Trying to solder your own leads, but having trouble getting it done? Below are possible solutions to the most common problems with solder joints:
Solder won't "take" |
Grease or dirt present - desolder and clean up the parts. Alternatively the material may not be suitable for soldering with lead/tin solder (for example aluminium). |
Solder joint is crystalline or grainy-looking |
Components have been moved before being allowed to cool, or the joint was not heated adequately - possibly too small an iron or too large a joint. |
Solder joint forms a "spike" |
The job was probably overheated, burning away the flux. Desolder and start again, but be aware that you may have to replace the overheated components and / or cable. |
Connection moves within the solder joint |
Commonly known as a 'dry joint', this can be caused by several things including grease or dirt on the joint and not applying heat to the joint for long enough. Try reflowing the solder (apply the soldering iron to melt the solder over again) and if that does not work follow the instructions above against 'Solder won't "take". |
You might also care to visit our other soldering information pages.
The Soldering home page provides links to other resources including a detailed Soldering Tutorial, a Soldering Tools information page, a Soldering Quick Fix tutorial, and even an article on the effects of forthcoming Soldering Regulations.
If you can't find the solution to your problem here, perhaps it is time to seek outside help? Leads Direct can take all the problems and hassle away from those who don't need or want to develop the skill of soldering themselves - not only can we supply hundreds of types of leads and cables ready made, including musical leads such as instrument leads, midi leads, and microphone leads, computer cables including monitor leads, keyboard and mouse leads, serial cables, and computer audio cables as well as Hi-Fi and Home Cinema leads, in fact if it is a cable we can probably supply it. We can even manufacture custom leads and cables to your own specification if a standard cable is not what you need... Whatever you choose you can be sure that you get the right lead at a great price and save yourself all the work!
If you are seeking further information on Soldering but cannot find it here, please email info@leadsdirect.biz and we will try to both answer your question and make sure that the information is made available through these pages for future reference.