Soldering

[Burgerman]

And like many americans she calls it sodering...

Its SoL-Der-ing
And SoL-Der...

Theres no silent L in soLdering!!!

[Scooterman]

Nice soldering station Shirley

A few questions...

For general soldering of connectors, wires, etc what temp should I set the SS to?

Also what part of the flux do I use, there seems to be two types in the pot? Do I mix them together with a screwdriver?

Also do I use the biggest tip for general soldering?

I've worked out how to access the SS menu to select tip size. I see you've already set the time and date, nice one

Should I buy some of that brass wool to clean the tip?

Is there a DIY alternative for now that I can use for cleaning the tip (if need be), before the brass wool arrives?

There's a small number of instructions here https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-Po ... 97895.html

[Burgerman]

I use small tip, for small connectors, larger for medium, largest for big connectors or a tiny cigarette lighter gas turbo type torch.

I use 300c for electronics and small connectors, 350c for bigger ones that wick away heat, and even 400 and biggest tips with big connectors or things that suck all the heat away...

I always use flux, every joint - doesent need much. I use a ebay specific tip tinning solution which is designed for the job and works wonders, and a brass wool scraper thing all the time to keep the iron tinned. Sponges and other things dont work or make it worse.

More heat means faster iron oxidation, and more re-tinning and more cleaning. Tin it before turning off. Tin it when turned on. Tin it anytime it isnt! As for your specific fluxes, no clue. Maybe one is acidic and one isnt. Acidic active fluxes clean off oxides and non active ones cannot. Dont use active flux on circuit boards.

[shirley_hkg]

Press 3 seconds to enter menu .

Yellow flux is mild for clean wires .
Dark flux is more acidic for dirty and oxidized wires .

The medium tip for general soldering @310---350℃.

For Anderson pins , biggest tips with dark flux @410℃. Also wrap the pin with kitchen tissue to reduce heat loss.

I should have bought you the B2 tip, if I had aware of the size of the BL still small .

[Scooterman]

Cheers Shirley mate, understood

It’s really good, I didn’t even know such things as Soldering Stations existed.

[shirley_hkg]

I worked out how to access the SS menu to select tip size. I see you've already set the time and date, nice one

That 1,2,3, are for tips by different manufacturers because temp sensors vary , BUT NEVER MEANT FOR TIP SIZES .

Yours should be 2 .

Change to 3 , if you use genuine HAKKO
parts .

Just turn the knob to set temperature .

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5856&p=113019&hilit=Soldering+station#p113019

[Burgerman]

This is invaluable. Used with the brass cleaner often.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermaltroni ... 2749.l2648

[Scooterman]

[b][size=150][color=#400000] Press 3 seconds to enter menu .

Yellow flux is mild for clean wires .
Dark flux is more acidic for dirty and oxidized wires .

The medium tip for general soldering @310---350℃.

For Anderson pins , biggest tips with dark flux @410℃

I put a sticker on the SS with your recommendations Shirley. I have a memory like sieve.

This is invaluable. Used with the brass cleaner often.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermaltroni ... 2749.l2648

[/quote]
I ordered some of that along with the brass like wire wool

[Scooterman]

I hope I get better at soldering. I'm okay with bare cables and connectors like the XT90s, but I really struggle with banana plugs and cable lugs. I don't know why, I wish I was better. But it's the same with painting, I'm useless at that and always get in a terrible mess.
Other more 'manual' jobs I feel I'm a bit more competent on, not to the standard of some in this forum but not too bad.

[expresso]

Just practice - in time you get it - i never done it before and felt the same way - how this or how that - and still feel that way on many things

but i managed to make some decent charge cables in the end - you will do the same i am sure

[shirley_hkg]

I felt silly, not to use blutack long long before .

[Burgerman]

XT90. Big, sucks away heat. Use 350 or 400C. Largest tip.

Add solder to bare XT 90 (TIN)
Add flux to cable, tin same way, leave a ball of solder on it.
Use 2 lumps of bluetack, to hold wite in place.
Heat with tinned iron, until it melts and solder goes smooth. Apply a little extra solder at the same time between iron and wire/connector to transfer heat.

You will struggle because an iron isnt really big enough for that size of joint. I use a tiny pencil turbo lighter.

[Scooterman]

Thank you guys, and I will look for some blu-tak. I've been holding the connectors, etc in the jaws of a wooden clothes peg but it doesn't hold them very steady.

I'm ashamed to say that I crimped the lugs on the ends of short cell-to-cell links. I wasn't gonna tell you guys as I thought you'd tell me off. I tried for several hours soldering the lugs on the end. I don't feel it's the fault of the soldering iron, I really like it and it heats up instantly which is amazing! I had to remember to switch my old one on 15 mins before using, it was so frustrating waiting for it to heat up.

The problem I found with soldering the lugs, is that 1) with 16 cells there is an awful lot of them, and 2) even though I bought the right size lugs for the cable, the cable in the lug is like a "p***k in a bucket" (sorry to be crude ). And it not only gobbles up all my solder, but the solder seem to prefer running down the copper cable strands and the cable becomes really stiff and I can't bend the short links into a "C" which I need to be able to do for connecting individual cells, I'll upload a photo later.

I think the crimped links will be okay, but if they're not I might buy some of this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292716150695 and cut it into strips and squares as bus bars. It's 0.7mm thin but I worked out that a 25mm wide strip will have a CSA of about 17mm^? And at 0.7mm should still be flexible enough to allow for some 'give'.

I know shirley had problems with copper strip, I don't know why that was, perhaps it wasn't genuine copper, too stiff, or coated with something, or (just joking!)

BTW Shirley, if I press the knob on the soldering iron it jumps up to a higher temperature, should I press it when soldering a large item? At the moment I tend to set the knob at 330 degrees.

Some of that tinning stuff has arrived in the post but I'm waiting for the brass wool stuff, at the moment I'm using a damp piece of kitchen roll to wipe the end but am worried about running the soldering iron tip.

For the big connectors would I do well buying the biggest T12 tip I can find? This is all knew to be I honestly never knew soldering irons were so high tech, it's a real art.

[Burgerman]

I'm ashamed to say that I crimped the lugs on the ends of short cell-to-cell links. I wasn't gonna tell you guys as I thought you'd tell me off.

Correct! Theres not enough metal in them. Weak and will corrode or oxidise. There will be trouble ahead (song)...

Look its easy!
The iron is not big enough for those.
You need a small turbo flame, buy ten turbo lighters on ebay for 50p each!

Then Add flux, and crimp. Then heat and add just enough solder! Takes literally 2 to 3 seconds per joint.

[Burgerman]

Similar:

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/crimp-solder.htm

You dont need to add the solder before crimping. You can do it afterwards.

[Scooterman]

Oh right, I didn't realise you written that page, BRILLIANT!!! I shall have a read of it and have another go. I have actually got one of them butane lighter micro torches. But I was worried that I wouldn't know how hot to heat the lug, I shall have a read of article several times then give it another go when I've picked up some more lugs.

[Burgerman]

But I was worried that I wouldn't know how hot to heat the lug,

JUST enough till the solder you are pushing into the joint melts on the metal when no flame is on the solder, and runs INTO the joint, then stop before you overheat it. You dont need much! Do it fast so no insulation melts.

Capilliary attraction and flux means that as soon as the solder melts it is drawn into the joint very quickly.

PRACTICE! Those ring terminals are cheap.

[shirley_hkg]

BTW Shirley, if I press the knob on the soldering iron it jumps up to a higher temperature, should I press it when soldering a large item? At the moment I tend to set the knob at 330 degrees. .

Yes.
Raise temp to 410℃ for ONE minute . You can change both parameters .

Soldering is for flexi cables because they are made with very fine strands with lots of void and soft like sponge .

Cramping is the real contact to conduct electricity . Soldering is mechanical safety measure .

Solder at the ring end . When you see solder being suck away, its good enough . If you want more solder staying at wire end , move iron away for a second or two and back on.

For sharp turn near lug, bend wire before soldering .

[Scooterman]

Ah, got it Shirely, nice one . I didn't realise pushing the knob is a 1 minute boost, and I didn't know the parameters can be changed either, thank you for that.

Before I have another attempt I will take time to familarise myself with SS settings and parameters, and have a practice with easier stuff before tackling the harder stuff. I'm so glad you made up the charge the charge cables for me. I'm slowly getting my head round the PSU, I really like it. That's why I wanted to make it look nice with a proper fan grill than just leaving it with a hole.

I just realised why you might have had problem with the copper bus bars. I put a PLASTIC (no fear of ) straight edge across the terminals of my assembled packs, and some of the cells sit a few millimeters higher or lower than others. It must be the way I made the packs and I think if I used long single bus bars and square bus bar plates to bridge 4 terminals, as others have done with Headways, then because of the terminals sitting at different heights I reckon the bus bars might not all sit flat on the terminals, so better with cable and lugs.

[Scooterman]

HELP! Shirley!!!

I've been having a play with the solder station to try and understand the menu options (without a tip inserted). And in case I made a mistake with the settings while learning I thought it be safest to reset to default before tweaking things like sleep time, etc.

But it's all gone Chinese on me!!!

Can you help me find the english language menu option otherwise I'm screwed

The menu options still have english numbers, but them Chinese characters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lY8duQ ... ture=share

[Scooterman]

Yeah!!! fixed it

I type the word language in google translate and looked for the same character in the menu, made my eyes go a bit they all look so similar.

Selected it and hey presto it's back

Are you all impressed with my resourcefulness?

[Burgerman]

Yes! And amazed at you choosing chinese!

[Scooterman]

I is a man of many talents, NOT!!!

Btw, BM or Shirley - the station gives sleep time and sleep temp options. Time is set to 1 min and temp 40 degrees. Should I up the sleep temp a bit or leave as is?

[shirley_hkg]

3 mins idle , than goes sleep , seems more reasonable .

[Scooterman]

3 mins idle , than goes sleep , seems more reasonable .

[ex-Gooserider]

As I have said elsewhere, I am a fan of crimping only on the small insulated type terminals, IFF they are quality parts, use the proper size wire, and one uses a good ratcheting crimper...

Otherwise solder...

Large terminals are better soldered after crimping.

I have purchased some insulated terminals that are made with heat shrinkable sleeves which are full of hot-melt glue. After crimping with a ratchet crimper, they need to be heated with a heat gun which shrinks the sleeve and melts the hot glue to give a weatherproof / waterproof / airproof seal - HIGHLY recommended...

For cleaning the tip on a soldering iron, one can use a brass scrubby or a damp sponge - I prefer the sponge, but you will see passionate arguments about which is 'better'... However if using the damp sponge, use distilled water to wet it! If you use tap water, the various chemicals in it will cause your tips to more rapidly corrode... (note that tips are CONSUMABLE items, they do wear out and need replacement periodically) Tap water won't 'destroy' them, but it will shorten their lifespan....

ex-Gooserider

[expresso]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22-18-AWG-10-S ... 1795032792

i have only used this type for the balance wires only - no soldering - and worked fine for me since day one - everything else i done was crimped and soldered -

i am redoing the wiring on my 80ah pack and will just make cables in place of the buss bars i used - i will reuse the balance cable - i would be surprised if the balance wiring with these 3m ring terminals turn out to be the issue - - -

anything is possible

[Burgerman]

I wouldnt be at all surprised. Those types of crimped cables have kept generations of auto electrical places in business for generations!

[expresso]

I used them that way for about 5 packs and all fine always a first if done right and never stressed once installed. Should be fine those r the only cables that r not soldered balance cable. But I can see them done wrong during the crimp process if so hard to tell once u seal it up. If when I am done and still shows an issue I will redo those again. Have to rule it out.

[Scooterman]

I'm getting much better with the soldering iron. The real turning point for me is the tin of brass wool, it's so quick and easy to clean the tip and I'm getting shiny solder joints instead of dull ones. I'm sure the solder helps as well, I've never used a solder before that gives such a shiny solder joint. I'm even getting better soldering the large connectors. I press the boost button and it's amazing to me how much power the small unit puts out.

The three tips I've got are conical on the end. But I was wondering for big connectors whether a tip with a flat chamfer might be useful. Has anyone got any suggestions regarding shape/size?