YESSSS!!!!!!!! Its an art to be concise and succinct, while also thoroughly covering the body of knowledge. Some people talk too much, and some people talk too little, leaving unanswered questions. In a world of having many irons in the fire, and I just need someone to tell me how to do this in under 15 minutes, this video was worth ALL 12 minutes.
Hi Chris! I hope this comment doesn't get buried. I have a few tips in addition to what you showed: - For one, with the lineman's splice it actually helps a lot if you give the wires a pull, the splice will get tight like a knot. Properly done, a lineman's splice that is pulled tight can actually make a good connection without solder, just heatshrink to keep it in place. - I usually just cut any strands that are sticking out with flush cutters rather than trying to wrap them around as that can be painful sometimes. - If it's a situation where the wire is experiencing strain--bending, vibration, etc--you want to avoid having too much length of solid solder, because solder is quite brittle. If you did the lineman's splice properly and pulled it tight like I mentioned, you should only need a small blob of solder on either end of the splice. - Using 63/37 lead solder instead of 60/40 is a bit more foolproof, as with 60/40 you have to make sure the joint stays still as it cools. With 63/37 it's less of a concern - Silver-bearing leaded solder is mechanically stronger than regular leaded solder, and just as good in pretty much every other respect except cost. If you're not going to need a lot, and the price won't break the bank, silver solder is great for any situation where the solder joint cracking would be very bad. - I generally recommend people *don't* buy solder from hardware stores, as it's usually only mediocre quality and almost always very thick solder wire. Generally the thinner the solder wire the better. The thicker it is the easier it is to add too much. - you don't want to heat wires too long or it will start to melt the wire insulation - you can actually buy heat shrink tubing that shrinks 3:1 instead of 2:1 which can be helpful when you're soldering together wire of two different sizes, or when you can't get an exact size match.
Great addition to the video. I like the way you don't try to diminish the great tutorial. This is a great beginners tutorial and it is done perfectly. Granted, there are other techniques for more critical situations. Thanks for the information!
6 years later and this is still the best tutorial ive seen. Not repetitive, goes over common mistakes, and overall helpful. Now i just need you to make a welding one
That was the most informative, direct, sensible, comprehensive, focused, and skilled crash course on soldering I’ve ever seen! He doesn’t waste time, he gets to the point, but also explains WHY you need to follow the steps. Excellent video!
The perfect comment. Lol, DIRECT, SENSIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE, FOCUSED, WHY AND MAINLY, HE GETS TO THE POINT. I hate the reviews where it takes forever to even get to the instructions.
Aaahhh, it feels so good to watch a YT tutorial that is well filmed, well edited, stresses safety, and made by someone who knows what they are doing. Just found your channel and immediately subbed. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. ❤️
I"m a year late to your insightful comment, but I've never really watched YT until Covid struck. I've watched mainly car repair and alot of these younger YT guys really take chances with flammable liquids, compressed springs, cracked frames. I get that it makes for good clicks to operate vehicles that are not safe for the driver to be operating in the vicinity of other drivers, but it's gott damn dangerous and selfish. I'm glad to see someone with a healthy fan base teach safety infused DIY.. Subscribed...
I haven't yet watched through the entire video, but I must say that this is one of the most direct, chronological, detailed, tutorials I have ever watched. You list and link the tools that people would need and explain the differences amongst different tools and materials, adding in information to help further clarify our understanding of the concepts. No fluff, no wasted time. Straight-forward, detailed explanations. This was great.
YOu have a different idea to direct that i have. eg did you really need to be instructed not to solder outside a petrol tank. I lost it completely when he started advising about ventilation.
I didn't read your comment yet but it was one of the most pointless and spammy type of comments that wastes time and storage space. It was a brilliant comment thank you.
Hey, building a lightsaber from scratch, and wasn't sure how to solder. So grateful for people like you who share their skills with others. Thanks again!
Half his video is bullshit he clearly put it to get over 10 min to minimize it. If you actually cut to the part where he shows u how to do it less than 3 min
I've soldered for a living for the last 14 years, and this video is really excellent for people interested in soldering. The information here is quick, thorough, and most importantly - it's accurate. The only extra tip I would recommend is cleaning rosin flux residue off rubbing alcohol using a stiff bristle brush prior to the heat shrink application. Very well done!
That's funny. I've been soldering for 50 years and here I am watching a soldering video. I will say though, I never thought of making my own solder gun tips, so here I am still learning.
Finally it's Ed any tips for very tiny fragile wires? They come pre tinned but crease and break easily. Anyway I can reinforce them or tips on striiping insulation off very tiny wire?
Hey Don, on very small wires such as 20 AWG or smaller I generally just use my thumbnail to remove the insulation without any trouble. You just need to be careful not to lose any wire strands when you do this. Also you can easily toast the insulation with too much heat so careful use of a soldering iron is your best bet. You would need to twist both wires around each other (like in Chris's video) and carefully add momentary heat and use a very thin solder along with some flux . You can actually purchase a "cold heat" soldering pen for jobs like that and eliminate the heat altogether. Good luck!
First time ever having to solder wires together. I bought one of those easy off safety switches for my table saw, and since there will be a bit of juice running through them i wanted it done properly. Usually i have to look at several videos to get the right method for doing something properly. I read the comments to make sure people are actually showing the right method. Your viewers are pretty unanimous in this being one of the best videos out there on the subject, even i could follow. Thank you. 7 years pass rather quickly.
*Thumbs up so everyone can see!!!* Hey guys, thanks for all of the support! After 3 years of working 7 days a week on TH-cam, I just got back from a family vacation (which is why I did not post a video). I am back and pretty much all caught up and I will be drifting the #DriftStang this SUNDAY!!!! Wish me luck and again, thanks for all of the support! You guys are what make this channel tick and I hope you continue to learn a lot and enjoy the videos. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook so you can get updates on when videos go live and what I am doing every day of the week! Instagram→ instagram.com/chrisfixit Facebook→ facebook.com/chrisfix8
yeah, it's like he thought about it, planned it out, and then was willing to reshoot to get the correct example rather than just go "well, that's not what i meant to do. but you know what i was going for, so just do that" like a noob trying to give expert advice
If only all instructional TH-cam videos were like this. Clear, well-filmed, no fillers, give reasons to why it is done in a certain way. Absolutely loved it, immediately subscribed and will be buying stuff from the links you gave. 13 minutes of my life I don't regret.
The second method is the style that NASA teaches Astronauts. Strip at least an inch back, pre-tin the wires, bend 90° two-thirds of the way back on the stripped section, twist the wires around a minimum 3 times on each side, now solder the wires. The goal isn't just a good electrical connection, it's a solid mechanical connection that doesn't have weak spots around the solder joint.
Wow. Thanks for the info. But in cases where you don't need mechanical strength, i think the other method would have better transmission of electricity. Right? It's more contact.
@@jonathankrimer There is an important thing to remember about soldering, the lead and tin in solder have a significantly higher resistance than copper. But, due to its small size, the resistance of the solder joint is likely several orders of magnitude less than the overall resistance of the wire, and you already would need a piece of scientific equipment to accurately measure the resistance of measly any wire on a car. Twisting method would theoretically give you a better electrical connection because there is more wire involved in the connection. Twisting also gets the wires touching in a lot of area, which reduces the distance through solder that the electricity must travel. Crimping actually gives you the best electrical connection.
Thanks for an extremely precise and well shot video . I learned to solder about 50 years ago, but I haven’t done any for at least 20. You covered everything I used to know, plus some things I was never taught. Thanks for making it easier than I remember.
I've been soldering for a good decade now (mostly guitar amps), but I like to come back to video tutorials like this every now and then for a refresher to make sure I'm not getting complacent and missing any detail, and pick up new tips like using dielectric grease. This is easily one of the better ones out there.
I use to be afraid of doing any DIY's to my bikes and trucks until I started watching this guy. With the knowledge, I'm no longer scared and this dude here has saved me massive amounts of cash with these videos. Major respect to this man
I've been soldering for over a decade and didn't realize how much I've missed out on and you covered it in such a simple way without making me feel like an idiot. Thank you!
I have 30 years experience in the automotive industry and this was the most informative video I have seen in a long time hats off to this Creator and that's just everybody give him a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button and that Bell
This video is 7 years old but man do I appreciate every bit of it, You are such an inspiration and role model Chris, You have saved me and my car multiple times, especially when I did wheel bearings, tie rods and a bunch of other suspension components!
Chris I came back to this video after having a really ugly soldering job with cheap tools and lack of materials. I decided to finally invest into proper soldering tools and do everything the right way. After trying it out with the right tools I was really impressed at how well it came out. Your video is especially helpful in understanding where I needed to improve my process. Thank you for putting so much detail into your work!
I do believe that you may have just saved me $300. Clear, concise, and spelled out everything I've been doing wrong! Time to practice these excellent tips, thank you so much!
This may be the BEST video I have ever seen on YT. So well-versed, well-explained and easy to hear and understand. I've soldered before, but I never knew how much I DID NOT know about soldering until today. Those 7M subscribers are well-deserved.
Great video. I'm an electronic technician. Over 30 years experience. 2 suggestions. One don't sponge the tip off just after soldering. Sponge it off just before soldering. Leaving solder on the tip will oxidize the solder, and not the tip, the oxidized solder will protect the tip. Also, it would be nice to add in how to prevent and remove solder bridges when soldering on a circuit board.
Solder bridges, I keep scrap stranded 14AWG for cleaning those up. Fan the tip and press the iron down. Also, he said lead-free solder doesn't have the shiny look that leaded does. I use both, and if you do it right, lead-free is just as shiny as leaded.
Well done video. One thing to note, the acid core solder is only used for soldering sheet metal(galvanized). The reason why you don't use it for electrical wires, is because the acid can eat away at the copper over time. The insulation on the wire should be unaffected by oil, gas, and acids. Lead-Free solder is lousy. It does not flow nicely like solder containing lead. Rather than the rosin paste flux, buy a liquid rosin flux. You can apply a few drops and capillary action will draw the flux into the strands. Really don't need the silicone grease under the heat shrink. That soldered connection you made w/o the grease and only heat shrink will be there for decades. If the soldered connection is being done on a boat, then yes, use the silicone grease or heat shrink tubing with glue.
"That soldered connection you made w/o the grease and only heat shrink will be there for decades." Not if it's exposed to salt water. Around here they use salt in the winter and it eats through copper wire. An untreated connection will turn into green dust.
+electronicsNmore You said his use of grease is OK if the wire is in a boat. It's not, it's in New Jersey where they use lots of salt on the roads in winter. Silicone grease is a good idea under the shrink tubing generally; you never know the end destination of a vehicle after you sell it.
davecc0000 When I used the word "boat", that meant any connection which would be subjected to fresh or salt water. So if you're soldering wires together OUTSIDE a vehicle, then clearly you'd be using heat shrink with glue or the silicone grease. :-)
Then say that. Saying "boat" did not give me (and probably dozens of others) the idea that you implied very watery OR SALTY conditions. Think before you type.
Les vidéos de Chris sont toujours très exhaustifs et vraiment bien faits :). C'est une tâche vraiment simple, mais Chris trouve le moyen de faire un vidéo de 12 minutes dans lequel rien n'est superflu! :)
Thanks a lot man! I am glad you like the video and I do my best to cover all of the important topics in a clear and concise way that doesnt seem boring!
Butane soldering iron is one of the best tools I've purchased, especially for auto work. No cords and it heats up from cold in seconds. Remove the tip, and it's a heat gun/torch. Love that thing!
@Brian Bell Will do. One thing I've been doing lately is just using a maps torch to heat joints and feed solder into them. That obviously won't work in every situation but for large work outside of a vehicle it's way faster
Well done! I have never been satisfied with my own soldering jobs, and now I know why. I need to get some helping hands and make sure the solder never touches the tip of the soldering iron. Your videos are consistently practical and easy to follow Chris.
Thanks for showing me a "wooder-proof" connection for my "wooder-sports" trailer lights! You have the best production, best voice-over and most valuable information I have ever seen on TH-cam!
One of the best How-To-Videoes I have seen the past 30 years. I have been soldering a few times every year for 55 years, including building a Hi-Fi amplifier in 1971 , and even I picked up a tip or two. Great camera,- editing,- and narration skills too!
Done so good I'm unnecessarily cutting wires over here so I have stuff to solder. I wish all tutorials were done so well. Nailed presentation, explanation, close camera work, etc. All needed the content to do the job with no zero fat. Thank you for giving us such a concise crash course and not wasting any of our time with filler or missing details that negate the tutorial.
5 years later but I’m so glad I found this video!! I’m working on small led fixtures to make cool toys and costumes for my sons before moving on to bigger projects like installing leds on my Silverado but thank you so much for your advice!! I was doing it all wrong and doing a cold solder! I hope I can get better but surely I’ll get there thanks to your help!!
I love that you quickly laid out the steps before actually going through them. I was taught that a good presenter will tell you when they are about to present/teach, present and teach it, then recap what was just presented. Basically going over the info 3 times to really lock it in.
Your tip for those without high voltage electricity was the best tip by far. I've been using a 1lb propane torch with the tip closed up 75 percent. It just covers the few who live very poor or completely off the grid. In all, thanks man!
I wish I watched this yesterday when I was wiring turn signals on my motorcycle. I literally made every single mistake you mentioned, but it still works somehow lol
Great video. This video and 30 mins of practice helped me make some great wire splices. One tip: I did this in a car wheel well and used small magnets to temporarily mount two alligator clips to the frame right underneath the wires. This gave me some control of the wires while soldering.
Huh? I have never noticed even an American say water as "wooder." I always supposed that people who pronounce it "wooder" were otherwise in foreign countries.
This is great! I love how you are straightforward with the information and there's no fluff or extra unnecessary content to the video. So refreshing to not have to skip thru a video just to get relevant information because the person is telling their entire life story when all I want to know is how to do something. Thank you for being a great content creator!!!
Dang! Awesome super quality informative video! You keep the listener listening, you move quickly but not rushed you have a great organized work space you never mince words or have any English issues you are a sharp young man and will go far as you already have! Congrats to you!
i was doing that mistake where i touch the solder to the tip of the iron and i was so happy when i got a nice soldering after thousands of attempts..now only i know it's wrong..Thanks a lot dude !!i'll give 1000 likes for this !!!
You cant use this method on circuit boards or soldering something like sound equipment wires XLR's etc... you'll burn the plastic to death... if you take this much time to to solder that kind of work...
As someone who has had an actual paid job soldering circuit boards, this isn't true. You shouldn't be touching the plastic at all, only the solder pads and it only takes a second or two to get the pad hot enough to flow the solder in. If you touch the solder to the end of the iron it won't flow properly and you'll get a shitey connection.
You can do the solder on the tip, its much faster, but you only do that to heat the wire faster, then you apply solder onto the hot wire. As long as you see the solder sink into all the the wires you'll be good, you see it visually "suck" it in when its the right temperature.
I have always wondered why my soldering was useless, because I was taught at school to "cold solder" again another reason why school wasted my time. I have learnt more from you videos than I ever learnt at school. Thank you for all you videos you show in detail step by step you explain everything and you take pride in what you do.
Man this is an amazing walkthrough start to finish! Love the safety guides at the beginning, different tools, types of solder, you covered it all man! Got yourself a sub!
As an Novice RC racer with very little Electrical wiring background (Does 3 months of Electrical Shop class count in high school back 15+ years ago?) I am more than confident enough to actually start soldering! Thank you for the tips and tricks of the trade, simple, effective and the message is clear as day. Thank You!
I appreciate this guy's work so much!! He puts so much effort in the videos, and they turn out to be amazing. This will definitely help many people. Keep at it man! Maybe you will even have your own show at a television channel!
lol was Aircraft EL/EV in USAF and was so entertained (really) I remember Tech School and this is so much better. I used solder gun so much. Mainly used splices to join wires and mostly solder on pins in cannon plugs or circuit boards but this took me way back to first class early Oct 1992 hanger we trained in was so cold and this was so warm lol
Chris, this video is great and really helpful, but I noticed one thing: You could've annotated that the sponge is contaminated with lead and should not be discarded of in the normal trash, but using the special waste disposal facilities offered by your local garbage disposer. Here in Germany there are strict regulations regarding lead, so maybe it's different in the USA, but I think it should be worth mentioning. :) Greetings from Germany! :D
For those who would like to know more about the technicalities of soldering, here's some info from a materials engineer. - The best possible solder is 63-37% tin-lead mix ratio. The reason is that at that ratio, tin and lead form a special material that instantly solidifies instead of slowly cooling down and transitioning from liquid to solid over a prolonged time. 60-40 is close enough for most applications. - Rosin, or flux as called in the industry, is not only useful for protecting the wires. Flux has 2 main goals: preparing the surfaces to be soldered, and then making sure a proper solder joint forms. This is achieved with ingredients in the flux that slowly creep onto the metal and dissolve any surface impurities like grease and oil. Solder can only join onto unoxidised metal surfaces. It also helps the solder flow onto the material easier. Flux is basicly essential to avoid "cold soldering" - joints that seem soldered but have no physical strength due to surfaces that aren't joint properly. So yeah, always use solder that is pre-fluxed if you want an easy job. - If you want to use lead-free solder, get a good high-power iron because you will need it. Lead-free solders require a considerably higher melting temperature and even more heat to keep them molten. Environmentalists are pushing towards these but even well-educated people use Pb solder due to its ease of use. - Try to set a good balance in soldering temperature. If your temp is too low, the material will not melt properly, or the iron will get cooled too much by the dissipation of heat in the metals. If it's too much, you will burn the flux and create a mess on the joint. My ideal temp for 60-40 solder is 300-320 °C for heavy gage wires and 280 °C for small electronics. Try to go as high as possible where the flux smokes good but doesn't get immediately burnt on the iron. - Regarding ventillation, I always highly suggest the fan facing away from you. If the fan is blowing air towards you, the smoke goes everywhere, and at the same time your soldering iron has to compensate for the cooling effect of the air flow, which might make youre job harder depending on the power of the iron. With the fan facing away from you, the smoke gets captures in the suck of the fan and is pulled away from you, and you save your iron from direct air flow. Regarding tool choices, I highly suggest the Jokari Secura wire stripper, it does an impeccable job at quickly stripping even very fine electronics wires. It is also sold as the Felo "red dragon" in the US. It's not even that expensive and will serve you very well. There is absolutely no danger in accidentally cutting into your wires which could happen with the old-fashioned stripper tool. Otherwise, Chris does an impeccable job covering this topic.
We started school a couple weeks ago. I have morning classes on Tuesdays and Thursday's so I have to be up 5 and at school by 6:30. senior year is a struggle
Chris I give you a Pat on your back!! Ladies and gentlemen this is how you do a “How to tutorial for everything “. For sure top 5 how to videos on TH-cam. Chris I really enjoyed watching your videos. Everything about it was just perfect!!!! Keep doing what you do bud and I’m now going to be a long time subscriber. I do all the same thing you do. Been doing 12v ‘s and low voltage wiring for over 35yrs. I’m certified and ticked with red seal . Keep up the exceptional job. Thanks Diven N
Excellent. Before this video, I cold soldered and didn't even know you had to heat up the wire with the soldering iron, and not the actual solder. Cheers.
Nice tips! I suggest that if one is soldering an old wire, from an old car for example, the cooper can be oxidized, even under the plastic cover. So, in some cases, it's a good idea do sandpaper the oxide before soldering.
This is an excellent demonstration of both soldering and how to film, narrate and edit. If only all TH-cam videos were this concise and clear. Even this old dog retired electrician learnt some new tricks! Thank you.
Great video. You answered so many of my questions in a clear, logical way. Now this 70 yr. old woman can repair the cord on her portable DVD player and save $100 and the landfill! (You've helped me in the past with videos for doing simple repairs on my 2003 Focus.
It's not just a soldering tutorial; it's a lesson in effective, clear, precise and complete communication. Thank you
Thanks a lot!
for real
@ChrisFix
Best DIY channel on TH-cam!!!
YESSSS!!!!!!!! Its an art to be concise and succinct, while also thoroughly covering the body of knowledge. Some people talk too much, and some people talk too little, leaving unanswered questions. In a world of having many irons in the fire, and I just need someone to tell me how to do this in under 15 minutes, this video was worth ALL 12 minutes.
Sodder :D
Hi Chris! I hope this comment doesn't get buried.
I have a few tips in addition to what you showed:
- For one, with the lineman's splice it actually helps a lot if you give the wires a pull, the splice will get tight like a knot. Properly done, a lineman's splice that is pulled tight can actually make a good connection without solder, just heatshrink to keep it in place.
- I usually just cut any strands that are sticking out with flush cutters rather than trying to wrap them around as that can be painful sometimes.
- If it's a situation where the wire is experiencing strain--bending, vibration, etc--you want to avoid having too much length of solid solder, because solder is quite brittle. If you did the lineman's splice properly and pulled it tight like I mentioned, you should only need a small blob of solder on either end of the splice.
- Using 63/37 lead solder instead of 60/40 is a bit more foolproof, as with 60/40 you have to make sure the joint stays still as it cools. With 63/37 it's less of a concern
- Silver-bearing leaded solder is mechanically stronger than regular leaded solder, and just as good in pretty much every other respect except cost. If you're not going to need a lot, and the price won't break the bank, silver solder is great for any situation where the solder joint cracking would be very bad.
- I generally recommend people *don't* buy solder from hardware stores, as it's usually only mediocre quality and almost always very thick solder wire. Generally the thinner the solder wire the better. The thicker it is the easier it is to add too much.
- you don't want to heat wires too long or it will start to melt the wire insulation
- you can actually buy heat shrink tubing that shrinks 3:1 instead of 2:1 which can be helpful when you're soldering together wire of two different sizes, or when you can't get an exact size match.
I agree with all of this.
Great addition to the video. I like the way you don't try to diminish the great tutorial. This is a great beginners tutorial and it is done perfectly. Granted, there are other techniques for more critical situations. Thanks for the information!
Dope !!
This was also helpful
I would also add to clean off the rosin with isopropyl alchohol as it is corrosive to the metals over time
6 years later and this is still the best tutorial ive seen. Not repetitive, goes over common mistakes, and overall helpful. Now i just need you to make a welding one
what type of welding do you need help with?
All of it I need point a to point z
This was peak youtube.
That was the most informative, direct, sensible, comprehensive, focused, and skilled crash course on soldering I’ve ever seen! He doesn’t waste time, he gets to the point, but also explains WHY you need to follow the steps. Excellent video!
The perfect comment. Lol, DIRECT, SENSIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE, FOCUSED, WHY AND MAINLY, HE GETS TO THE POINT. I hate the reviews where it takes forever to even get to the instructions.
SIMP
Totally! I agree 100%
As someone with extensive soldering experience I approve and appreciate the work put into this
You have extensive soldering experience and approve of him not cleaning the flux after soldering the wire then heat shrinking it? Lol
@@hyunwhyte1338 no need to get angry, this guy is no longer among us... :'-(
@@Ev-wj3lm what do you mean?
@@Rjlammmin He passed away 2018. I think bike accident
@@moya9450 HE DIDNT NOT YOU DICKHEADS
Aaahhh, it feels so good to watch a YT tutorial that is well filmed, well edited, stresses safety, and made by someone who knows what they are doing. Just found your channel and immediately subbed. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. ❤️
Thanks!
Agreed
I"m a year late to your insightful comment, but I've never really watched YT until Covid struck. I've watched mainly car repair and alot of these younger YT guys really take chances with flammable liquids, compressed springs, cracked frames. I get that it makes for good clicks to operate vehicles that are not safe for the driver to be operating in the vicinity of other drivers, but it's gott damn dangerous and selfish. I'm glad to see someone with a healthy fan base teach safety infused DIY.. Subscribed...
Well said
2 years ago you wrote this comment
I haven't yet watched through the entire video, but I must say that this is one of the most direct, chronological, detailed, tutorials I have ever watched. You list and link the tools that people would need and explain the differences amongst different tools and materials, adding in information to help further clarify our understanding of the concepts. No fluff, no wasted time. Straight-forward, detailed explanations. This was great.
did we watch the same video?
packed it in at 1:50
@@davidmg1925 What do you mean?
YOu have a different idea to direct that i have. eg did you really need to be instructed not to solder outside a petrol tank. I lost it completely when he started advising about ventilation.
Bruh, its chrisfix here! Not chriswasteyourfuckingtime
I didn't read your comment yet but it was one of the most pointless and spammy type of comments that wastes time and storage space. It was a brilliant comment thank you.
Hey, building a lightsaber from scratch, and wasn't sure how to solder. So grateful for people like you who share their skills with others. Thanks again!
That's a cool project! Thanks a lot!
⁷⁶
Bro... So thorough. No 2nd guessing, no corny music and no childish punny jokes. Straight forward and educational. Subscribed ✌
Half his video is bullshit he clearly put it to get over 10 min to minimize it. If you actually cut to the part where he shows u how to do it less than 3 min
I've soldered for a living for the last 14 years, and this video is really excellent for people interested in soldering. The information here is quick, thorough, and most importantly - it's accurate. The only extra tip I would recommend is cleaning rosin flux residue off rubbing alcohol using a stiff bristle brush prior to the heat shrink application. Very well done!
I'm just curious as to why it's good to cleaning the residue off? Does it prevent the tubing from working properly in some way?
Been soldering for over 30 years, yet I'm here, watching a soldering video. :-)
Lasse Huhtala same 👍
That is the right attitude. Never stop learning!
That's funny. I've been soldering for 50 years and here I am watching a soldering video. I will say though, I never thought of making my own solder gun tips, so here I am still learning.
Finally it's Ed any tips for very tiny fragile wires? They come pre tinned but crease and break easily. Anyway I can reinforce them or tips on striiping insulation off very tiny wire?
Hey Don, on very small wires such as 20 AWG or smaller I generally just use my thumbnail to remove the insulation without any trouble. You just need to be careful not to lose any wire strands when you do this. Also you can easily toast the insulation with too much heat so careful use of a soldering iron is your best bet. You would need to twist both wires around each other (like in Chris's video) and carefully add momentary heat and use a very thin solder along with some flux . You can actually purchase a "cold heat" soldering pen for jobs like that and eliminate the heat altogether. Good luck!
First time ever having to solder wires together. I bought one of those easy off safety switches for my table saw, and since there will be a bit of juice running through them i wanted it done properly.
Usually i have to look at several videos to get the right method for doing something properly. I read the comments to make sure people are actually showing the right method. Your viewers are pretty unanimous in this being one of the best videos out there on the subject, even i could follow. Thank you. 7 years pass rather quickly.
Thanks a lot!
@@chrisfix Just finished soldering them. Went very well thanks.
*Thumbs up so everyone can see!!!*
Hey guys, thanks for all of the support! After 3 years of working 7 days a week on TH-cam, I just got back from a family vacation (which is why I did not post a video). I am back and pretty much all caught up and I will be drifting the #DriftStang this SUNDAY!!!! Wish me luck and again, thanks for all of the support! You guys are what make this channel tick and I hope you continue to learn a lot and enjoy the videos. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook so you can get updates on when videos go live and what I am doing every day of the week!
Instagram→ instagram.com/chrisfixit
Facebook→ facebook.com/chrisfix8
dope hope you had a great time
Good luck on Sunday!!
+Chrisfix I have a question are you left handed or right handed???
Thanks a lot guys!!!
hey yo no problem if you missed a video you deserved a vacation good thing you enjoyed
Blown away by how good this tutorial is... Holy crap. Literally the best tutorial I've seen on anything.
The best indeed
yeah, it's like he thought about it, planned it out, and then was willing to reshoot to get the correct example rather than just go "well, that's not what i meant to do. but you know what i was going for, so just do that" like a noob trying to give expert advice
This is more useful than 75% of shit I learned at school
so true
As a mechanic you need practical not seating in a class and write down something
@@mohvolgs2808 id say seating in class should only be 10-20% if that
So original....as if they would teach you to fucking solder in school lmfao
i learned how to solder in school haha
Been soldering (when I need to) for 30 odd years. Still learned stuff from this vid, thanks ChrisFix, you're a legend!
I'm glad you still got to learn something from the video! Thanks a lot!
@chrisfix Yep! Only a fool thinks they don't need to learn something new when it comes to a task they think they mastered.
I clicked thinking I knew how to solder as I've done it since I was a kid. now I am mind blown. lol. thanks chris
Glad the video taught you some new tips and tricks!
This is as thorough and detailed as humanly possible. Thank you
If only all instructional TH-cam videos were like this. Clear, well-filmed, no fillers, give reasons to why it is done in a certain way. Absolutely loved it, immediately subscribed and will be buying stuff from the links you gave. 13 minutes of my life I don't regret.
Thanks!
Glad the video was helpful!
The second method is the style that NASA teaches Astronauts. Strip at least an inch back, pre-tin the wires, bend 90° two-thirds of the way back on the stripped section, twist the wires around a minimum 3 times on each side, now solder the wires.
The goal isn't just a good electrical connection, it's a solid mechanical connection that doesn't have weak spots around the solder joint.
Thanks for sharing! Awesome info.
Just NASA alone make it better option.
Forgetting to clean off your rosin with alcohol after soldering.
Wow. Thanks for the info. But in cases where you don't need mechanical strength, i think the other method would have better transmission of electricity. Right? It's more contact.
@@jonathankrimer There is an important thing to remember about soldering, the lead and tin in solder have a significantly higher resistance than copper. But, due to its small size, the resistance of the solder joint is likely several orders of magnitude less than the overall resistance of the wire, and you already would need a piece of scientific equipment to accurately measure the resistance of measly any wire on a car.
Twisting method would theoretically give you a better electrical connection because there is more wire involved in the connection. Twisting also gets the wires touching in a lot of area, which reduces the distance through solder that the electricity must travel.
Crimping actually gives you the best electrical connection.
Thanks for an extremely precise and well shot video . I learned to solder about 50 years ago, but I haven’t done any for at least 20. You covered everything I used to know, plus some things I was never taught. Thanks for making it easier than I remember.
I've been soldering for a good decade now (mostly guitar amps), but I like to come back to video tutorials like this every now and then for a refresher to make sure I'm not getting complacent and missing any detail, and pick up new tips like using dielectric grease. This is easily one of the better ones out there.
Thanks!
Honestly one of the best instructional videos I have seen on TH-cam. Very organized. Straight to the point. Great camera detail. Thank you
I use to be afraid of doing any DIY's to my bikes and trucks until I started watching this guy. With the knowledge, I'm no longer scared and this dude here has saved me massive amounts of cash with these videos. Major respect to this man
Thank you. I really knew nothing about soldering until I watched this. I feel very confident to solder well and safe!
Glad I could help
I've been soldering for over a decade and didn't realize how much I've missed out on and you covered it in such a simple way without making me feel like an idiot. Thank you!
I have 30 years experience in the automotive industry and this was the most informative video I have seen in a long time hats off to this Creator and that's just everybody give him a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button and that Bell
This video is 7 years old but man do I appreciate every bit of it, You are such an inspiration and role model Chris, You have saved me and my car multiple times, especially when I did wheel bearings, tie rods and a bunch of other suspension components!
Chris I came back to this video after having a really ugly soldering job with cheap tools and lack of materials. I decided to finally invest into proper soldering tools and do everything the right way. After trying it out with the right tools I was really impressed at how well it came out. Your video is especially helpful in understanding where I needed to improve my process. Thank you for putting so much detail into your work!
I have to say, out of all the "how to solder" videos that i've seen, this is the best. Straight forward and simple!
Thanks!
It's not so simple as a beginner, but you'll get it.
I do believe that you may have just saved me $300. Clear, concise, and spelled out everything I've been doing wrong! Time to practice these excellent tips, thank you so much!
This may be the BEST video I have ever seen on YT. So well-versed, well-explained and easy to hear and understand. I've soldered before, but I never knew how much I DID NOT know about soldering until today. Those 7M subscribers are well-deserved.
Great video. I'm an electronic technician. Over 30 years experience. 2 suggestions. One don't sponge the tip off just after soldering. Sponge it off just before soldering. Leaving solder on the tip will oxidize the solder, and not the tip, the oxidized solder will protect the tip. Also, it would be nice to add in how to prevent and remove solder bridges when soldering on a circuit board.
Solder bridges, I keep scrap stranded 14AWG for cleaning those up. Fan the tip and press the iron down.
Also, he said lead-free solder doesn't have the shiny look that leaded does. I use both, and if you do it right, lead-free is just as shiny as leaded.
Well done video. One thing to note, the acid core solder is only used for soldering sheet metal(galvanized). The reason why you don't use it for electrical wires, is because the acid can eat away at the copper over time. The insulation on the wire should be unaffected by oil, gas, and acids. Lead-Free solder is lousy. It does not flow nicely like solder containing lead. Rather than the rosin paste flux, buy a liquid rosin flux. You can apply a few drops and capillary action will draw the flux into the strands. Really don't need the silicone grease under the heat shrink. That soldered connection you made w/o the grease and only heat shrink will be there for decades. If the soldered connection is being done on a boat, then yes, use the silicone grease or heat shrink tubing with glue.
"That soldered connection you made w/o the grease and only heat shrink will be there for decades."
Not if it's exposed to salt water. Around here they use salt in the winter and it eats through copper wire. An untreated connection will turn into green dust.
+Slicerwizard I guess you didn't read all of my comment.
+electronicsNmore
You said his use of grease is OK if the wire is in a boat. It's not, it's in New Jersey where they use lots of salt on the roads in winter. Silicone grease is a good idea under the shrink tubing generally; you never know the end destination of a vehicle after you sell it.
davecc0000
When I used the word "boat", that meant any connection which would be subjected to fresh or salt water. So if you're soldering wires together OUTSIDE a vehicle, then clearly you'd be using heat shrink with glue or the silicone grease. :-)
Then say that. Saying "boat" did not give me (and probably dozens of others) the idea that you implied very watery OR SALTY conditions. Think before you type.
No music.. minimal excess (within reason), clear and concise.. awesome!! Subscribed and thanks!
This is, hands down, the best how to tutorial I've seen. Especially for soldering!
One of the Fastest, most informativest, delitefullest, quickest 12 mins I've expereinced. Tq
Being a soldering rookie, This was the most complete video of soldering and answered many questions I had. Very well done !!!
7 years on and your video is still teaching people. That was a really excellent how to video, just what i was looking for. Thank you 👍🏻
saw dozens of these videos on soldering, this one is the thoroughest. Thanks Chris !
Keep on trucking ! (from France)
After watching over a dozen solder vids, and this video today, you can tell how much editing go's into this video. Just a fantastic job he does.
so you know nothing john snow ... ohh wait MakeFix .
Les vidéos de Chris sont toujours très exhaustifs et vraiment bien faits :). C'est une tâche vraiment simple, mais Chris trouve le moyen de faire un vidéo de 12 minutes dans lequel rien n'est superflu! :)
Thanks a lot man! I am glad you like the video and I do my best to cover all of the important topics in a clear and concise way that doesnt seem boring!
Butane soldering iron is one of the best tools I've purchased, especially for auto work. No cords and it heats up from cold in seconds. Remove the tip, and it's a heat gun/torch. Love that thing!
@Brian Bell Will do. One thing I've been doing lately is just using a maps torch to heat joints and feed solder into them. That obviously won't work in every situation but for large work outside of a vehicle it's way faster
Well done! I have never been satisfied with my own soldering jobs, and now I know why. I need to get some helping hands and make sure the solder never touches the tip of the soldering iron. Your videos are consistently practical and easy to follow Chris.
+Jay Grosse awesome! Glad the video was helpful!
Jay Grosse and I had the issue of blobbing.
Well said, exactly how I feel. My soldering was never "good" so we will see how it goes!
as long as you heat up the wires enough to make the solder flow into them there is no problem with touching the the tip of the iron with solder.
One of the best lessons I’ve ever seen on TH-cam. Pay attention, everyone! And never prevent yourself from learning a new trick of a trade.
Thanks for showing me a "wooder-proof" connection for my "wooder-sports" trailer lights! You have the best production, best voice-over and most valuable information I have ever seen on TH-cam!
LOL
Meanwhile in denmark ''As long as it is touching, We've got power.
lol
🤣
just put the damn electric tape on lmao I do that too 🤣😂
@@cambodiatransportv7482 nah we dont need safety
My car is down to one speaker because the previous owner used this method
One of the best How-To-Videoes I have seen the past 30 years. I have been soldering a few times every year for 55 years, including building a Hi-Fi amplifier in 1971 , and even I picked up a tip or two. Great camera,- editing,- and narration skills too!
Awesome! I’m glad the video was helpful!
Done so good I'm unnecessarily cutting wires over here so I have stuff to solder. I wish all tutorials were done so well. Nailed presentation, explanation, close camera work, etc. All needed the content to do the job with no zero fat. Thank you for giving us such a concise crash course and not wasting any of our time with filler or missing details that negate the tutorial.
Chris is just a phenomenal teacher!!!
Thanks a lot Nicholas!
true
I’ve been soldering for years professionally and you hit everything perfectly, well done. This will allow folks to get the most out of their hobbies.
5 years later but I’m so glad I found this video!! I’m working on small led fixtures to make cool toys and costumes for my sons before moving on to bigger projects like installing leds on my Silverado but thank you so much for your advice!! I was doing it all wrong and doing a cold solder! I hope I can get better but surely I’ll get there thanks to your help!!
I love that you quickly laid out the steps before actually going through them. I was taught that a good presenter will tell you when they are about to present/teach, present and teach it, then recap what was just presented. Basically going over the info 3 times to really lock it in.
Your tip for those without high voltage electricity was the best tip by far. I've been using a 1lb propane torch with the tip closed up 75 percent.
It just covers the few who live very poor or completely off the grid.
In all, thanks man!
Your quick responses only add to the amazing job you do Chris! TH-camrs like yourself so casually teach people important things in life that help
I wish I watched this yesterday when I was wiring turn signals on my motorcycle. I literally made every single mistake you mentioned, but it still works somehow lol
Ace, don't feel bad, at least you LEARNED something and you SUCCEEDED ! ! ! Cheers from Canada !
Heh, me too on my car.. guess I'll have to do everything again so there's no short or even fire :D
Asus ROG?
I just use ductape, don’t feel bad
Me too
The best soldering tutorial i've ever seen. Thank you.
This guy is on another, deserves every cent he’s made on TH-cam, what a tutorial. Even a deaf person could follow it.
thanks for calling them tips and tricks and not hacks =P
👍👍
This comment ⬆
Collin Weis 👍
Collin Weis 👍
Temoor Ali &
Great video. This video and 30 mins of practice helped me make some great wire splices. One tip: I did this in a car wheel well and used small magnets to temporarily mount two alligator clips to the frame right underneath the wires. This gave me some control of the wires while soldering.
Me: "Say solder"
ChrisFix: "Solder"
Me: "Now say water"
ChrisFix: "Wooder"
This pronunciation seems to be very common by Americans.
It's not a bad video though if you need to learn about soldering.
Sodder
@@JoRoBoYo: I'd always thought it sounded like Saader, but yes their pronunciation is bloody annoying!
Huh? I have never noticed even an American say water as "wooder." I always supposed that people who pronounce it "wooder" were otherwise in foreign countries.
Sodder ITS FUCKING SOLDER
Ive been watching youtube videos for 10+ years, this is with out a doubt the best instructional video i have seen. Great job!
Every time I see you've posted a new video it's like Christmas! Thanks man!
Driveway Auto Body HAHA LOL
*has been soldering wires for 45 years
*still watches the entire video
Well how did he do?
Me too.
Fantastic tutorial. I have tried this several times in the past and now I see why I was not very good at it. Thank you. Great focus on safety too.
This is great! I love how you are straightforward with the information and there's no fluff or extra unnecessary content to the video. So refreshing to not have to skip thru a video just to get relevant information because the person is telling their entire life story when all I want to know is how to do something. Thank you for being a great content creator!!!
Wow, this is so awesome, Chris!! You cover everything clearly and quickly!! Your close ups really help to see soldering in action!! Thank you!!
His videos are ALWAYS EXCELLANT! Thank you Chris.
Dang! Awesome super quality informative video! You keep the listener listening, you move quickly but not rushed you have a great organized work space you never mince words or have any English issues you are a sharp young man and will go far as you already have! Congrats to you!
Thanks a lot
This is the cleanest most professional electrical work I have ever seen in my life , Perfect Job Chris
your channel is genuinely great my friend
Thanks!
What a nice tutorial! getting ready to solder my first cables XD
Thanks a lot! Let me know how it goes! And don't forget the heat shrink :p
@@chrisfix h gg. G. G. Y. Gg
@@jondoe5845 what?
i was doing that mistake where i touch the solder to the tip of the iron and i was so happy when i got a nice soldering after thousands of attempts..now only i know it's wrong..Thanks a lot dude !!i'll give 1000 likes for this !!!
You cant use this method on circuit boards or soldering something like sound equipment wires XLR's etc... you'll burn the plastic to death... if you take this much time to to solder that kind of work...
As someone who has had an actual paid job soldering circuit boards, this isn't true. You shouldn't be touching the plastic at all, only the solder pads and it only takes a second or two to get the pad hot enough to flow the solder in. If you touch the solder to the end of the iron it won't flow properly and you'll get a shitey connection.
You can do the solder on the tip, its much faster, but you only do that to heat the wire faster, then you apply solder onto the hot wire. As long as you see the solder sink into all the the wires you'll be good, you see it visually "suck" it in when its the right temperature.
I have always wondered why my soldering was useless, because I was taught at school to "cold solder" again another reason why school wasted my time. I have learnt more from you videos than I ever learnt at school. Thank you for all you videos you show in detail step by step you explain everything and you take pride in what you do.
Nice tutorial to infinite free electricity 👌🏻
&^oòķķķo
Illuminati wants to know your location
WhAre is eletroboom
Just use a coat hanger and some damp grass. Don't you even tesla bro?
YES hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Man this is an amazing walkthrough start to finish! Love the safety guides at the beginning, different tools, types of solder, you covered it all man! Got yourself a sub!
Welcome aboard and thanks a lot!
Best tutorial on soldering I've seen.
ive seen better and he doesnt speak engilsh
@hell Bent Do all Muricans say sodder or solder.??
As an Novice RC racer with very little Electrical wiring background (Does 3 months of Electrical Shop class count in high school back 15+ years ago?) I am more than confident enough to actually start soldering! Thank you for the tips and tricks of the trade, simple, effective and the message is clear as day. Thank You!
I appreciate this guy's work so much!!
He puts so much effort in the videos, and they turn out to be amazing. This will definitely help many people.
Keep at it man! Maybe you will even have your own show at a television channel!
I use the same method of sealing the wires with dielectric grease and heat shrink. Nice tips.
Thanks Mark!
I agree - don't know why I never thought of it.
3:42 - Everyone's gansta with their rosin core solder until Chris opens up his rosin paste flux
Lately my solders have been off. Came back to this gem of a video and realized I was forgetting a few key tips. Thank you 8 years later Chris!
i know how to solder just fine.. Ive still watched this video many times.. its just such good content!
Same here!
Waiting for chrisfixes new vid was like waiting outside the Apple Store
I don't like Apple.. Not the same xD
and we're not ChrisFix sheep?
I don't go to apple store sorry
Well I've been cold soldering this entire time.. Gotta visit some old projects now haha
Can I use cold soldering on my medal upper false teeth?
Can I use cold soldering on my upper false teeth is it safe?
Lmao same I e been getting frustrated
Well if you're putting those into your mouth, then no, absolutely not, lead is very very harmful to the body.
I always wondered why none of my projects actually worked.
This is the 1st and only video I needed to see about wire soldering. Chris fix is just amazing, and the way he speaks is calming 😊
I've always felt the act of soldering is pretty therapeutic for me.
Soldering can make me nervous easily ..
Lol same here soldering at first seem like such a chore but if you just let the solder melt onto the cable it's pretty simple and easy.
It's because of the smoke..it calms your nerves down.
Not supposed to inhale the fumes. ;D
lol was Aircraft EL/EV in USAF and was so entertained (really) I remember Tech School and this is so much better. I used solder gun so much. Mainly used splices to join wires and mostly solder on pins in cannon plugs or circuit boards but this took me way back to first class early Oct 1992 hanger we trained in was so cold and this was so warm lol
Chris, this video is great and really helpful, but I noticed one thing: You could've annotated that the sponge is contaminated with lead and should not be discarded of in the normal trash, but using the special waste disposal facilities offered by your local garbage disposer.
Here in Germany there are strict regulations regarding lead, so maybe it's different in the USA, but I think it should be worth mentioning. :)
Greetings from Germany! :D
Thanks a lot and great idea!
So much easier to learn how to solder from you Chris then my blind Grand Ma , you are a life saver!
For those who would like to know more about the technicalities of soldering, here's some info from a materials engineer.
- The best possible solder is 63-37% tin-lead mix ratio. The reason is that at that ratio, tin and lead form a special material that instantly solidifies instead of slowly cooling down and transitioning from liquid to solid over a prolonged time. 60-40 is close enough for most applications.
- Rosin, or flux as called in the industry, is not only useful for protecting the wires. Flux has 2 main goals: preparing the surfaces to be soldered, and then making sure a proper solder joint forms. This is achieved with ingredients in the flux that slowly creep onto the metal and dissolve any surface impurities like grease and oil. Solder can only join onto unoxidised metal surfaces. It also helps the solder flow onto the material easier. Flux is basicly essential to avoid "cold soldering" - joints that seem soldered but have no physical strength due to surfaces that aren't joint properly. So yeah, always use solder that is pre-fluxed if you want an easy job.
- If you want to use lead-free solder, get a good high-power iron because you will need it. Lead-free solders require a considerably higher melting temperature and even more heat to keep them molten. Environmentalists are pushing towards these but even well-educated people use Pb solder due to its ease of use.
- Try to set a good balance in soldering temperature. If your temp is too low, the material will not melt properly, or the iron will get cooled too much by the dissipation of heat in the metals. If it's too much, you will burn the flux and create a mess on the joint. My ideal temp for 60-40 solder is 300-320 °C for heavy gage wires and 280 °C for small electronics. Try to go as high as possible where the flux smokes good but doesn't get immediately burnt on the iron.
- Regarding ventillation, I always highly suggest the fan facing away from you. If the fan is blowing air towards you, the smoke goes everywhere, and at the same time your soldering iron has to compensate for the cooling effect of the air flow, which might make youre job harder depending on the power of the iron. With the fan facing away from you, the smoke gets captures in the suck of the fan and is pulled away from you, and you save your iron from direct air flow.
Regarding tool choices, I highly suggest the Jokari Secura wire stripper, it does an impeccable job at quickly stripping even very fine electronics wires. It is also sold as the Felo "red dragon" in the US. It's not even that expensive and will serve you very well. There is absolutely no danger in accidentally cutting into your wires which could happen with the old-fashioned stripper tool.
Otherwise, Chris does an impeccable job covering this topic.
Very clear and concise information in a perfect tempo. Thank you!
Thanks a lot!
When you have school at 8 am but can't sleep :/
That's a bummer! And school just started right? At least you have a video to watch!
+ChrisFix lol true haha i started school like 3 weeks ago
Ohhh you are from a warm weather state I see! Florida?
We started school a couple weeks ago. I have morning classes on Tuesdays and Thursday's so I have to be up 5 and at school by 6:30. senior year is a struggle
+ChrisFix nah I'm from California
Chris I give you a Pat on your back!! Ladies and gentlemen this is how you do a “How to tutorial for everything “. For sure top 5 how to videos on TH-cam. Chris I really enjoyed watching your videos. Everything about it was just perfect!!!! Keep doing what you do bud and I’m now going to be a long time subscriber. I do all the same thing you do. Been doing 12v ‘s and low voltage wiring for over 35yrs. I’m certified and ticked with red seal . Keep up the exceptional job.
Thanks
Diven N
Excellent. Before this video, I cold soldered and didn't even know you had to heat up the wire with the soldering iron, and not the actual solder.
Cheers.
My god - hold long has it taken you to learn how to read and write?
@@johncoops6897 Several years. It's my primary language as well.
Konii I in I’m in I’m in I’m in in
Nice tips! I suggest that if one is soldering an old wire, from an old car for example, the cooper can be oxidized, even under the plastic cover. So, in some cases, it's a good idea do sandpaper the oxide before soldering.
You're crushin' it, man! Thanks for keeping my jeep running, and putting a new head unit in the truck!
Awesome Steven! Glad the videos are helpful!
This is an excellent demonstration of both soldering and how to film, narrate and edit. If only all TH-cam videos were this concise and clear. Even this old dog retired electrician learnt some new tricks! Thank you.
*"Perfect soldering tutorial lesson dosent exis-"*
Perfection
you are th best diy ❤️
H
Thanks man!
One more solder tip. Don't solder naked (or where solder can drip onto exposed skin). Ask me how I know.
*sigh* how do you know?
Oh, I know, you tried docking with the tip of the soldering iron
Let me guess, you soldered a joint and the some hot solder decided to splatter off the joint and land right on your nuts?
That is why the goggles, too. I can't count the number of solder splashes I have scraped off my glasses lenses in the last 50 years.
also don't fry bacon in the nude
Great video. You answered so many of my questions in a clear, logical way. Now this 70 yr. old woman can repair the cord on her portable DVD player and save $100 and the landfill! (You've helped me in the past with videos for doing simple repairs on my 2003 Focus.
Awesome! I'm glad the video helps save you some money! Thanks a lot!