Use a strong soap with a nice grit will remove all the oils and dirt from your hands.
If you have been working and have dirty hands, bits of your grease and oil will rub off on whatever you are working with. Hands – Your hands are sometimes the culprit when the solder doesn’t melt.Small abrasions in the material also cause it to bond much easier. It is best to have a few scrub pads, the kind you do dishes with, and give them a quick scrub before heating the material. It will have dirt and tiny particles that the naked eye can’t pick up. Solder – It might sound a bit crazy, but some solder can come dirty.Run water across the metal after cleaning, and if there are no drops, it should be clean enough. Working these oils and dirt out is imperative to this process. Metal absorbs oil from your fingertips and dirt from workbenches and other pieces of metal. Metal – Clean the metal very thoroughly with a non-bleach abrasive and a small brush.The things to clean when you are getting ready to solder are: A clean surface is integral for soldering, and if you want to make a connection that lasts, the surface must be squeaky clean. Take time to make sure it is spotless before moving on to the next steps. Oil and dirt will create a barrier between the solder and the metal, which means that it won’t bond.Ĭleaning the metal could be as simple as detergent and water or a complex as a wire brush on a drill bit. Foreign material in any part will mean that a bond could not be formed between the metal and the solder. When it comes to clean surfaces for soldering, you should consider every surface involved in the process when cleaning. Cleaning Could be the Issue When Solder isn’t Melting Don’t sweat it! Read on and learn five reasons why your solder isn’t working. However, even with years of experience, there can be hiccups and problems keeping solder from working. Getting solder to flow correctly is something that takes time and practice to work out.
Soldering is useful for repairing metal objects but can be a pain if it doesn’t work correctly. It requires more work but makes a more solid weld. Practicing a few simple solutions will give you all the ammunition you need to stop a job from sliding out of control. If the solder doesn’t flow, the problems could begin to stack up fast. Having problems with solder can slow your project or derail it altogether.