Customer told me my cold solder joints were "embarrassing" on a vintage receiver last month

He was right, I had been rushing the preheating step on through-hole boards for years, and now I let every joint sit on the iron for a full 3 count before feeding solder, so has anyone else had a blunt customer or client call them out on something that actually made them better at this trade?

3 comments

3 Comments

taraanderson13d ago

You mentioned "cold solder joints" which does sound like a preheat issue, but that "3 count" thing isn't really a standard fix for that. Cold joints usually come from not heating the pad and lead evenly, not from the overall board temp. Letting the iron sit a little longer helps but it's more about making sure both surfaces hit the melt point together.

averymartin13d ago

Yeah, but what if I've been doing the 3 count thing wrong this whole time? The way I see it, I count to three, say a little prayer, and hope for the best. Usually ends up looking like a pigeon sat on the joint instead of a proper solder. You're totally right though, it's all about getting that pad and lead hot together, not just giving the board a warm hug. I bet I've been leaving cold joints because I'm too busy counting instead of watching the solder flow.

joseph_ellis8513d ago

Hear me out, but maybe counting is more important than you give it credit for. I mean, you say you're too busy counting to watch the solder flow, but maybe having that steady rhythm actually helps you hold the iron still enough for heat to soak in properly. If you're counting too fast like a jackrabbit, sure, that's a problem. But a slow, deliberate one-two-three gives the pad and lead a chance to get hot together even if you're not staring at the joint the whole time. The whole 'watch the solder flow' thing is great advice, but it also makes people rush because they're waiting for that perfect moment that might not come if the board is sucking heat away. I've done plenty of joints where I just count to three, feed the solder as I lift the iron, and they come out shiny and strong. So maybe you weren't doing it wrong, maybe you just need to count slower and trust the process a bit more. It's not a warm hug if the iron is actually touching both parts, you know.