Soldering issues... help?

[solteroblues]

So I bought this soldering iron a year or so ago from amazon, and I used it for the first time the other day. It's an X-tronic 75 watt with temperature control.



I was needing to replace a 3-way switch on my Dean Soltero as it was broken, and I had bought an "Epiphone" labeled wiring harness from somewhere years ago, not sure if it's "authentic" Epiphone or not, may be part of the problem, who knows... But anyway, I googled recommended guitar electronics soldering temperature, and I found 650-700F. So I turned on the iron and it quickly got up to my setpoint of about 675, so I set in to start desoldering the old switch. I was always told to tin my tip with solder anytime you're soldering, and it melted the thin solder I had (60/40) no problem, but I couldn't get the old soldered joints melted without leaving the tip on forever. So I thought maybe the iron just needed turning up, so I turned it as high as it'd go, I think nearly 1000 deg, definitely over 900, and it still had trouble melting the solder. I did eventually get it done, but didn't seem as easy as I thought it should have been.

I was using one of the angled knife style tips with a nice large edge, but these tips are like chrome plated or something, I've never seen tips as shiny as these were. Could that be the issue? Solder definitely didn't stick to it, and it melted the new stuff fine... Or could the older, more likely Korean or Chinese, solder on the old switch and new harness be the problem? Of do you think my iron just doesn't get hot enough?

I think it will all work fine for new work, but it just made removing the old stuff so much harder than I expected. Too late to return the iron, but I could always buy new tips if I shouldn't be using the chrome plated stuff...

[mozz]

The stuff was probably lead free. You can try adding some 60/40 and that might help it melt. Make sure the tip collar is tight.

[tonebender]

I have had the same issues over the years. I have tried the stick kind, the gun kind with the light, and with both sometimes it's like it is not even on. Then I take my stuff to my guy and he walks over the soldering station picks up the stick touches the component and it instantly flows. Pissing me off of course. He moved away so now I need another guy because I am getting ready to install some pups in a Gibson. It think they replaced him but I have not been back up there in awhile.

[solteroblues]

the solder I have is super thin, and it melted very easily, but what was on those old connections was pretty thick beads, maybe it was a higher melting point solder, I'm hoping that's all it is.

[mozz]

There's different amounts of flux in solder, even if it's the same size you can get varying percentages. It's usually not listed on the label. The flux often helps it flow, and the correct heat, and the correct tip to transfer the heat. It's a lot of practice. I've been soldering since the bicentennial and it just comes naturally to me, depending on what i am working on.

[RockYoWorld]

Do you have any flux paste? That stuff works wonders in my experience. It helps a lot with soldering grounds to potentiometers as well. The switch could be heatsinking the energy from the soldering iron, preventing the solder from melting. Flux paste helps transmit the heat where you want it to go.

[mozz]

Flux actually etches the metal, so it is clean. It usually turns to liquid or gas and covers the metal. Clean surfaces will take heat better than a corroded one. Once cleaned and exposed to the air, almost any metal starts to corrode and therefore makes it harder to join. I'm not a chemist and never slept at a Holiday inn.

[Rollin Hand]

I invariably have the same problem. I use a solder sucker for the lugs, but I almost never get it all off the back of the pot. If I run into trouble as a reult, my cure is to use a brand new pot.