Problem soldering to input/output jacks

[gutsofgold]

The soldering simply doesn't stick to the lugs on these in/out jacks. I tried roughing them up a bit with some sand paper, a little flux, nothing. Is there a method to wire to your in/out jacks that I don't know about? I tried both wrapping the wire around the lug and applying solder and also just setting the wire over the hole in the lug and trying to get the solder to flow over all of it. No luck.

Any tips?

[JasonG]

Is the tip of your soldring iron clean? Did you tin it before you started to solder ? What wattage soldering iron do you have ?

[gutsofgold]

Soldering tip is clean, I can solder to pcb and wire-to-wire fine. I'm not sure about the wattage of it, it's an adjustable one though. Like 200 - 400*C. It's this one:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7307

[dennism]

1. Wrap the wire around the lug.  2. Hold the soldering iron on it for 7 to 10 seconds so the iron is touching both the lug and the wire.  3. Touch solder to wire and lug and it should flow no problem.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Dennism is right, but, be sure that the solder does actually flow onto the tag, not just form a blob around it.

I've known almost unsolderable lugs myself.
What I would do in this case, after all else failed:
1. tin the end of the wire.
2. Apply the iron (with a very tiny amount of solder to aid heat transfer) to the lug, in order to raise the temp of the point you are touching on the lug, above the melting point of solder.
3. then, bring the pretinned wire & some solder to the point as well.

Remember that solder is not glue.

Would I bring out my secret tin of corrosive flux paste if all else failed? No, but only because I can't find it.
But if I could find it, perhaps yes. And clean the joint very thoroughly afterward.

Have i ever had to use a crimp connection? yes, I have some 9v battery holders that LOOK like they are PCB mount, but the contact wires are chromium plated steel (???WHY???) and, NOTHING will solder to that.

[Geoffrey Teese]

I've had the same problem with a few of the Switchcraft jacks out of my last batch.  Wouldn't solder using lead-free or leaded solder.  I used a Dremel to rough up the finish.  Even tried adding some flux paste and supernova-like temperatures.  Nothing would make it happen.  Tossed the buggers.  So far I've only lost 2 mono and 2 stereo jacks out of several hundred.  PITA!!!

[jayp5150]

I used a Dremel to rough up the finish.

x2 on roughing up. No dremel here, but a wire brush usually gets decent results for me.

[snap]

Sand them deep with medium grain.

[gutsofgold]

That was the problem! I really had to sand them up and get about 50*C more to the iron before the solder flowed and actually stuck. Bigger lugs, more metal, needs more heat. Makes sense.

[Geoffrey Teese]

Good for you!  Glad you could make it all work out.  After I used my Dremel, there was, ahem, not - quite - so - much - metal, but I still couldn't make it happen.  Guess my patience is slipping in my old age.