Does every home master know how to solder wires with a soldering iron? This type of connection is the most effective than their twisting. The latter method is generally prohibited by the PUE. On the one hand, it seems that the soldering process itself is quite simple: it is enough to immerse the tip in rosin, collect a little solder and connect the wires.
In fact, such work requires certain skills that come only with experience. Between the masters of this business there is a difference in the quality of soldering, and it is very significant. To understand the whole point, it is worth delving into this area.
Types of Soldering Iron
There are several varieties of this kind of tools:
- Electric - work from a normal home network.
- Gas - a gas burner is used.
- Hot air - here the work is carried out by air flow.
- Induction - the tip is heated by a magnetic field.
In everyday life, they mainly use electric soldering irons. They differ in power, which is important for various activities.
What may be required
Actually for work you can not do without the soldering iron itself. You will also need rosin or any other fluxes, solder. With the stand for the tool will be noticeably easier. In addition, thinking about how to properly solder the wires with a soldering iron to the microcircuit, we can conclude: the work will be greatly facilitated with the availability of additional devices and materials:
- Metal stand as a working surface on which the soldering process will be carried out.
- Braid of thin copper conductors. It can remove excess solder.
- Pliers, clamps or tweezers. It is convenient for them to hold heated metal parts.
- File. Sometimes you have to sharpen a soldering iron tip.
- Insulating tape, heat shrink tubes provide insulation of the cores.
- Alcohol with which excess flux can be washed off.
In addition, you should be well prepared for the work itself.
First you need to carefully prepare everything: materials, tools. It is worthwhile to make a list of everything that may be needed in advance, and strictly adhere to it. Otherwise, the soldering process will turn into a real torment.
Fluxing agent
The building materials market is represented by a wide range of soldering fluxes. Many of them are universal and suitable for different purposes. The main role that these substances play in solving the problem of how to solder the wires to the board with a soldering iron (or for other cases) is to prepare the materials for the process itself:
- wire core etching;
- oxide film removal.
Different types of metals and their alloys have their own fluxes. Moreover, their chemical composition includes alkaline mixtures, acids and salts. All this is actively involved in the reactions when a high temperature is reached.
Conventionally, all fluxes can be divided into two main groups:
- active elements;
- Rosin-based “preparations”.
Active elements are made on the basis of inorganic acids (hydrochloric or perchloric). They can be used to connect any conductors, including metal parts. It is only worth considering that such a flux negatively affects copper, causing a corrosion process. Therefore, immediately remove all residual material immediately after brazing. These elements have increased conductivity, which often causes a short circuit.
As for preparations with rosin, they can contain alcohol and glycerin, which completely evaporate during the soldering process. Fluxes in liquid form do not have such high efficiency, but they are indispensable if you have to work with non-ferrous metals. But it also requires a quick flush. For simpler soldering tasks, the rosin itself is often used in its pure form.
Solder selection
How to solder wires with a soldering iron? It’s not so easy to pick up a flux. With the choice of solder, everything is noticeably simpler. When working with copper wires, tin-lead alloys of the PIC type should be used. The number indicated after marking corresponds to the tin content in the solder.
According to experts, alloys with a large amount of tin should be preferred. Due to this, the electrical conductivity of the new compound increases markedly. So it gains additional strength.
The inclusion of lead helps to normalize the solidification of the solder. Without this element, cracks can form on the surface of the solder, which ultimately leads to the inevitable destruction of the connection.
Today on the market you can find other solders, for the manufacture of which modern technologies are used. Lead is replaced by zinc or indium. And since these are non-toxic elements, then the alloys are environmentally friendly and safe. The connection itself is characterized by increased strength and is resistant to corrosion processes.
Therefore, with this option, you can not even bother about how to properly solder wires with a soldering iron.
Solder paste
On sale, in addition to fluxes and solders, you can find a special paste for soldering. However, it is not difficult to cook it yourself. To do this, take enameled dishes, where you need to place hydrochloric acid (32 ml), add plain water (12 ml), then lower the pieces of zinc (8.1 g). After completion of the dissolution reaction, tin (8.7 g) is added to the composition. Now it remains to wait for the completion of the next reaction. After that, the water is evaporated to form a paste-like substance.
Now you should transfer the composition to a porcelain container and add the crushed elements in the following quantity:
- lead - 7.4 g;
- tin - 14.8 g;
- dry ammonia - 7.5 g;
- zinc - 29.6 g;
- rosin - 9.4 g;
- glycerin - 10 ml.
All this is heated and mixed well.
Soldering with pasta
How to solder wires with a soldering iron with solder paste? In this case, the following sequence of actions should be followed:
- Wire cores are prepared in a known manner, if necessary, twist.
- The paste is applied with a brush in a thin layer.
- The soldering surface is heated with a soldering iron until the paste melts.
- The solder is removed to cool the connecting material.
As you can see, there are no significant differences from the usual use of tin. The paste shows its high efficiency not only in connecting wires, but also in small parts made of metal alloys based on copper or brass.
Features of soldering wires
In most cases, a general scheme is used, which consists of standard manipulations. It is worth noting that consumables can often be versatile. If necessary, some can replace the others. If we are talking about the connection, which will subsequently be subjected to significant loads, the technological requirements must be strictly observed! In particular, certain materials must be used.
How to solder thin wires with a soldering iron? The very essence of the work itself consists in heating the cores to a high temperature and then connecting them to each other by enveloping with solder. When the wires cool, the soldering point becomes monolithic.
From the point of view of many electricians, such a job seems too easy. In fact, when performing this procedure, one can inevitably encounter its specific features. Each case is different choice of solder. In addition, it is necessary to ensure reliable fixation and immobility of the wires for their connection with solder.
An important point to be aware of
If copper wires are connected to each other in a high-temperature way, then in this case it is necessary to pay special attention to the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of the soldering place. These parameters are directly dependent on each other.
How to solder wires with a tin soldering iron? The quality of the wire connection depends on how solid the soldering is. And this in itself provides a high level of electrical conductivity. In this case, the thickness of the layer of deposited solder also matters, since it has a large resistivity.
The strength of the connection of copper conductors is largely due to the cleanliness of the soldered surfaces. Solder interacts with veins at the atomic level. In this regard, not only pollution, but also the presence of a thin oxide film can become a serious obstacle.
Another prerequisite is the solder temperature. It should be noticeably lower than the parts to be joined. If you use materials with a higher melting point, then in this case it is impossible to achieve the necessary strength of the connection. Its crystal lattice will be formed incorrectly. For this reason, with regard to copper wires, use only the solder that matches them.
Soldering procedure
Now, in fact, we will consider the procedure itself, how to solder copper wires correctly with a soldering iron.
The whole process of such a connection can be divided into several main stages:
- conductors training;
- tinning;
- compound.
Conductor preparation
Before soldering conductors or connecting them to a microcircuit, it is worth preparing them for the upcoming operation. To do this, a small area should be freed from insulation. If the veins contain an oxide film, then it is necessary to get rid of it. Otherwise (as we already know) the quality of the connection will be low.
A small piece of sandpaper is suitable for this purpose. It does not make sense to use large grains here, so you should limit yourself to small ones. The metal core should shine.
Tinning
Now you can turn on the soldering iron and wait until it heats up to the melting point of rosin. When touched with this material, it will actively melt, even with a slight hiss.
Now comes the preliminary stage of the task of how to properly solder the wires with a soldering iron. A vein (or several) is taken, brought to a rosin, which is heated by a soldering iron tip. Further, the entire stripped metal surface is immersed in the molten material so that the core is completely covered by it.
After this process, tinning itself follows. That is, a piece of solder is seized with a sting (more precisely, a drop already), and the material is carried throughout the vein. It spreads quite quickly and envelops the treated part of the conductor, covering it with a thin layer of new metal.
For a faster distribution of solder, the conductor should be turned. The natural shade of the veins goes away. A nice silver color appears. Thus, you should process all the wires that you plan to connect.
Compound
Actually, now the soldering process begins. For this, the conductors are folded together with cores (one to the other). It is important that they are flush with it. If the connection affects a large length of the veins, then they can be twisted together beforehand.
Now it remains to grab the solder with a sting. He is pressed to the place of soldering. There is no need to make special efforts, because a drop of metal will melt the tinning material and everything will merge into a single monolithic link. And when the solder covers the entire junction, the process can be considered completed.
The wires, however, should be held together for some more time so that the material cools down. To accelerate this process, solder can be blown.
Soldering copper wires with aluminum
Analyzing the topic of how to properly solder wires with a soldering iron with rosin, it is worth considering such an important point. In no case should aluminum be connected directly to other chemically active metals! And copper just belongs to such a variety of materials. Aluminum and copper conductors are not just soldered; they cannot even be simply connected to each other with a direct touch.
This is due to the fact that these metals have different thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. When current flows through the aluminum wire, the metal heats up more and expands more by virtue of its qualities. As for copper, this metal, although it also heats up and expands, but makes it noticeably slower.
As a result of constant cycles of expansion and contraction, contact is broken, regardless of how well executed. As a result, a film is formed that impedes the passage of current. Therefore, wires of these metals are not directly connected to each other.