26-09-2012, 01:06 PM
You have a good make & type of solder, so we can eliminate that as a possibility.
Apply fresh solder direct to the tip of the iron: does it 'wet' the surface of the iron, or just remain as a molten blob on the tip? If the latter, the tip of the iron needs cleaning or the iron is not to the required temperature. With those variables out of the way, examine the surface of all the metals that you want to solder together: all surfaces must be clean and bright. The lead-out wires of old components frequently fail to pass that test and sometimes reliance on the flux in the solder is insufficient to effect the required cleaning during the final soldering process. So if the surfaces to be soldered are heavily tarnished or corroded, take a piece of medium grade emery paper and scrape the surfaces to be soldered with that cloth until they are bright and clean. Then apply fresh solder to those surfaces, prior to any attempt to make the required final solder joint.
You are now able to assemble the final joint to be soldered with the knowledge that a sound soldered joint will ensue.
HTH.
Al.
Apply fresh solder direct to the tip of the iron: does it 'wet' the surface of the iron, or just remain as a molten blob on the tip? If the latter, the tip of the iron needs cleaning or the iron is not to the required temperature. With those variables out of the way, examine the surface of all the metals that you want to solder together: all surfaces must be clean and bright. The lead-out wires of old components frequently fail to pass that test and sometimes reliance on the flux in the solder is insufficient to effect the required cleaning during the final soldering process. So if the surfaces to be soldered are heavily tarnished or corroded, take a piece of medium grade emery paper and scrape the surfaces to be soldered with that cloth until they are bright and clean. Then apply fresh solder to those surfaces, prior to any attempt to make the required final solder joint.
You are now able to assemble the final joint to be soldered with the knowledge that a sound soldered joint will ensue.
HTH.
Al.
