Electrical stuff

Jalapeno

Where do you good chaps get your pots, shielded cable, solder etc from ?

And please recommend me a soldering iron & glue gun.

Many thanks

entee

I was recommended to use Axesrus, when I asked a similar question 

Jalapeno

No, no, one at a time please  (thanks @entee)

Come on then -- let's see some Soldering Iron recommendations .....

Maynehead

I just got a cheap set off Amazon for 18 quid. It's got everything you need and I've had no problems with it so far, as long as you keep the tip tinned.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006EXZM28/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

TTony

Looks like mine is discontinued now, but it's something like this;

From here.

You should get a range of tips for the iron too.

TTony

And yes, axesrus usually have a good range and deliver quickly.

FelineGuitars

I use an Antex XS25 witha large bit - works beautifully - used that model for 30 years now (burnt out a few too, but they are cheap)

The big chisel tip is brilliant for backs of pots 

I have one of the £50/60 Maplin temperature control ones too which is good but I still use the Antex the most.

The temp control is good if I'm doing PCB stuff though or modifying an amp module

Jalapeno

Ta all.

mrn1989

This is the one Ive used for the last couple of years and Ive never had an issue

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Variable-Temperature-Soldering-Station-Iron-Stand-Kit-60-40-Lead-Solder-Wire-NEW-/121075114962?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c30a3a3d2

Gagaryn

plus one on Antex

Adam_MD

Another shout out for Antex. I used to have terrible problems soldering and thought it was impossible until i started using Silver solder and a larger tip on my iron.

Sassafras

^ do you find silver solder easier to use than lead/tin solder.

I've tried using the lead free stuff but it's horrible to work with.

Chalky

Honestly any cheap soldering iron will do as long as you use lead or silver solder. Lead free solder is rubbish - makes any novice think they can't solder! Expensive soldering iron is simply wasting your money if you are just using it on guitar electrics.

Adam_MD

@Sassafras when I started trying to solder pots pickups etc I bought lead free from a local hardware store because it was all they had. I practised on a load of cheap parts and keep failing over and over again.

I bought some silver solder after someone on MR recommended it and voila I could suddenly solder successfully. I've never tried lead free because the silver stuff works just fine for my purposes.

Sassafras

I tend to buy lead solder wherever I can find it which isn't many places now, so I'll have to give silver solder a try.

Chalky

All of the big chains stock lead free solder only from what I see, probably because of the safety advice around solder. But buying online doesnt seem to be a problem.

Marktigere1

+1 for the Antex 

If you get one, get one with the silicone mains lead. (Slightly more but worth it)

Its floppier than standard and allows easier movement of the iron as the cable just follows your hand.

Ta

ICBM

Sassafras said:

^ do you find silver solder easier to use than lead/tin solder.

I've tried using the lead free stuff but it's horrible to work with.

The added-silver lead-free (which is not the same as "silver solder", confusingly) works almost as well as leaded solder. Well worth the difference in price compared to standard lead-free, which is awful. Look for about 3-4% silver content. The stuff Maplins sell is fine.

Marktigere1 said:

+1 for the Antex 

If you get one, get one with the silicone mains lead. (Slightly more but worth it)

Its floppier than standard and allows easier movement of the iron as the cable just follows your hand.

And is much more resistant to melting it if you accidentally wrap it round the iron .

djspecialist

Does anyone use flux separately, rather than using solder with a flux core?

I saw a video which suggested that using separate flux made it a lot easier to get the solder to flow nicely.  But I suspect it would be more prone to go everywhere, so requiring wiping off afterwards.

djspecialist

+1 on Antex XS25

I started learning to solder last week.  The fact that even I was able to create a good solder joint suggests that the iron must be up to the task...

NervousJohn

There is an element of getting what you pay for with soldering irons. I'm an electronics engineer and my experience of the cheap ones is that they crap out on you after a bit plus spares are difficult to come by and they never seem to heat as fast. At work we use Metcals but there is no way I'm going to try and justify buying one as an amateur. A second hand Weller TCP is probably the best compromise.

As to adding flux this is a good idea if you're re flowing joints. The original flux will be gone do you need something to get it all moving. And the cleanup is easy IPA and a stiff brush.