HD electronics soldering - Flux-Pen

[Steve P]

OK you smart guys may have already known this, but for slow learners like me it takes a few decades.

I’m working on a project and was dreading soldering bullets on a Castle HV200 ESC and a Steve Neu1512/1.5D/S/6.7 motor. I always find this a chore that involves a good bit of swearing and questionable results. Two things...

1. The Kester 186 Flux-Pen rules! Apply it to the wires and apply it to the connectors and even the best quality rosin core solder flows even better and faster.

2. Simply drilling a hole into a piece of wood to hold a bullet, in this case 8 mm bullets, is the world’s best simple hold down. And by the time the solder joint is finished the wood really doesn’t burn.

As my personal hero Red Green is known to say, if the women don’t find you handsome at least let them find you handy.

[horsefeetky]

where did you find the pen from..

and those connectors really are bullets......... .38size

[Steve P]

https://www.ebay.com/sch/concorde-electronics/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

[mlachow]

Next thing he might discover is DeoxIT contact cleaner. Useful for all kind of electrical things from sailplane winches to train tracks.

[gunny11]

I have the flux pens too. They are great for soldering components onto circuit boards...

[lenb]

Here is the best kept secret out there. I bought one recently and was so impressed I moved the trusty Weller station to the trailer.


Fully digital and will get to 750 degrees in 20 seconds. No more waiting for your iron to warm up or leaving on for an hour.
I can't express enough how nice this unit is.

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/trakpower-tk955-digital-soldering-station/DTXR0955.html

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[Swiss1]

There are 2 versions available, Digital and Analogue, available and in stock at The Model Box 205 978 8787

[mlachow]

I use my trusty 70W Hakko FX888D Solder Station. I still keep a big iron for batteries and soldering guns with custom bent wire tips are great for servo wells in foam wings.

[horsefeetky]

wow len 750 deg mine only goes to 500 but it gets there in a min... i have used the mini butane torch for battery leads and such. i will give it a shot next.. also my pen arrived today. it should help some also in the next soldering need..

[mlachow]

My Hakko goes to 480C, 896F. The other thing is to have a suitable tip for the size of the soldering job. A thin pointy one won't work very well on thick wire.

[Steve P]

I must admit it while I love my tools, I don’t miss the days of having to solder everything. These days I crimp all Anderson Power Poles and all servo installations. For the big high-voltage stuff I still use XT90 connectors or the bullets shown above.

The variable temps of the solder/rework station are great to have while the rework gun gets other heating, shrinking and melting uses. The trusty Weller 80W tends to be my weapon of choice.

[Csessa]

Timely recommendation. Going to do that ESC to 8MM bullet soon.