Week 9/11 Progress(?)

[Foxkoun]

Well my Solid State class is in the final stretch. I've picked an amplifier circuit to use, begun the process of putting it together. I had breadboarded and tested it, blew up a npn in the process of experimenting with a trimmer in R1 (had the wrong pins to the emitter leg). And now as I piece it together and solder I find my soldering iron is not helping, The soldering process isn't going as well as when I first soldered and that being said I've only done about 5..6 projects maybe. I'm debating replacing the iron because of this.
Overall this amplifier make process has been rather disheartening.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

There's no context for this thread. Is there another thread that explains what you're talking about? If so, can you link to it?

 

[Foxkoun]

I'm new to soldering and for whatever reason I have yet to grasp the solder I was using actually repelled from the board and the iron, it balled up on itself.
At this time the problem is affecting my efforts to solder a circuit that's due by next class and I don't know if it's the solder or the iron that's the cause of the problem.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Are you using tin/lead solder? Or lead-free?

Can you tin the tip of the iron?

Is the iron temperture-controlled? If so, what temperature is it set at? If not, what wattage is it?

Upload some photos, or if you have a YouTube channel, put a video there and link to it.

 

[Foxkoun]

I'm having issues w/ photos at the moment. The iron isn't temperature controlled, and I cannot tin the tip. Looking up I believe it may be a dirty tip(?) so I'll work on cleaning it when I have the resources. As for the solder was using the package read Tin/Copper solder. Can the iron itself be cleaned as well? The "Body" has since gone from the a clean metal look to a dirtier look.. I'm thinking there may have been something I missed about handling and care.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Right, if you can't tin the tip, you won't get anywhere at all. It can be cleaned, but start gentle, because if it's a good quality tip, it will be plated, and you don't want to scratch the plating off. Work on one area, in case you scratch it.

When the iron is completely cold, start with a rag and metal polish or kitchen cleaner, and progress to a gentle pot scourer (down here we have 3M "Scotch Brite"), and so on.

Don't worry about the "body", just concentrate on the tip, but start cleaning on a part of the tip that isn't used. Some photos would really help me give clearer advice.

Tin/copper solder isn't suitable; it has a very high melting point. Use tin/lead solder, either 60/40 or 63/37 ratio, with a rosin or flux core. Diameter should be less than 1 mm.