Hello, so a wire snapped off and now I plan on soldering it back on. I know nothing about soldering but I will read up on it. However, there's this yellow glue all over the soldered connections. I'm assuming it's to further strengthen the bond. If I want to resolder am I going to have to get rid of the glue because it's covering the metal part that I need to connect the wire to. What is this glue called? How do I remove it if I need to?

 

Gently scrape away the yellow glue where it covers the blob of solder.
Resolder the wire to the solder blob.

I don't know what kind of glue was used.
A dab of silicone based glue (e.g. bathroom or weather sealant) will do.

Is this from a drum kit?

 

Wow, you're good! This is indeed the snare drum of the Alesis DM6.

Thanks for the advice.

 

I've found hot melt glue to be most compatable and quite handy at sticking down pesky electronic parts.

You can get a kit with the glue sticks and a basic glue gun at many dollar stores... for a dollar!

 

As long as you clean it good, easy fix.

 

Why not just leave it in place, solder anywhere to the brass.

From the silver coating, soldered wires break off very easily, this is why they used the yellow glue. Not neccessary on on the brass.

 

That's "gorilla snot" which is a type of solvent based gum glue used by manufacturers, very similar to the old yellow "contact cement" you glue soles on shoes with.

Generally you remove it without solvent by physical force; scraping, tweezing, etc. Be careful with that ceramic piezo element!

 

To me looks like a standard piezo.

Made a test circuit some while ago with a regular piezo, a LED+transistor. If you tap it, it is flashing up.

 

Hot Glue/Goo is a good replacement.

The trick is to not gob so much on that the piezo element cannot vibrate and send a signal. Try not to put more glue back on than was present to start with.

 

What type of soldering iron would you recommend for this job? 30W sound good?

 

30W should be OK.

It sounds like you don't have a soldering iron. Radio Shack has some inexpensive ones, I keep on on hand "just in case." I'm sure Harbor Freight can beat their price if you have one locally.

 

I plan on getting one on eBay actually; they go for less than 10 bucks. If you had to do this job, what kind of soldering iron would you go for? I can basically search any wattage so I want to get the best one for this job. I plan on maybe soldering some guitar electronics in the future as well.

 

Bump. I need help deciding what type of wattage!

 

I plan on getting one on eBay actually; they go for less than 10 bucks. If you had to do this job, what kind of soldering iron would you go for? I can basically search any wattage so I want to get the best one for this job. I plan on maybe soldering some guitar electronics in the future as well.

As suggested 25-30 watts is good for soldering on pcb's.
Be careful not to overheat the piezo element.

If you are planning on doing more than this one project get a 25-40 watt type like a Weller or one from Radio Shack. Get one with the setscrew type type tip holder instead of the screw-in tips, because the screw-in type tend to seize up over time making it impossible to replace the tip unless you use some type of anti-seize goo on it..

If you plan on soldering 1/4 inch plugs or mic connectors go for a 40 watt. Then you just need to be quick with PCB's so you don't overheat traces.

 

Okay here are a few soldering irons/stations I am considering. It's going to be mostly for this project but I do plan on soldering guitar electronics as well.

$25 Velleman VTSS5 50W Soldering Station

$24 5-40W Soldering Station

$22 48W Soldering Station

$6 40W Soldering Iron

So these are what I've narrowed it down to. Any advice?

 

I say get the $6 one. This will get the job done and most jobs in the future.
Later you can decided to treat yourself to a better quality one when the time comes.

 

I disagree with MrChips.

I would buy the $25 Velleman one, being slightly higher wattage at 50W and a brand name. $25 for a tool that will work well for years is not a lot of money and having a stand and temp control is very handy.

The $25 irons in your links all have replaceable tips, so you can quickly change tip styles and sizes etc.

The $6 iron is crude and has an old style copper bar tip, they are terrible to solder with especially for fine work. That is the sort of iron that is small and cheap and you would leave it in the bottom of a toolbox for emergency use only.

 

Point taken. I always like to have a spare of everything as a backup.
This would become the backup when you have more cash to buy something better.

 

These are all suitable for infrequent soldering.
I had this soldering station some years ago: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soldering-Station-/290831038208

These all have copper tips which will wear out pretty soon if you solder PCBs.

So if you intend to do so, it is not the right kind of investment.

 

I would get the $25 Velleman for the reasons mentioned by THE RB.
Get some extra tips also. The 2 medium sizes for general work.