Built my first nicostick...then dropped it!

[poytim]

I enjoy 'tinkering', for the most part. I ordered everything I needed (including the soldering iron and solder) from madvapes, and had a grand old time drilling holes and manipulating the box to get the battery to fit.

I've soldered copper pipes together with no leaks or issues, so I thought this shouldnt be too hard...I thought 'how hard can soldering be?'. I was oh so wrong...it's hard! I spent about two hours (spread out over two days) trying to get the solder to work. Finally, I had everything soldered (it was UGLY, but held).

I put in the battery, screwed in an atomizer, and took a draw...it was awesome! I could swear the flavor and TH were better than I have ever experienced...but I was pretty happy that this thing worked, and I probably needed some nic after spending all that time soldering

Things needed to be glued still, so I reached for the off switch...and promptly dropped it on the floor, which busted the solder off the negative wire on the battery connector, among other minor things. AAARGH!

SO, is this a sign? Should I just buy a Bartleby?

I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the soldering iron; it would melt solder to 'tin the tip', but I could not get it to heat anything up enough to draw solder into a wire. Would different solder help? this is what I have:

28 ga rosin core solder. 60/40 Tin/Lead mix.

THANKS for looking!

 

[Rocketman]

Practice.
(just wait for all the comments about the lead in the solder )
practice.
Just like soldering pipes. Compare the mass and thermal conductivity of the two parts you are soldering and try and visualize where the heat is going to flow and where you need to pump in more heat. Most cheap springy battery connector are chrome plated. Sand, Grind, drill a little spot to solder to the base metal. Lightly pre-tin each piece.

Practice soldering an insulated wire to a penny (big difference in thermal mass) without getting the whole penny up to soldering temperature and melting the insulation on the wire.
Pretin your soldering iron tip and wipe it on a wet sponge. Don't leave it on to cook for hours. and don't, no matter what others say, sandpaper or file the thin iron coating off of the tip. Just keep it clean.
Temperature, thermal resistance, and time are important parameters.

Practice. You probably have a whole roll of the stuff. Just ventilate the area so you don't inhale a lot of lead trying to get away from inhaling tobacco, duh.

Rocket

There is a Sticky Thread somewhere on soldering, If not there ought to be.

 

[poytim]

Thank you Rocketman, this is helpful and encouraging. Looks like I need to buy a new tip, as I have cleaned it, several times, using sandpaper and a green sponge! I watched a few youtube videos on soldering, but not until after I killed my tip, perhaps. Looks like I'm off to buy a tip soon.

I didnt know the solder had lead until I pasted it in here :0

Thanks again, I'll practice on something other than my good stuff to learn to get the knack, and re-read this before I do!

 

[sjohnson]

Maybe this will make you feel better:

Last week, I bought *6* radio shack switches to make a new mod for my son. My third, and I have a lot of fabricating and soldering experience. I ruined 5 of six switches, and it turned out the RS switch that made it by my fumbling was a poor choice, it doesn't work very well and gets quite hot in use.

So, today I built another nicostick. While it turned out OK, I managed to absent-mindedly lay my soldering iron down on the kitchen counter while I prepped a wire and burnt a spot on the counter. Stuff happens!

 

[JamBandPhan]

You might need a better soldering iron. I have the same brand and model that you just got, bought from another place., . I can't get anything to solder with it, but it gets really hot, I have cleaned the tip, tried tinning it, nothing will stick... So I got a Weller butane powered one, but I have to warn you, I have already melted one box trying to solder in the box. The butane one has heat vents just below the tip, so it vents out really hot just inches away from what you are working on. I had to get used to working with it, but it does solder well. You need to go find a better quality iron, and you will not be nearly as frustrated. Also practice helps, and one of the 3rd hand tools. The youtube vids helped me as well... I am a complete newbie to soldering, and just made my first functioning mod the other day. I would not give up, maybe just take a time out to think it over again. I was ready to give up after drilling holes in the wrong place on one box, then melting the other one... I just took a couple of days to think about it, and tried again, and what do you know... I have a functioning lighter mod.

 

[Connman]

This should be called a Ouch thread form your post poytime and sjohnson. The kitchen counter being the big ouch.

As Rocketman mentioned
(just wait for all the comments about the lead in the solder )
I wouldn`t be soldering my center battery connector with it but wouldn`t be worried using it anywhere else like the battery post and stuff. Not real sure it would be all that bad anywhere really. I Know there are plenty of people running around with chunks of lead from pencils embedded in their skin out there. And then there are also The pencil chewers out there.

I actually use a lead free solder though.

It really seems I run into certain wire types that solder won`t stick to and that`s when I get pretty upset.
And although dropping these mods is not a recommended test it happens and if it passes that test you done good.

Best of luck getting it going for good this time.

 

[poytim]

Thanks folks, I'll try it again! I went to lowes today to see if I could buy another tip, and saw the butane powered thing there...I didnt get it, yet - I'll try with a new tip. There is a radio shack a block from where I work, so I'll be by there tomorrow!

 

[hatchetforyou]

when you go to the "shack" pick you up some flux paste. dip the bare end of your wire and dab a bit to whatever you want soldered. makes life so so so much easier, trust me. stinks to high heaven but soldering does anyways. it comes i a round container that is about 3" diameter. just ask for some electrical connection flux paste and they should know what you are talking about. let me know how that does.

 

[poytim]

when you go to the "shack" pick you up some flux paste...

I wondered if such a thing existed! I've watched professional plumbers solder pipes, and it seems like many of them dont bother with flux...but, if I forget to flux a joint before soldering it, it leaks - if I get the joint to take in solder to begin with!

Thanks for the tips and encouragement; I'll report back once I am able to tinker again (2 small kids, 2 working parents = no time for 'toys').

 

[poytim]

Finished building the nicostick today, and dare I say the soldering was easy! I dont know if it was the tip, tinning compound, flux, or weather, but it worked marvelously - and quickly too! I checked the voltage - it was running at 4 volts (battery says 3.6?). I seem to be having atomizer woes at the moment, so I have not noticed much improvement on one atty I've been toying with. Regardless, it'll be nice to not have to charge batteries all the time, as I think having one in the stick and one charged up on backup should get me through the day worry free - I'll keep some other batteries around for backup.

Everything is glued and relatively stable. I have not dropped it yet, but I'm pretty sure it will not be as catastrophic this time if I do.

Thanks for all the support, encouragement, and advice!

 

[quasimod]

[...] wouldn`t be worried using it anywhere else like the battery post and stuff. Not real sure it would be all that bad anywhere really. I Know there are plenty of people running around with chunks of lead from pencils embedded in their skin out there. And then there are also The pencil chewers out there. [...]

The "lead" in pencils is actually harmless graphite. We just call it lead, because humans are very weird creatures.

 

[me who]

I reached for the off switch...and promptly dropped it on the floor

I dropped mine so hard the corner broke off the box. Fortunately I have lots of epoxy.

 

[nicotime]

I wondered if such a thing existed! I've watched professional plumbers solder pipes, and it seems like many of them dont bother with flux...but, if I forget to flux a joint before soldering it, it leaks - if I get the joint to take in solder to begin with!

The solder plumbers use usually has a flux core...so they are still using flux. Its like tubing filled with flux paste...but its too big for what we want.

 

[sjohnson]

The "lead" in pencils is actually harmless graphite. We just call it lead, because humans are very weird creatures.

True, but lead pencils were once common.

The archetypal pencil may have been the stylus, which was a thin metal stick, often made from lead and used for scratching in papyrus, a form of early paper. They were used extensively by the ancient Egyptians and Romans

Pencil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's where "lead" pencils come from!