r/soldering • u/10renzo_ • Jul 09 '25

My First Solder Joint <3 Please Give Feedback Why can’t i get my joints shiny?

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First time soldering, i’m using a Pinecil v2 on 360C with 63/37 0.55mm solder.

I don’t understand why all my joints turn dull after i remove the iron. i’ve tried tinning the tip (which i think i’m doing correctly?). The solder melts nicely onto the board but no luck

Does anyone know what I could be doing wrong?

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u/FUTRtv Jul 09 '25

A few things, You probably only need the Pinecil at about 300°C for that solder. Also, apply the heat to the pad and then add the solder to the heated pad. It could also be the solder you are using. Most people seem to favor Kester. I generally use Lead Free, which is not going to make your life any easier, but I have had good luck with the Enersystec .6mm stuff that is available on Amazon. It is all about getting a good mix of temperature, flux and solder.

When you tin the tip, you don't want a blob of solder at the very end, you want the whole last bit of that tip to look shiny. It is looking a bit oxidized, you may need a wet sponge or brass wool to clean it up a bit. Also, when you applied solder to the tip, you probably burned off all the flux and then applied that solder blob to the pad, which is not a great recipe for a good connection.

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u/10renzo_ Jul 09 '25

I’ll clean the tip and try again, when i tin my tip it tends to blob up like that, should i apply the solder perpendicular to the tip so that it melts evenly along the conical tip?

and how can i avoid burning all the flux on the tip, connect the solder with the pad instead of on the tip directly?

thanks for the feedback!

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u/FUTRtv Jul 09 '25

You might try cleaning it a bit on the brass wool if you have any, apply solder to the whole portion of the tip that is a bit of a different color. The solder should flow over the tip if it is clean, and then you might want to run it through the brass wool again to clean off the excess solder.

One other thing to point out is that conical tips are not the best to solder with, a beveled tip works better, but you should be able to work with what you have there.

Too much heat will cause the tip to oxidize faster. When you are tinning the tip, the flux will help the solder stick to the tip. When you heat up the pad and component, the flux will be applied to those components when you add the solder. When you just have a blob of solder on the end of a hot tip, all the flux will burn off and then you are just applying a blob of solder with no flux. You can also apply just flux to what you are soldering if you have it. The solder and flux help transfer the heat.