solder my old knight rider

[pyro12]

Any of you EEs (or anyone else) have any advice for me before I try and solder this wire back on? Type of solder to use/not use? Or am I better off trying to get by w/ just the solder already there, etc? I do own a soldering gun and have successfully soldered on circuit boards before, but by no means am I adept or even proficient at it...

I'm thinking I'm going to cut that last 1/8 inch off the wire as it's a little frayed and worse for wear. Then probably just melt through the plastic insulation on the wire as I try and solder it onto that contact point... To me, it appears I actually have a pretty big margin for error - as long as I keep it away from the inner circle I think I'll be fine....

 

[5cardstud]

If you're going to solder it don't melt through the plastic when you do. Start with a clean wire so the solder flows good plus you don't want all the impurities in your solder. You should use a thin pre-fluxed solder not the regular solder they use on pipes. I get mine at radio shack. It's not expensive and made specifically for soldering small parts and connections. Lastly make sure you clean your tip it makes the job easier. I usually just clean mine with a small piece of sandpaper then melt a little solder on it. Soldering is so easy when your wires and tip is clean first because it won't flow or adhere well on dirty wires. Hope that helps

I tried to put this in simple terms so you didn't need a soldering class to learn the lingo. Another thing I use to hold each end to be soldered is this cheap "helping hands" Great tool.

 

[Dougiestyle]

Do yourself a favor and cut the dirty end of wire. Apply flux. Tin the wire with solder first. Now, with solder on the connector, solder on the wire and a bit of solder tinned on your iron tip, you'll heat the solder on the connector first, as the brass will sink some heat before the existing solder melts. Once the solder is melted on the connector, touch the tinned end of wire and remove the iron. Hold until solder cools-solid. Maybe use tweezers, so you don't burn your fingers. Good luck!

 

[pyro12]

sigh. original repair went pretty well. trying to move and reposistion the wires to put it back together and (of course), this happened:



less wiggle room on this one. At one point the positive connection part fell through and I had to shove it back into place, but I got it. It's not pretty, but it works.

Now, I can't get the darn thing back together. I don't get it. It would fall apart on its own a couple times a week before this. I'm sure I've got the wires tucked out of the way. I can't see anything that would keep me from simply pushing everything back together, but it just won't go.

Edit:turned it upside down, put a cloth over it, and gently smacked it a few times w/ a hammer. Back together now and still working.

 

[5cardstud]

That's great Pyro. My biggest problem is eyesight but I managed to build a box the other day. Someday if my doc ever gets my sight back I have a mod I started over a yr. ago that I'm going to finish. Glad you got the knight Rider fixed.

 

[pyro12]

Until my early 30s, I was blessed with way better than 20:20 eyesight. I didn't appreciate it until it was gone. What do they say? Youth is wasted on the young? Something like that....

Thanks for the tips....

 

[5cardstud]

Until my early 30s, I was blessed with way better than 20:20 eyesight. I didn't appreciate it until it was gone. What do they say? Youth is wasted on the young? Something like that....

Thanks for the tips....

I had 20/20 too but got a scar right over my pupil. The doctor did one cornea transplant and it went south so he did another one and implanted a lens inside my eye. The lens didn't attach and turned on it's side so he has to go back in and sew it in place. He started all this August 2010 so I'm ready to get it done. I got an appt. Monday.

 

[Iken]

I have no idea why this thread was closed!
Did you ever figure it out?

 

[pyro12]

Yup! This baby has outlasted every rig I've ever purchased! Maybe not the latest technology, but I still like it.

 

[Iken]

Right on!
I still have them in stock LOL IN fact, the price was just lowered to I think around the $20?

Turns out, when a thread goes inactive, they automatically close. It's pretty disturbing but makes sense I guess.