Ghetto Soldering?

Question

I need to solder something, but i don't have a soldering iron, or any expirience soldering stuff...

I wanna know if there's any way to do what i need to do without the iron, using household items or something...

If you're curious, i'm trying to solder some little wires in my guitar...i might just go get an iron though, since i know now how cheap they are...lol

Answer 1

While there are answers to show that there are other ways to fabricate a usable soldering iron, they would be cumbersome at best for what you want to do. Go buy the soldering iron. A 15 to 25 watt iron would be your best bet. The junctions MUST be clean, or you are just wasting your time. The only flux to use for electrical work is Rosin flux. Don't use an acid type flux because it will eventually destroy the connection. A 60/40 Lead/Tin alloy solder is what is generally used for soldering. The best diameter solder for what you want to repair would be 0.032 inch or smaller diameter solder. When you solder, the joint is heated by the iron until the metals in the joint, or connection are hot enough to melt the solder. Do not melt the solder, and then put it on the connections. Doing that gives what is called a "cold" solder joint, and it will not work, or just simply fall apart. The iron tip has to be clean as well. The tip of the iron has to be "tinned", that is, it needs a coating of solder on it that is bright and shiny. If it isn't, then it will not transfer heat properly to make a good solder joint. Good luck, knowing how to solder takes time, but it is a good skill to acquire.

Answer 2

The earliest soldering I remember is a lump of copper
mounted on the end of a steel shaft (steel does not conduct heat very well) and a wooden handle

The copper tip was fashioned into a wedge shape
and kept clean with a file

heat was applied with a gas ring (domestic cooker)

You need FLUX

there no easy alternatives ....and some materials do not solder

and with temperatures involved you can get serious burns

soldering without experience is doomed, it takes some learning .... small soldering irons are not expensive

Answer 3

If you have cored solder with flux inside or you buy the small jar of paste that has powdered solder inside, then you can safely solder some things by heating with a burner on the stove. Very small things (electrical wire connections) can be soldered with a lighter flame.
What can't be soldered by these methods are things that can't be moved - water pipes - and things with flamables attached or near by - like circuit boards. The latter can be accessed, sometimes, by heating a large nail held in pliers over a kitchen burner and applying the hot tip to the connection.

Answer 4

I'm all for doing things ghetto but You sure you want to when you can buy a solding "pencil" at radioshack for 8 dollars? At the very least you will need to buy electronic solder that is low temperature or you will never get it solder.


That's if you're going to do wire/electronics? What are you going to solder anyway

Answer 5

Darned if I can think of anything, A butane lighter might work, but you'd have to hold it on so long to solder something it would probable blow up on you. A cheap soldering iron is only a few dollars at walmart or home depot.

Answer 6

First soldering iron I ever used consisted of a wooden handle with a metal rod coming out of it and a copper head on it. You put it in the flame of a gas ring on the stove to heat it up. So maybe something along those lines. When I've been desperate I've used a cigarette lighter and a lump of whatever and a pair of pliers to hold it.

Answer 7

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