires together seems like it should be as simple as tying your shoes, but I still needed someone to teach me that as well. BUY THIS MAN SOME TIM HORTON'S AND ANOTHER ROUND OF MAPLE'S FINEST!!!
I would add one more pro tip for making wires mesh together easier: straighten up the wire ends into two narrow "brooms", then push those brooms into each other before twisting them together. Also another solution for pointy tips is to use the edge cutters before putting insulation over, always remove the needles pointing out, your future fingers will thank you.
I started soldering when I was about 10 years old. I'm 85 and still soldering. I've soldered with every type of device including a torch. While working as a Quality Assurance Rep. I was a certified soldering inspector. Having said all that, take my advice and never, ever attempt to solder anything without using flux.
You are right, half the time there is not enough flux inside the core & unless the wire is new it certainly wont be easy without flux. He did not mention anything about getting whatever you are going to solder properly clean either.
His example is two newly stripped wires, which wouldn't need cleaned in nearly every case.
@@frommatorav1
But did he clean his hands to remove excess natural oils etc!?
For long term reliable joints cleanliness is a good thing.
@@frommatorav1 flux does help with the flow of solder between wire strands. Even though most of the soldering I have done is with fresh cut and stripped wires, extra flux made soldering so much quicker and easier.
@sixter4157 No doubt flux is better. I was just saying brand new stripped wire didn't need cleaned.
Excellent! Thank you!
One of the most helpful soldering instructions I ever received was:
"The solder flows towards the heat."
Yep. When you're uneducated, the intuitive thing is to try to use it as if it were glue.
AMAZING PRESENTATION! Complete and concise in a really short time!
I work in industrial electronics for almost 30 years now and I'm most likely going to have my trainees from the mechanical field watch this video.
Have been soldering since I was about 8 years old, and professionally for 40 years. The methods you have shown here are absolutely correct.
The only thing that is not is the use of a flame to shrink the heat shrink. This is frowned upon professionally for good reason. The flame has a tendency to char and burn the heat shrink because flames are too higher temperature. This can result in embrittlement of the heat shrink causing it to crack or split. The best temperature range to use is 200 to 250 degrees C dependent on the type of heat shrink used. The use of flames in some working environments is also prohibited due to the presence of flammable or combustible substances, especially when working on or making repairs on cars.
While I prefer a heat gun when shrinking heat shrink tubes I think he showed the problem of charring the heat shrink when using the edge of the flame. He did recommend using the blue part of the flame instead of the yellow tip and showed the difference it makes. While not the optimal way of heat shrinking it gives you an option when you haven't got a heat gun at hand.
2 tips to add from my experience.
1: I normally put the iron under the wire rather than on top, heat rises, as well as better visual without the iron in the way
2: When your done soldering, while the wire is still hot, the wire's insulation will be soft around the joint. If you're quick, you can push the soft insulation closer to the solder joint and it'll cool and harden. This adds a little bit of strain relief, "smooths" the transition between insulation and solder, as well as makes it so your heat shrink doesn't have to be as long. on small wires, I've even gotten both sides to touch in the middle, completely covering the soldering joint (obviously still used heat shrink for a proper seal)
Decent video. I learned a lot of the proper soldering techniques from my father who was a Comms/Radio Op in the Korean War and a "HAM"/Amateur Radio operator with a Tech license. I was building/assembling many of my own electronics projects starting at 8 years old, LOL. The DIY HEATHKIT projects were a staple back then.
I then learned even more from a husband & wife team who both work for NASA as soldering techs. Some of the protocols they have to follow and techniques they use are mindboggling.
Also, learn to know WHEN you should SOLDER, and WHEN you should use CRIMP connections.
Cheers
While there is nothing wrong with twisting the wires first and then twisting them together I find the best joint is to actually splice the strands of the wires in to each other and then twist them, heat up the joint and solder. The problem with twisting already twisted wires together is even with tinned solder you are creating a much larger thermal mass that is harder to solder - particularly with larger gauge wire. It's also not as mechanically strong because wires that are twisted together like that have less surface area in contact with each other - so you need a longer joint to create enough twists.
Yep! IIRC fanning the cores, pressing them together, and then twisting them is the NASA approved way of splicing. Minimizes chances of sharp edges and ensures mechanical strength.
@@wydra9-1 can you provide a source for your NASA approved way of splicing? I am looking at nasa-std-87394a right now and not seeing your method mentioned. The standard i mention recommends a simple lap joint first for stranded wires.
@@wydra9-1 NASA splices wires? I think not. Do you have proof? I'd love to see it.
I have a hard time heating thick wires with a Milwaukee soldering iron. That was a super nice technique you showed us of using solder to increase the area of contact for heating the wires faster ! Thank you for your video !
Great instructional video, especially showing and telling aspects of your technique that I would not have noticed as important factors.
I've seen quite a few tutorials on soldering and this is the best one i have ever seen! Thanks for the in-depth info!
For joints like this, particularly in high-vibration environments, I cannot stress enough the importance of using adhesive-lined heatshrink for the most reliable possible joint.
🔥 *Excellent soldering guide!* Thanks for talking about why a clean tip is best and how-to, giving the X and V wire connection techniques, apply solder by wicking through the wires, and then verification (QA.) Also your parts list and recommendations are gold. You did all this efficiently and in an easy to understand format, in a fair amount of time 11 min.) _Bravo! Please keep up the great work._ 🎮
Just stumbled on this one! I've been soldering wires for 60+ years and I've always used the "wet sponge" method. I saw you use the copper mesh to clean the tip and had a flash of insight. There, by my kitchen sink, is a copper scrubber I've never used! Guess I found a use for it! 🤔
I find the sponge to be a lot more thorough for cleaning compared to copper mesh. Only downside is that I have to run to the sink first to get it wet.
You should make a video on how to properly solder PCBs. The wire tutorial was the best I've seen on YT tbh...but soldering/ de-soldering on a PCB would be extremely helpful
Inserting the heat shrink first into the wires will make your life a lot easier trust me.
Using flux will make any joints perfect. You will save time and less heat is needed
Really great tutorial! Thanks for showing common pitfalls.
I had hoped for something more advanced, but this is a very well done introductory video.
This is now my go-to vid i will be using to teach my preferred soldering method, you manage to explain EXACTLY the way i try to tell people when they want to have a go soldering, i hate pulling apart anything electrical to find a blacksmith did the prior repair....
A mentionable tip for soldering several wires running alongside in a harness situation is to offset the cuts and solder connections by the length of the connection so that if the heatshrink is breached it will be on the parallel wires insulation and not directly next to another join....
Precision and process is whats needed and this video is exactly that, Thankyou....
That was by far the best tutorial I've seen for this. Thank you!
That was the best demonstration of effective soldering I have seen.
Exelent begginer staff. All the basic rules collected and demonstrated well. Thanks
Thank you for recording and posting this valuable educational video.
Why not put a drop of flux on the wires? I don't like heating the wires and applying soldier directly because I often melt the sheath on larger wires before the other side gets hot enough to melt solder. I put a drop of flux on the wires and gently use the iron to melt it in. Then I put solder on the tip of the iron and touch it to the wires and it instantly gets sucked up and flows everywhere the flux went. I actually get solder a mm or two up inside the sheathing doing it this way. And you can very accurately control how much solder you're using. But the main thing is it doesn't require holding the iron on the wires to heat them up, so there's a lot less heat transfer up the wires and into connectors. Idk, works for me.
Your method is absolutely correct. You want as little heat transfer as possible so as to not melt the insulators. Keep in mind also that this video only has brand new wires also, whereas in many applications, a wire repair will be performed on wires that may have been exposed to oxygen and are slightly dirty. Using a small brush to clean the copper and dabbing some flux on the twisted joint is quite literally the only way that I've been able to achieve good results in the field. Not sure why he didn't mention that method. Also I tend to place the tip underneath the joint if possible, so that heat rises, I can control the puddle of solder better, and the end result is typically as you described, solder flowing into the insulation slightly, without the added heat.
A drop of flux? I cover that sucker with all the flux it can hold. Never had a problem.
Practically speaking do both. And buy more/less aggressive rosin core fluxes in solder to cover more situations without the need for a separate bottle.
With clean pretinned wire I’m not pulling out a bottle of flux. I’ve even found myself soldering 100’ in the air. If I don’t have enough flux in the solder I over feed solder so the flux pours out onto the wire then flick the excess solder off the tip. It’s just not practical to carry excess flux there.
For a small spaces with poor access at the bench or dirty wires flux makes life easier and I’ll use it.
I never solder anything without adding flux & I do a lot of soldering.
The missing flux & teaching people to use a lighter on heat shrink sleeve are what is terrible about this video.
Oh yeah, & the lead free solder, hate the stuff.
I passed the iso9000 quality certification. The only way is to heat the wire from underneath and apply solder on top so the solder will flow over and into the strands.
Proper physical splice (the X twist is my preferred, and I've done it enough that I can do it pretty quickly, even in place in my truck's engine compartment when I've had to), clean tip, liquid flux so that it wicks into the strands before applying solder and helps to more quickly pull the solder in, and my technique is HOT (405º C) and fast so that there's less time for heat to migrate into the insulation of the wire before you're done (almost a non issue regardless, when I use marine grade wire that has silicone insulation; which is my go-to every chance I get). I also prefer lead based solder but can use ROHS compliant solder if I have to (my job requires it).
I often brag that my wire splices and tinning is among the best out there.
Great video, and your methods are very similar to my own.
If your job requires RoHS, I hope that you have a dedicated iron, tip, cleaning pad, and other tools for that to prevent cross-contamination. You can fail inspection otherwise if they use an XRF gun or lead check swabs.
@@KevinT3141 we always do
Only one soldering station is non ROHS at my work and it's kept separate from the others
Totally agree on having a hot iron, I carry a simple 60w iron as it has the level of heat I need. Lower wattage irons are just not worth it for me, but good enough for people that are learning to solder as they can learn the techniques, then speed will come later with experience.
Nice! 0:14 ...I use my DeWalt bag for my soldering stuff too. Great minds. Great tutorial.
One thing that has helped me is adding a bit of electrical flux to my twists. A lot burns off, but the solder seeps and flows sooo much better. Just have to clean up the joint with some rubbing alcohol afterwards.
Last thought, no matter how many times I've told myself to add the shrink tubing prior to twisting and soldering, I still forget.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you, all of your advice is very good. You mentioned automatic wire strippers at 4:29. They are wonderful and well worth the money. At 5:10, remember that you will usually have to slide on the heat shrink tubing before you twist the wires and apply solder.
1:00 The Hakko FX888 works well, but its controls are completely counterintuitive. Even though it only has two buttons, I can not change its temperature without rereading its instructions. You would not think that a company could make it all that difficult, but somehow they did. I prefer to set the iron at a very high temperature. If the iron is not quite hot enough, you will end up holding the soldering iron onto a heat sensitive component for a excessively long time waiting for the solder to melt. I have come to believe that a hotter iron is actually better for heat sensitive parts.
thats one good quality tutorial. easy to digest no unnecesary information streight to the point with different variations that can be better suited for different users. great.
The way I typically heat up the heat shrink is with the thick part of the rod of the soldering iron (not actually touching it, just getting very close, ideally from below). No risk of ugly black parts from the flame.
One important con-side of lead-free solder is that it is prone to fracture. If you solder any parts that experience lots of vibrations or temperature gradients, using leaded solder increases the probability of solder joints surviving longer time periods.
Great video. I have been soldering for decades. I prefer a chisel tip more heated surface area. I only break out the point one when I’m doing something very small.
I've been soldering for almost a decade and I still struggle with wires, I could use a refresher. Good bit of information. You've mastered the art of soldering wires but you need to work on wet sponge technique, bro. lol. wet sponge > brass sponge.
Wearing nitrile gloves while working with leaded solder certainly doesn't hurt either. The V-shaped twist is slick, thanks for that! Good video!
Wow that’s one of the best soldering videos I have ever watched. Thank you so much.
I like to fray the ends a bit then interlock the wires and twist them together.
My recommendation instead of that kind of lighter is a small, portable, single jet butane lighter/torch. They sell very small ones, similar to what you'd use for lighting a cigar, but with only a single jet so not as powerful. They ignite instantly, are extremely small and easy to wield and light with only one hand, and give you excellent control over the application of heat given their reliably defined torch-style flame (it's unaffected by wind or gravity, so you can use it upside down, for example, and is always the same shape). Plus they're refillable. Just make sure you get one with only one jet - most cigar lighters or windproof jet lighters are thicker and put out way too much heat. They're often ignited with a thumb rather than a index finger, giving you better control than those trigger-style lighters... the one I have is toggleable and doesn't even turn off when I let go (mildly unsafe, but useful).
I have butane lighters of all types, as well as a fancy hot air rework station, and everything else under the sun... but I use my single-jet butane torch 99% of the time.
Came here thinking I'd probably not learn anything new, but wanted to still see id I would and wasn't dissapointed! Definitely will be using the V-style twist in the future. Also, switching out the sponge that came with the soldering station just dropped pretty far down on my list of things to buy 😄 that's what I was taught to use 15 years ago, and I wasn't sure if that's completely ancient history by now, but I take it that it's good enough, even if not ideal.
A tangential / backup idea: but if you have to join wire and can't solder them, consider using the Western Union linesman's splice. It's a clever way of twisting wire together to form a mechanically strong connection. The resulting joined wires can be soldered together for extra strength, but soldering isn't absolutely required.
Two points:
1 - whilst automatic wire trimmers are very fast I prefer to use methods that allow me to manually remove the outer section, which I remove with a twisting action.
This twists the wire without your natural oils getting on the wire, which reduces the chance of long term corrosion etc.
2 - lead free solder requires higher temperatures as you stated, so for beginners (who may not be quick at getting good flow) it might be advisable for them to use leaded solder when working with expensive or fragile components.
Wires can very effectively transfer that heat far from the solder joint (as many of us know from holding those wires) 😂
Man, wish I had this video years ago when I had to make a whole bunch of custom LED blinkers for an escape room. Great video, it will make a fine collection to my hobby playlist.
As a certified solderer, I used the clips of my helping hands, as a heat sink so the solder does not wick too far up the wire. They will also protect any heat shrink tubing from premature shrinking. For my solder cleaning I only used filtered water from a room temperature container. Another thought. Does the Hakko solder station remind you of something designed by Playskool?
excellent explanations. I always have trouble soldering but your explanation of the heat transfer and why you tin the iron first and how it increases the surface area contact makes so much sense. I'll be trying these techniques very soon on my next guitar build. Thanks for the video Will!
I never thought about the zip ties with electrical tape, thats genius! Great video and was worth watching all the way to the end just for the zip tie tip!
GREAT CONTENT DUDE!
KEEP TEACING PEOPLE THE RIGHT WAY ;)
THANKS FOR POSTING.
This is good soldering advice. One other tip is to add some solder Flux liquid or paste directly onto the wire, it will help the solder flow better
If I use tape, I opt for the self fusing tape which is stretched when wrapping. It becomes one piece and the layers fuse together. It also replaces heat shrink tubing. I have a ball point pen I wrapped back in 1991 and it is still fused. It comes in 11 ft. rolls on a cardboard tube.There is a plastic separator on one side to keep the tape from becoming one lump.
Definitely a great video, my only input to the video is when you said something about laying the wires on top of each other (which is called a Lap Solder) how they are weak. I disagree, because in MIL spec soldering Class III (IPC-A-610 and J-STD) This is an approved method on splicing wires and is a very strong connection. I personally use this method (only when needed, they don't really like splicing at all) when building wire harnesses for military purpose. Although the method that you are using is very superior. That's all.
I learned that using fire for the shrinking will create smut (soot)
which is conductive
Very concise Good guide.
I always use flux core solder and additional flux on the bare wires first. I’ve always found that this flows way better. Especially when using the lead free stuff.
Clear, no fuss brilliance. Thank you!
Great video, I learnt a few new things and being self-taught it reinforced things I've apparently been doing correctly. I didn't know about the trick with heat shrink and a lighter (in the blue part of the flame), what a game changer!
Best solder video ever.
Good instructional video, but please remind everyone to put the heat shrink insulation on the wire before soldering it.
I use flux on the joint before applying solder then you can quickly go over the joint with the soldering iron to get some heat and and the flux helps get a great joint because it improves flow.
Love the pinecil, it melts solder faster than my huge yihua soldering station. I've also found the solder varies a lot, had some aliexpress solder that wouldn't stick to anything and looked dull. I bought some Kester solder and it works so much better, nice and shiny, flows freely and sticks to copper well. Both claim to be the same lead/tin rosin core composition
technique is important but be sure you dont buy garbage ass soldering iron and solders theres way too many of them available online :|
And offline too. In particular, avoid the Parkside “soldering station.” Don’t ask me how I know…
it gotta be easy using a soldering iron that costs what a brazilian does in a whole month. try with a $10 one and see how it goes 😂 the amount of rage I've gone through
I think this has always been my problem. Shitty soldering irons give me results like the thumbnail photo.
@@WalterMelonsI did it with a 100 pesos (1.90$) soldering iron technique is important
meh, you don’t need to spend very much at all either, especially if you don’t have to solder very often. My Chinese T12-956 ($60) has been amazing.
Definitely could have touched on flux. It will make heat transfer and soldering an almost instant process, but you do have to make sure you clean the wires properly. Good in depth video for beginners!
I stopped using this method a few years ago, I now use solderseal heat shrink, far faster and less hassle. The end result is you get a soldered and sealed joint all in one step.
About the best sub-$500 iron I've used is the TS-100/101 with a 24V supply and the K-tip, you can get it for well under $150 and it has a ton of surface area for making good wire joints.
I've been soldering for 30 years and I approve of this video. That said, in most cases soldering is my last resort for splicing wires. If the joint is in a part of the wire that is regularly flexed or moved then there is a risk that the solder, because it is a harder metal than copper, will create a point over which the wire strands will bend and break, leading to outright failure or overheating, in current-carrying situations.
My preference is always to replace the wire segment if possible, and if that's not an option then a mechanical connector like a crimped butt splice covered in heat shrink is my favorite. If it has to be solder then try to ensure that that the joint is protected from mechanical stresses, and that any flexing happens as far from the joint as possible. You can lightly bend the wire at the joint to see and feel where it bends and then apply a length of heat shrink to extend past the bend radius in either direction. A couple of layers might provide better strain relief.
I think the tip about putting the heat shrink tubing around the wire should have been said before the instructions about twisting the wires started. It's way to easy to forget to put the heat shrink tubing on and you really cannot fix that after the fact without redoing everything. Also worth noting is that the max amount of shrinking is pretty limited so some rules about how to select correct size would have been nice.
And I think it's okay to use electric tape _under_ the heat shrink tube if you cannot get tight fit otherwise because the tubing must go around part that's too big.
Everything said in the video was really good for soldering in general as it's all about heat transfer.
However specifically when it comes to wires it's really important to consider the environment the wire is within. Mainly this is an issue if the wire as part of its general life is expected to move and flex due to being attached to a moving part. Generally you will see stranded wire and connectors of some kind for wires that are expected to move. This is important because if you make a long solder joint joining 2 moving wires like the joints in this video it will be likely to fail over time simply because solder joints don't do good with motion and flexing.
Regarding wire splicing, the best method is a lineman's splice. You form a bend in both wires to hook the wires together, then you wrap each wire's hook around itself. When you add solder, you are cementing these hooks together. It is much stronger than laying wires alongside each other and wrapping them around. That method will work, but it is not as strong as a lineman's splice (the method NASA recommends).
I used resin flux with spong to thoroughly clean my iron tip after I am done for years. I'm using the old solid tips on digital radio shack iron. Cost was about the same though long time ago. In the mentioned soldering resin wire. I've also used solid 99% silver leadfree wire on some of my work. Having the resin is helpful when using that wire.
Probably the best video for teaching me how to solder ,, thankyou !
Absolutely excellent top notch video! Got my confidence to solder again! Thank you
I put heat shrink on alligator clips to prevent the wire from getting chewed up.
I always use flux to coat the wire first... that way I know the solder will work... and the temp is important too!
I usually prefer a butane soldering iron, I also fan out the stranded wires, push one fan through into the other, at about 60° to each other to start with, then twist around each other. It gives a nice even twist, intermeshing the two wires neatly.
A great beginner's video nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. Thank you
Everyone was shocked how well I did soldering. I thought it was easy. That was years ago, and I didn't think I would use it as job path.
Teacher was good at showing the right moves, and fit scales for how much to use for what, and what is good amount to "waste".
I guess the people worse at soldering tried save it all and not lose anything, but ended up wasting more. Oh well... I don't exactly remember how it was, but I thought it was a joke.
Cool video to be reminded of those classes.
Thank you for posting this educational video, Cheers !
Thanks for the "tips", I'll definitely use your method moving forward!
I always prefer a chisel tip. There’s more mass and so they don’t lose heat to the job so quickly. If you have any type of heat sink at all, a pointed tip will shed heat rapidly. This is especially a problem with lead-free solder.
I'm so glad that even though I learned this the hard way, I accumulated all this nuances. :D
Best how to video so far! I would like to see one from you soldering a 10 gauge wire. Smaller wire I'm pretty decent,10 gauge is driving me crazy..... and it's a short drive 😊
Working with 10 gauge wire is definitely more difficult! But the same principles apply of maximizing heat transfer and then adding fresh solder. To achieve it in this case I would crank the temperature a lot higher, in the video I set the tool to 650F but for 10 gauge wire I'd go upto 750-800F. I'd also recommend using a much thicker tip than the one featured in this video, if you are using a Hakko soldering iron something like the T19 6.5mm tip would be good. Alternatively, you could try with a pistol grip soldering gun, I don't have much first hand experience with this type of tool though, so can't guarantee results. Regardless of the tool, you will need to hold the soldering iron in contact with the wires for much longer to adequately heat them up before adding solder.
Also if your wire twists are loose, with air gaps between the wire strands, this will limit the rate of heat transfer. Ensure the wires are twisted as tight as possible.
An alternative approach could be using heat shrink solder connectors: amzn.to/3Uelcoh I have used these before (including for 10AWG), if you use them, make sure you keep the keep the heat applied until the solder stops flowing completely. I've seen many cases of people removing the heat too quickly before the solder finishes flowing and this results in a deceptively poor connection (despite looking good from the outside).
Finally, depending on your application and if soldering can be optional, Wago connectors perform very well too: amzn.to/3U7l3lw
@@WillDonaldson I so much appreciate the advice. I do have a trigger gun and I believe a loose wrap is the culprit. It was getting so hot the fork on the end of the wire I was (trying) to put together burted my arm from 4in away and my solder still wouldn't flow. Thank you again for your time
@@ronaldsteveson76 This video shows a different wire twisting methods that may work very well in your situation, best of luck! ua-cam.com/video/7t9nT3Hn9b0/v-deo.html
I dont solder but i knew this.
I use a soldering iron i found for poking holes in my insect bins(it was gonna be trashed so i scooped it up, its not the greatest thing for it but its better then a landfill)
Hell~ I’ve already mastered the crappy solder joint!
I'm gonna give you a thumbs up, only because I think your video is mostly informative.
First time here, instant subscription. Love the style. Informative and to the point, yet personable enough to be engaging.
Great explanation. Best I have seen.
It seems logical that heating the wire from below would be more effective because of heat rising. This would also allow the solder to flow downward through the wire towards the heat. Are the gains too small to matter?
Was taught over 60 years ago that wires have to be mechanically secure ( twisted is one example ). Like to have a wet sponge to wipe off soldering iron or gun tip. Prefer the multi core rosin solder.
Try applying flux onto the surface to be soldered before soldering. Also leave a thick amount
of solder on the tip before storing the soldering iron. Next time you use the soldering iron
all you have to do is wipe off the solder on the tip after it's up to temp.
Love the No Name lighter. Oh 🇨🇦 !
me too
Make sure the wires you are soldering are completely clean. Solder won’t attach to oxidised metal.
Also adding a little flux will make the solder flow very easily.
Nice video. I am an absolut beginner and learned a lot. Thanks. 😊
I've learned from the pro's to twist and solder both ends separately after which you melt them together. You'd think the method in the video is more solid but I'm not sure and it doesn't look so clean.
Use the soldering iron for heatshrink
Great tutorial! Thank you
Great demonstration. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Put flux on the wires first. And don't be afraid to put more solder on the tip for smaller wires. You don't want to sit there heating those because you'll melt the insulation simply via heat conducted through the wire. You want to quickly heat up the wire with the flux on it, which will draw in the solder already attached to the soldering tip. You will normally not need to add any more solder.
Larger wires will mostly work the same way, though you will often need to add more solder, as you still don't want to put a large amount directly on the tip.
The upshot is, use flux directly on the wire, rather than relying on the paltry amount inside the solder.
Amazing video very detailed
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. The helping hands is a must have
I suggest that everyone go watch the Pace series on how to solder, and go find some old 1930s to 1950s books on outdoor and indoor electrical work. Soldering is now illegal in all building codes but there were lots of unique and effective wire slicing techniques for use with solder. The Lineman's or Western Union splice when followed correctly became a NASA standard. Large solid copper wires were also soldered using a plethora of techniques. There is one very important type of solder that was totally overlooked, and that is 63-37 eutectic solder. The temperature range at which the solder is plastic and neither liquid or solid is very small with eutectic solder, making it easier to work with. Using the damp sponge shocks the scale off of the tip and it is a step that should not be skipped. Conical tips are also a poor choice. Use a screwdriver tip.
The weller manual that comes with their solder says use damp sponge for Lead solder; Brass wool for lead-free (dry). this instruction fixed my soldering issues with lead-free solder in recent years, along with tip-activator saved going through a lot of tips.