Soldering - Honda VT750CD ACE Electrical Repair And Modification

Honda VT750CD ACE
3.3 Soldering
There are four basic concepts to understand about soldering that many people do not realize. These are...
•
Solder is used to hold two or more conductors (ex: wires) in electrical contact with each other;
•
Solder is NOT used to make that electrical contact! ;
•
Solder is NOT used to provide the main mechanical support for that contact!; and
•
Solder is used to encapsulate that joint, prevent oxidization of the joint and to provide MINOR
mechanical support of the joint.
Before you begin soldering, you will need some basic tools and supplies.
Soldering Iron
You have a wide variety to choose from these days and they are all relatively inexpensive, when compared to
some other tools.
10
For small projects and electronics, a simple 25 watt
pencil type soldering iron is adequate and very
inexpensive at $10 or so.
If you are planning on doing a lot of soldering and if you
will be working indoors in a controlled shop area, you
might want to invest in a soldering station such as this.
They allow precise control of the wattage and are useful
for a full range of soldering applications. The price for
these is typically in the $50-100 range depending on
make and model.
For heavy duty soldering, you can purchase a soldering
gun kit like this. They come in various wattages from 100
up to 300 watts and they heat in seconds when you pull
the trigger. These are the best tool for soldering heavy
gauge wires. Most also come with different tips as well,
for other applications such as cutting and shaping plastic
and vinyl. These kits range from about $35 up to $60 or
so.
Electrical Repair and Modification