Hi ! Im new to the site. I recently changed the whole scratchplate assembly on my American Stratocaster when i soldered the earth to the tremolo anchor plate it looked like a good joint but the slightest poke and the blob of solder lifted off with the earth wire stuck in to it. Im looking for suggestions to ensure a good solder contact for the earth. IF anyone has any ideas id really appreciate it as the ground him is really starting to annoy me :)
You can drill less than a 1/8" hole in the claw, if you don't damage any other part of your guitar, take precautions.
The hole can anchor the solder. But you can also scratch the claw with a file or screwdriver first, and must heat it up sufficiently, and not just drop hot solder on cold metal. Pre-tin the wire, if it hasn't got suffcient solder on it by now.
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
To add to Blue Jay's suggestion you could also use some liquid flux. That will help the solder stick to those larger pieces quicker and better. The flux helps prevent the oxidation of the metal part you are heating up to attach the wire to. Since the larger metal parts need to be heated longer there is more oxidation. Solder doesn't stick well to the oxides that form.
Edit: I should also have suggested that for such large pieces you need to have a sufficiently powerful soldering iron. If you can, put on a bigger tip - maybe a larger spade point tip (like a flat blade screwdriver). If you've got a little soldering iron with a little needle tip then you can spend forever trying to get the piece hot enough and that makes it harder to attach the solder because you are oxidizing it and the heat bleeds away into all the surrounding things that the piece touches and may damage them.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
Yeah, the metal isn't getting hot enough for the solder to hold. My suggestion would be to pre-solder the claw (no wire) and make sure it is hot enough (let the iron sit there for a few seconds). Once you have solder that is sticking nice a strong, then solder the sire to that solder joint.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
Good one Dali, and yes, you're back! well, I wonder what happened to our single poster? That was his first, and only.
Sure, sometimes they still lurk, and benefit... my kids do that on some sites and never say a thing???
I wonder, any progress? How's that thing - all fixed! :D
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
