Solder and soldering irons?

http://www.antex.co.uk/cgi-bin/htmlprint.cgi?1479116747-51474&gasironsfs.htm same irons but cheaper :) Antex are the manufacturers. The part number of the larger iron is Gascat 120P. Companies like maplins(radio shack) used to do them.

http://www.netbridgeonline.com/index.php/view/prod/id/xg12pkt $99.99

Lots of butane based suggestions; the one I currently have is: The iroda SolderPRO 50 http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=34956&doy=8m1 Anyone using a battery based soldering iron? I have this one, also by iroda: http://www.pro-iroda.com.tw/en/show_products.php?p_id=6 Anyone using a rechargeable battery iron? Also what's the best type of solder to use? Thanks

what kind of problems are you having with your iroda? Standard 60/40 solder is fine and you generally don't need the really thin stuff for installation work, unless you start going into component repair. 60/40 0.031" solder

Well the iroda gas iron I've got is fine but the battery one doesn't seem to get that hot at all even with Duracell Alkaline batteries. Perhaps because I'm a novice I'm having trouble. When soldering two wires I twist the bare ends together and solder. Sometimes I have trouble getting the solder to adhere to the wires, also it takes a while to melt the solder if put on a lower setting. If I put the soldering iron on high setting the wire insullation starts to melt Perhaps I'm using the wrong type of solder? or maybe my technique is flawed? Advice would be great, thanks.

Are you using rosin core solder? It should have the flux inside the solder, which removes any surface oxidation from the wires and allows the solder to adhere properly. If you've got solid wire with no flux, you should get some flux separately. Without flux on oxidized wires, the solder may ball up and just drop off without flowing into the joint like it's supposed to. Make sure your tip is not all oxidized, which will interfere with the heat transfer. Apply a small amount of solder to the heated tip so it's coated. Don't let it overheat and oxidize, if it does, you should clean and recondition the tip with a coating of solder. Heat the joint and apply the solder to the joint, rather than try to melt the solder with the iron and blob it on, that's what makes cold solder joints. Make sure the wires you're trying to splice are clean and free of oxidation; if they're really bad, you should try to scrape the surface clean before soldering. It's much easier with bright and shiny wires, freshly stripped is usually best. Unless the wires are really heavy gauge, it should only take a couple seconds to do with a properly heated iron.

Never tried the battery operated iron, but have you tried nicads in it? They can deliver a lot more current than alkalines, which may be what it needs for better operation.

Thank you for the advice. I think the solder is the type without flux. Also my tip looks a bit rough too and perhaps needs a clean. Is it sufficient to heat the iron up and wipe on the solder stand sponge and then re-tip with a little solder? Or do I need to use something more abrasive to clean it like a file, wire wool etc? Also is it better to use solder with silver in, as it has a lower melting point? I do have to solder some heavy guage wire for my electric window module I think the wire is rated at 30amp...any advice for thicker wires? Thanks.

You should get rosin core solder, easier to deal with than separate flux. I'd try the sponge to try to clean and retin the tip first; if that doesn't work, then you can try the more agressive methods. Get some flux first and dip the tip in to help get the oxidation off. Rosin flux approved for electronics use, not the acid flux they use for plumbing- that stuff's too corrosive.. Silver solder usually has a higher melting point, so I'd stick with the standard Tin/Lead 60%/40% mix, or maybe 63/37, which has a slightly lower temp of 361 deg. Thicker wires, more heat. If it's really, really heavy wires, you can get one of those Weller soldering guns. They heat up in a jiffy, but they're not recommended for sensitive electronics and unwieldy, if you're hanging upside down under a dashboard or something. Still comes handy at times though-

I've got a 120v SnapOn. For $72, it gets the job done. Lifetime warranty too (I wonder if it covers the tips also??). http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=13907&group_ID=785&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog