Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
Why Does The Finished Solder Joint Appear Dull and Grainy?
Ewan sent in these tips to share:
This can happen when the soldered pieces get moved prior to the solder solidifying, or it could be because there wasn’t enough heat. To avoid this, you will need to hold the pieces in position until the solder completely solidifies. You will need enough heat for the solder to completely liquefy and flow between the surfaces.
What if the solder will not melt properly or flow?
This will happen when the soldering iron is not hot enough, or when the tip is dirty.
This can be avoided by having the soldering iron at full temperature and keeping the tip cleaned and tinned.
Add your comments.
3 Responses to Why Does The Finished Solder Joint Appear Dull and Grainy?
Leave a Reply
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Download Your Free Catalog
Use Tiny Railroad Micro Controllers
Model Train Help Ebook
These grainy, fragile “cold” solder joints can also happen if both items being soldered are not free of grease and oils. Flux should to a good cleaning job.
This will also happen if you try to solder brass items with a high melting point solder. I use 145 degree Celsius solder and it works bust great.
This can also happen if you use ‘lead-free’ solder, which needs a much higher temperature before it will flow, and always gives a poor joint.
Another reason could be a lack of flux, which is the substance that helps the solder to flow, and forms the ‘cores’ in multicore solder.
Mixing leaded and lead-free solder doesn’t work, either, so if you are repairing a previously soldered joint, you need to know what kind of solder was used originally.