FIG. 1 - File any corrosion from the top of the soldering iron or gun.

FIG. 2 - The shape of the tip on the soldering iron or gun is important.

FIG. 3 - Apply a thin, even coat of solder to the tip of the soldering iron or gun. This is called "tinning."

FIG. 4 - Keep a cleaning pad or piece of steel wool handy for cleaning the point during soldering.

FIG. 6 - Thoroughly clean all metal to be soldered.

FIG. 7 - In some cases, you must apply extra flux.

FIG. 8 - When you solder a coated surface, the coating must first be chipped away.

FIG. 9 - Apply a thin layer of solder to wires that have been cleaned.

FIG. 10 - Offset splices to avoid danger of short-outs.

FIG. 11 - A paper cup makes a good holder when soldering wires.

FIG. 12 - Hold the iron or gun under the wires and feed the solder from the top.

SOLDERING VARIOUS METALS

• It is important that all metal to be soldered is thoroughly clean. Solder simply will not adhere to dirty or oxidized metal surfaces.
  
  
• Clean any flat surfaces which are to be soldered with steel wool, a file, emery cloth, etc. It's important to take time to clean the surface thoroughly.
  
  
• Scrape any wire to be soldered with the back of a knife or any flat piece of metal (Fig. 6). If the wire is extremely dirty, dip it into a flux. Do not touch the wire with your hands after it has been cleaned. Natural oils in the skin may cause the solder not to stick.
  
  
• Although the core of solder contains flux, additional flux may be required on extremely difficult soldering jobs.
  
  
• Liquid flux can be brushed on the metal if required.
  
  
• You will need flux if you are soldering with bar solder, which does not contain a core of flux.
  
  
• If solder remains on the tip of the pencil, gun or iron for any period of time, the flux boils out and must be replaced.
  
  
• If you find it difficult to get solder to stick on galvanized metal or any other hard-to-solder surface, add some flux (Fig. 7). This will normally improve the sticking capacity of the solder.
  
  
• If you are attempting to solder any coated surface, such as enamelware, you must chip away the coated area before applying the solder (Fig. 8). Solder will not stick to coated surfaces.
  
  
• When soldering electrical wire, separate the wires to be soldered and scrape them clean (Fig. 9).
  
  
• Each section of the wire should then be "tinned" or coated with a thin layer of solder.
  
  
• Apply this thin coating of solder by holding the wire on the hot tip of the soldering tool and feeding the rosin-core solder from the top (Fig. 9).
  
  
• You will need a small bench vise or some other holding device to provide a "third hand" for soldering jobs of this type.
  
  
• After the wires have been thoroughly tinned, twist them together (Fig. 10).
  
  
• After the wires have been twisted together, apply a small amount of flux to the exposed wire to remove any oil that might have been left on the wiring during the twisting process.
  
  
• A small paper cup makes an excellent holding device for soldering small pieces of wire (Fig. 11).
  
  
• Make a slot in each side of the cup to hold the wire in a firm position. Also, fill the bottom of the cup with water. This will make the cup more stable and reduce the chances of a flame-up.
  
  
• Note in Fig. 10 that the splices in the wire are located at different positions. This eliminates the danger of electrical shorts and lessens the amount of buildup when the soldered spots are taped for insulation.
  
  
• When the wires have been twisted together and fluxed, they are ready for soldering (Fig. 12).
  
  
• Hold the hot soldering tool under the joint to be soldered and feed the solder from the top.
  
  
• Let the solder melt and run down until the joint is thoroughly covered.
  
  
• Allow the soldered joint to cool completely before applying any pressure. After the solder cools and becomes hard, test it to make sure the soldered joint is secure.
  
  
• Always use a rosin-core solder for soldering electrical wiring. NEVER use an acid-flux solder for soldering electrical wire.
  
  
• Joints soldered properly should look somewhat like those illustrated in Fig. 13. A joint that is properly twisted and soldered is as strong as any uncut section of the wire.

FIG. 14 - For a good bond on two flat pieces of metal, apply a layer of solder along the edges.