Lead Free tinning on MMM?
 

I have a V3 just purchased, trying to solder a Dean's on and it won't fuse. I have a 60W iron and already cut off the pre-tinned ends. This MMM is one that has the hardwired battery leads (must say I'm not crazy about that and wonder why that was changed...).

So, I cut off the ends assuming it would be lead-free, and the wire itself does tin fine with lead solder. Did I contaminate the lead tinning I did on the Dean's when I tried to join it to the wire? It will not fuse even though the solder flows perfectly between.

I'm about ready to use a screw lug here, help please!

recently I've had trouble getting any thing to stick to deans. I had to take my dremel tool and rough up the deans and then it stuck fine. Without doing that I kept trying and it looked good and I waited for it to cool a few seconds and as soon as I picked it up the deans fell off. This happened with the last two packages of deans I purchased

Did you take the plating all the way off the copper Joe?

Maybe it's not real gold plating anymore? mmmm

I filed down to copper on a new Deans. Iron's heating back up - gonna see what happens....

I used a sanding drum and just roughed it up a bit, could see copper in a couple spots.

Joe you get an official You Da Man!

T'worked :party: :intello:

Just use some flux next time. Should stick fine after that.

I have never had an issue with real Dean's Ultra or generic T-type plugs when using a bit of flux like squee said. Just make sure to use the flux sparingly, it has such a low viscosity when heated it can actually flow to the other side of the plug and gum everything up. This happened to me last time I soldered on a few Dean's, had to use rubbing alcohol and Goo Gone to get rid of it.

I had tinned my genuine Deans and they tinned without an issue, as well as the wire,but as soon as they where brought together everything stuck to the wire. Almost as if there was some kind of oil on the plug. A quick hit with the dremel was all it took though. I have never had a problem before though, just the last two packages I bought which where both in the last month and from different lhs.

Yea, that's not uncommon. Like I said, a little flux should cure that. Last big soldering project I did, I just smeared the pcb with flux, put in the LEDs, then just got a blob of solder on the iron and touched all 120 legs on the LEDs and was done in about 45 minutes. The flux madebit alot easier since I had to use the solder to bridge the gaps between the LEDs. Just a old toothbrush and some water to clean the excess flux off. It makes soldering so much easier. Same with soldering the 0 gauge wire for my stereo. The solder wouldn't ever wick into the wire without it.

i used to always have huge solder globs and cold joints all the time and once i started using flux, my troubles were gone. my soldering actually looks professional now. it all flows so much better when you add a little flux.

I've never used flux before, so this might sound stupid but is all flux the same? Can I use flux for plumbing on my wires and such?

No, you have to use electronic flux, not plumbing flux. :)

Plumbing flux will corrode the connection over time, it's acid based. Electronic flux is rosin based.

You can buy electronic flux at Radio shack.

Yup. Patrick's right. :yes:

Also, be sure to only use a Rosin core solder as well. Might sound obvious, but I've seen countless people use acidcore. That stuff will have you coughing for hours...

Ya, and wouldn't you know I had some flux... I just never use it cuz I'm that good :mdr:

Really out of the several dozen Dean's I've soldered, this is the first time I ever had an issue.

BTW the MMM is going on another very strange and wonderful build. If I ever actually finish it...