Had a talk with a retired A&P that changed how I look at solder joints

I was working on a Cessna 172 radio stack last Tuesday and this old timer, must have been 70, came over and watched me for a minute. He pointed at one of my solder joints and said "that's pretty, but it's cold." I thought I was being careful with heat but he showed me how to let the pad pull the solder in instead of pushing it. It made me realize I've been rushing through connections for 2 years without really understanding the mechanical bond. Has anyone else had a veteran mechanic call them out on a bad habit that you didn't even know you had?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkerbrown4d ago

Wait the old timer actually saw a cold joint just by looking at it?

joel_jones4d ago

Bet it was just a shiny joint that looked fine. People act like soldering is brain surgery sometimes.

mason_lopez4d ago

Understand completely, Joel might not get it but a cold joint that looks good can fail years down the line when you least expect it. I had an old DC-3 mechanic show me the same trick with letting the pad do the work, and it made me go back and redo about a dozen connections I thought were perfect. Nothing like someone who has seen it all to humble you quick.