Solder on heatsink?

So, I have been doing a project where I need to put a heatsink on a linear voltage regulator and an idea popped in my head. I could enhance thermal conductivity between heatsink and the regulator by putting a bit of solder on the regulator/heatsink and then heating it up after I screwed it in. You guys did it? What you guys think of it?

This works in general and the heat conductivity will go up. But only if you solder the regulator with the heatsink. If you just put a blob of solder on the regulator, then the contact area will be smaller and heat conductivity will actually go down. However soldering this will give you problems. A normal soldering iron will not be able to produce enough heat for soldering on a heat sink. You can either use a fuarrrking big soldering iron or a gas burner, but with either one you will probably damage your regulator due to violation of the soldering temperature profile. Best way to go about this: Use a thin layer of thermal grease between regulator and heat sink and screw the thing on.

>>495 >Best way to go about this: Use a thin layer of thermal grease between regulator and heat sink and screw the thing on. tnx was actually thinking of reusing some old thermal paste that was sealed and not oxidized and stale

>>496 That would work fine. Just put a dot of thermal paste on and screw on the heatsink.