Slow-worm and soldering

While walking the dog, we came across this enormous slow-worm in the middle of the road. It was easily a foot long. I wasn't sure if it was dead until it blinked, which is one way of telling them apart from snakes. It looked really glossy and healthy and was a really nice deep brown. It stayed patiently while I took some pictures and then I gave it a prod and it slithered away across the road, which was good as I didn't want it to get run over. The hound didn't quite know what to make of it and just stared at it with pricked ears. Having just read about them, this could have been a pregnant female.

Most of the bits arrived for the Frankencaster today, everything except the pickup. I started to put them together only to find that the potentiometers wouldn't fit into the control plate as the holes were too small. The pots I got were real Fender parts so whoever made the control plate cocked that up rather. I had to file out the holes so the controls could be mounted. I then spent quite a bit of time soldering the various wires and resistors and capacitors in. This is the wiring diagram I am using, which is for the Esquire (the original single pickup version of the Telecaster).

How I hate soldering. It never seems to attach to the terminals like it should and the diagram said to solder wires and things to the body of the pots, but it never sticks for me. I don't know why. I was cut short when the end of the soldering iron I was using unexpectedly broke off, so I'll have to find a new one now. I should also get some new solder as perhaps the stuff I am using is just crap. It's also very old I think. I was a bit concerned when the control plate almost didn't fit back in as the 3-way switch is so deep. It did go in after I tweaked a few things. I'm not sure how well the crappy soldering will hold up to be honest once it's all together though. If it does turn out to be crappy solder I can redo it with good stuff though.