1.8mm LEDs = what am I doing wrong

[xl97]

Does the solder melt as soon as it touches your tip?

I cant see how this is an issue? I solder all kinds of stuff... even hand solder down to 0603 SMD components..

Just a normal old Weller soldering iron..

When you speak of a 'quick blink'.. that does (necessarily) scream overheating... feels more like a (over) powering issue to be honest... (or perhaps not enough?)

 

[jamstraz]

I managed to solder one together that works...and using what I had. So several lessons to be learned on my part.
1) I didn't have the metal sponge thing, so I used a yellow one from Walmart with the green scrubby on the back. My iron melted it instead of being cleaned from it.
2) I need smaller heat wrap. My smallest tubes do not shrink down to the right diameter.
3) My iron now has melted sponge on it and it won't come off and when it comes to soldering I clearly am not ok. I'm a dunce. BUT I GOT ONE SOLDERED UP! Previously I've been using prewired ones and soldering the wires together which I can do ok.

*fast forward to 2022 when his first build stops working due to bad solder joints*

 

[jamstraz]

Does the solder melt as soon as it touches your tip?

I cant see how this is an issue? I solder all kinds of stuff... even hand solder down to 0603 SMD components..

Just a normal old Weller soldering iron..

When you speak of a 'quick blink'.. that does (necessarily) scream overheating... feels more like a (over) powering issue to be honest... (or perhaps not enough?)

yes but I bet your iron is better than mine lol

 

[Millenniumf]

I don't understand this. The leads need to be cut short before soldering. Unless you mean to say solder along side the leads and then cut the legs short but that feels like it won't stop the heat travelling up to the LEDs because it goes down both lead and wire when I do solder.

They really don't need to be cut short before soldering... just wrap the wire around the leads, solder and snip. And it will stop or at least mitigate the heat issue, because it'll act as a big heat sink. The fact that it travels into the wire proves this, actually; it's just that the wire doesn't do a good enough job drawing the heat away fast enough for it not to melt the LED. Also, don't forget to wet your sponge before using it. I use a green sponge I bought at Walmart for 4 for a dollar, and it works fine to draw the heat away without melting. Wet sponges work better IMO because they don't catch on the iron like metal ones do.

 

[modelcitizen]

didn't wet the sponge first? *****....
get that melted sponge off the tip. scrape, file sand, whatever. melt solder on the cleaned tip. solder. wet the sponge. lol
and don't say you didn't order sandpaper?
you can probably use that tulip paint you ordered as an insulator if you must. don't energize while it's still wet. and don't use your tongue or fingers to clean the hot soldering tip lol
don't cut in line. don't drop the soap. shower, wino !

 

[gjjackson]

Delete

 

[gjjackson]

The flux in the solder burns off quickly making for cold solder joints, the additional liquid flux assures good wetting, I don't use wet sponges,
I uses these, it's easier on the tip.

Hakko 599B-02 - Wire Solder Tip Cleaning Sponge With Holder

The Hakko 599B-02 is a wire sponge with a holder enclosure for cleaning your solder iron tips without water. The 599B is made from coils of brass, which is softer than the tip plating yet harder than the oxidation that forms on the tip. To clean the tip, simply plunge the iron tip into the...

www.all-spec.com

I've worked in electronics for a good 40 years and Never Ever had cold solder joints. I use a sponge and spend as much, if not more, keeping the tip clean and tinned before soldering. I wipe it off on the sponge after every solder connection. Having the tip tinned well it takes no more than 1 second to tin the LED lead, and then tin the wire. Once both are tinned connect them and melt the solder together.

 

[gjjackson]

I managed to solder one together that works...and using what I had. So several lessons to be learned on my part.
1) I didn't have the metal sponge thing, so I used a yellow one from Walmart with the green scrubby on the back. My iron melted it instead of being cleaned from it.
2) I need smaller heat wrap. My smallest tubes do not shrink down to the right diameter.
3) My iron now has melted sponge on it and it won't come off and when it comes to soldering I clearly am not ok. I'm a dunce. BUT I GOT ONE SOLDERED UP! Previously I've been using prewired ones and soldering the wires together which I can do ok.

*fast forward to 2022 when his first build stops working due to bad solder joints*

You should be able to buy them at any electronics supply store, or maybe where the iron is sold. You probably wouldn't necessarily need a sponge. I have used a wet cloth. There were times I just wiped it on my jeans. The point is you want to wipe the tip and re-tin it.. If your tip gets residue on it then paste flux is good for cleaning off those deposits. If it gets really bad those wire cleaners will work for that. The main point is a clean shiny tip with no brown residue. There are times that residue builds up and I'll keep jabbing solder on it to get it clean. Sometime I will tin and wipe it and tin again to make sure that tip is transferring the heat quickly. It does help to have quality Tips. The better the quality the less residue buildup there is, and clean better. Throughout my career I've always used a Weller soldering station. They seem to have the best tips. That's about all I can think of. (You could even use a sturdy wet paper towel).

 

[gjjackson]

didn't wet the sponge first? *****....
get that melted sponge off the tip. scrape, file sand, whatever. melt solder on the cleaned tip. solder. wet the sponge. lol
and don't say you didn't order sandpaper?
you can probably use that tulip paint you ordered as an insulator if you must. don't energize while it's still wet. and don't use your tongue or fingers to clean the hot soldering tip lol
don't cut in line. don't drop the soap. shower, wino !

You don't EVEN want to sand the tips, unless it's one of those Weller copper tipped soldering guns. If it gets THAT bad you'll have to just keep fluxing it until it cleans up. I suppose it's possible the tip would actually be damaged, but I've cleaned up some pretty dirty, cruddy tips because people didn't use it properly.

 

[modelcitizen]

aye, clean the tip! wet the sponge! damn the torpedoes. full speed ahead!
admittingly, i'm not all that good at soldering but i do it anyways. i have an old crusty 30 watt (radio shack!) plug straight in the wall piece of junk. the tip was never plated to begin with.
in my case then, i have no qualms with using a file as the tip is horrible anyhow and i'm too cheap to buy a decent one.
roll it up for release!
(i reckon i'd work on starships more like a klingon than a spock or scott)

 

[jamstraz]

You should be able to buy them at any electronics supply store, or maybe where the iron is sold. You probably wouldn't necessarily need a sponge. I have used a wet cloth. There were times I just wiped it on my jeans. The point is you want to wipe the tip and re-tin it.. If your tip gets residue on it then paste flux is good for cleaning off those deposits. If it gets really bad those wire cleaners will work for that. The main point is a clean shiny tip with no brown residue. There are times that residue builds up and I'll keep jabbing solder on it to get it clean. Sometime I will tin and wipe it and tin again to make sure that tip is transferring the heat quickly. It does help to have quality Tips. The better the quality the less residue buildup there is, and clean better. Throughout my career I've always used a Weller soldering station. They seem to have the best tips. That's about all I can think of. (You could even use a sturdy wet paper towel).

I have no electronics stores. Home improvement yes. My shrink tubing is from Harbor Freight.

 

[xl97]

Do you have a "Tru Value" or "Ace Hardware" anywhere? They have some small OD heat shrink tubing available..right on the shelf.

 

[gjjackson]

I got heat shrink from All Electronics.

 

[xl97]

............................."I have no electronics stores. "

 

[gjjackson]

All Electronics | Electronic and Electro-Mechanical Parts and Supplies at Discount Prices

www.allelectronics.com

 

[teslabe]

I've worked in electronics for a good 40 years and Never Ever had cold solder joints. I use a sponge and spend as much, if not more, keeping the tip clean and tinned before soldering. I wipe it off on the sponge after every solder connection. Having the tip tinned well it takes no more than 1 second to tin the LED lead, and then tin the wire. Once both are tinned connect them and melt the solder together.

I too have been in the industry for over 40 years and certified J-STD-001 for soldering for most of them, The problem with a "wet" anything for cleaning a tip is the thermal shock which brakes-down the solder coating and creates cracks that turn onto pits on the tip, ageing it far faster than would happen if one used the cleaning pad I showed. I only offer a suggestion from many years of experience and makes no difference to me if anyone chooses to take the advice, after all it's only experience from doing......

 

[jamstraz]

Do you have a "Tru Value" or "Ace Hardware" anywhere? They have some small OD heat shrink tubing available..right on the shelf.

I have all of those. Looking on website I can't seem to find anything that shrinks down smaller than 3/64th

 

[modelcitizen]

there are other ways of insulating leds and wires.
i'm not going to condone not bothering with insulating at all but...
sometimes i don't bother insulating short led legs with anything at all. maybe i'm just lucky i've not burned my house down by a shorted 1.8mm led....

...and i've been not insulating for more than 35+ years. i did get reprimanded for trying to reverse rotation of an alternating current motor by reversing the wires when i was an experimental lad though. crisis averted....live and learn! (in that case i should have definitely insulated. my workbench was the carpet in front of the wall plug. switching the ac wires does not reverse the rotation of an ac motor btw)

 

[Millenniumf]

If I couldn't get any heatshrink that fit, I would mix up a little five minute epoxy and coat the wire with that. It's thick stuff, so it builds a nice layer that'll protect the lead as well as any insulation. The only down side is that it doesn't flex at all, but if the component or wire is not moving around then that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Hot glue also works well if you don't want to break out the epoxy.

Also, nice to see another J-STD holder, Teslabe!

 

[modelcitizen]

aye. i think he said he bought some of that thick tulip brand fabric paint if i'm not mistaken.