help teach a n00b how to solder

[HOOKSH]

I wanna start on my HVAC (blue leds), and ive got the whole damn car apart, (console, HVAC, glovebox, backseat, antenna, all are hacked to hell or ripped apart for some reason) so while im this deep into the shit, i wanna redo the HVAC, but i have no idea how to solder anything. i have a soldering iron and i have some solder, but ive never actually soldered anything, so if somebody can write me up a short like how-to, or link me to one, that would be great. i know the rest of what i gotta do with the LEDs from readin the 5 page thread about HVAC color changing, so i just gotta figure out how to actually solder things. thanks people, peace

 

[Defiant]

Not a lot to it, just make sure the wire (etc) is hot enough to melt the solder, use a flux, don't use too much solder/flux/heat. Plastic stuff melts, hot things burn your fingers. Solder stays hot a _lot_ longer than you thought it would.

http://www.allsands.com/HowTo/howtosolder_cc_gn.htm

 

[greyforestgst]

you get your solder gun / iron / whatever up to temperature. how do you know? well, stick your solder on to the tip. if it takes some, its ready to rock.

hold the bottom of the tip to your bare wire you have wrapped and ready to tin. when it gets hot enough, you can just touch your solder line to the top of the bare wire twist and it will melt. when all of your wire has accepted the tin, take the solder gun away and then your solder roll. make sure to NOT TOUCH ANYTHING with the tip of your solder gun / iron for the next half hour or so. it leaves scars.
the solder itself will dry in maybe ten seconds. lick your fingers, then rub around your solder job. if you feel any little nubs jutting out poking your fingers, then get some needle nose and smash it flat. when thats taken care of, you can slide over the shrink tubing you remembered to put on, or if your dumb ass forgot (like i always do), wrap it up with electrical tape.

voila. try not to put too much solder, or it will drip and burn things. also, remember to NOT TOUCH ANYTHING with the tip of your solder gun / iron. just want to reiterate that.

 

[crazyjoe]

Also I should just say it is better to solder standing up. Cuz if for some reason you drip some solder, that way it will not end up in your lap and possibly causing damage to big jim and the twins.

 

[kyle]

Originally posted by crazyjoe
Also I should just say it is better to solder standing up. Cuz if for some reason you drip some solder, that way it will not end up in your lap and possibly causing damage to big jim and the twins.

This is why I solder at a desk or our kitchen table.

 

[HOOKSH]

so once i solder the LED to the resistor, how do i solder that to the + and - wire in the car? do i have to solder that too or can i just twist them together (like you do with car stereo wiring) then just tape it or put heatshrink on it? if i do have to solder it in the car, how can i do that without the iron touching the dash or any other important (non meltable) plastic parts? thanks for the help guys. im going to RadioShit tomorrow to get the resistors and LEDs, and im gonna see if i can do this nicely. What kind of solder should i use? im sure there are diff types, and i have some here, but im not sure what kind it is or what kind i need. i know i have some for copper pipe, but its pretty thick, and i think its too big so somebody let me know what you all use. thanks people, ill try it and see how it goes and check back if i have probs

 

[HOOKSH]

well, did my HVAC today, went to radioshack, got the only 4 blue LEDs they had, 2600mcd, and some 330ohm resistors, soldered them all up to the original HVAC light plug/harness, drilled 2 holes for the new LEDs, and used the original hole for the 3rd one. took about an hour for the whole thing (but i already had the HVAC and center console apart. put them in, held em in the holes with some duct tape, not the best way, but didnt wanna take the hot glue gun in the car, that shit gets EVERYWHERE. got a pic of it, let me know how i did. also used the 4th LED for the power mirror switch, and got the AC button apart, going to do that too, against the advice of all the people that have tried it and broke theirs. let me know what yall think

 

[greyforestgst]

looks familiar.

can i just twist them together (like you do with car stereo wiring)?
yeah, if you're ghetto. i had all my audio set up like this, but then i soldered everything. it sounds about twice as loud at all levels.

 

[HOOKSH]

ill have to try soldering when i rewire my stereo... gonna solder the 10gauge wire for my fuel pump tomorrow when i do that hope it makes a difference there too, cuz my new pump is gonna need all the juice it can get

 

[90LaserTurbo89k]

to answer your question about what kind of solder to get...the "stickiest" solder is 60/40, they also sell 40/60, but that stuff isnt very good.

it just means 60% lead and 40% tin (i think thats the way it goes).


also, does it make that big of difference if you dont solder your stereo wires?? i dont see how it really could, but i haven't thought about it. i just twisted mine up real tight and it sounds like i thought it should for a 600W system.