this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2023
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What tip should I be using to solder wires together? (lemmy.fmhy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by CorrodedCranium@lemmy.fmhy.ml to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de
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Pretty basic question but I am struggling to find the words to get the correct search result. The soldering iron I bought came with very narrow tips that I think are supposed to be used for circuit boards and components.

When I attempt to solder lines from a USB cord together the line never gets warm enough.

I remember in the past soldering copper lines together from an appliance with no issue so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong in terms of technique but who knows?

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[–] grasib@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The lines from an USB wire are very thin. Any tip should do.

Is the solder melting and sticking to the tip? Can you pre-tin the wires or are they coated? Can you upload a picture of what you are trying to do?

What temperature are you using?

[–] CorrodedCranium@lemmy.fmhy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This was a few months ago so I can't recall a lot of the specifics unfortunately.

What I can recall was using a 90w Ali Express soldering iron with a conical tip to solder a damaged original Xbox controller cable. The leaded solder seemed slow to melt on the tip but wouldn't melt to the wire when I applied heat on the under side.

Sorry I can't tell you more. I was looking to do some practice this weekend and wanted to know if I should be ordering a thicker tip or something.

[–] Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago

Wattage does not mean how hot it gets, it means how fast it gets to the desired temperature. Also Chinese vendors tend to exaggerate greatly with specifications, especially with cheap products.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

The temperature is set too low. The solder should melt almost instantly when applied to the tip if the iron is set to 350°C.

Those fine point conical tips that typically come with soldering irons are terrible. Get a 2-3mm chisel tip, that will be suitable for most soldering jobs.