sudomod

is there a specific type of solder that should be used? im having trouble getting the solder to stick to traces. instead, it just balls up onto the tip of the iron.

Usually if it forms a ball on your iron and slides off easily, your iron is too hot. Furthermore you might not be soldering on a friendly surface, try filing down the contact area before attempting to solder. Use some flux paste if you have it too, it helps to transfer a good amount of heat to the work piece. And you should be using electrical, rosin/flux core solder of course

Racerboy wrote:Usually if it forms a ball on your iron and slides off easily, your iron is too hot. Furthermore you might not be soldering on a friendly surface, try filing down the contact area before attempting to solder. Use some flux paste if you have it too, it helps to transfer a good amount of heat to the work piece. And you should be using electrical, rosin/flux core solder of course

thanks for your reply! it seems im using the correct type of solder. i may have to get some flux.

Dirty tips are notorious for bad transfers also. Both with heat and with solder.

Once in a while, take a spinning wire brush on your dremel to the soldering iron tip until you see bare metal again. Tin your tip over again, and start fresh. You'll be amazed how fast your soldering iron heats up and how easy soldering is with a fresh tip again.

Both 60/40 and 63/37 is going to work fine, just make sure it is rosin core and absolutely not acid. Diameter .03 is real common and will do you well enough for this project. As mentioned before, make sure you get some rosin paste. It helps significantly, especially with stubborn areas.

Also get some flux like in a Flux Pen and put it on the board traces then solder the traces, it will stick very easily.

http://www.amazon.com/Kester-951-Solder ... B004X4KOWS