Can you guys help me dismantle a missy wetbox to change out switch?

[JuniorNA]

Yeah i've tried to take the inside piece aside and soldering directly to that but im i've never soldered anything before and that small piece isn't easy for a newb

I'll just use the hot glue gun and put everything back or I can dismantle completely and try to add a switch but ill most likely break it

Right. Sealed isn't all that. There goes my plan. It sounds like you've had trouble soldering these as you haven't taken them apart 1st and setting the insulator aside, soldering and re-assembling. If you moisten and go easy, they wont break. Willing to try?

Sent from my HTC Droid Incredible

 

[tlocke]

Ok,

Here is how to solder the connector. Go to your local electronics supply store, RShack will do, pick up some solder and a soldering iron with a very fine tip, then most importantly pick up some flux. Dip your wires in flux and tin them. Tinning means to heat up the wire then apply solder, the flux will suck it into the wire easily. Practice this a few times till you have it down.

Next, Grab a small piece of scrap brass and apply a small amount of flux where you want to attach the solder, practice on this scrap brass a few times, when you feel comfortable attaching the tinned wire to the brass, you should be able to do the center connection easily. With flux your contact time is so short on the inner connector that I don't even pull it any more, I just do a quick touch solder connection to the edge of the inner electrode and away you go.

With practice you will be doing these in no time.

 

[JuniorNA]

Thanks Tlock, I will definiately try that before ruining another 10 battery connectors. It's annoying and pointless. I just jumped into so fast, and I started trying to do this before i even learned to solder. I watched a few videos, but that's it...and then boom, i was frustrated and 2 hours later i gave up. I'll give it a try again

 

[tlocke]

It really is very simple once you have it down, but the key is practice. Most of us old guys who have been doing this for years forget that it is an art. I recently taught my son how to solder and wanted to yell at him, more flux, less heat quicker contact. LOL, I finally realized that I just needed to give him some scrap to practice on and let him go, now he solders beautifully, I wouldn't let him touch any of my com boards or motherboards, but he will get there.

 

[Para]

Thanks Tlock, I will definiately try that before ruining another 10 battery connectors. It's annoying and pointless. I just jumped into so fast, and I started trying to do this before i even learned to solder. I watched a few videos, but that's it...and then boom, i was frustrated and 2 hours later i gave up. I'll give it a try again

You sure picked a doozie of a project to begin modding.

Hang in there. After following this thread, I'm pulling for ya.

 

[WillyB]

Well FWIW I find hot melt glue pretty useless.

You say you are using a LR atty, the connector will in fact get hot, not a good place for hot melt, and e-liquid (your WetBox will leak) will quickly break the hot melt's bond, at least the standard stuff I've tried. Even epoxy over the long haul will eventually soften and it's bond will be compromised if it's always soaked. You need a system that is mechanically quite tight and almost leak-proof. That way the epoxy isn't soaked and should last a while. The whole removable needle assembly system is basically flawed.

Part of the problem with the WetBox isn't just the under-rated switch, it's the placement. Folks are basically soaking it with e-liquid from the inside and with run-off from the outside (there is nothing to contain/stop the e-liquid). I guess the outside run-off could be called user error (that's what the maker calls it). You'll see various tips about spraying the tact with WD-40 (among other things) to clean it.

In Highping's design, although he used a similar tact switch, he at least moved into a better, dry location, where the kill switch was.

Makes sense to me.