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Hi all,
I am not the most handy hippie in the world. However, I would like to learn how to solder. Could someone please tell me the best way to learn and what I should purchase to get started? I want to be able to say that if the girls don't find you handsome, at least they can find you handy. Thank you.
____
I'm hippy and I'm trippy
I'm a gypsy on my own.
- Frank Zappa
Follow Ups:
Uncle Hippie,
If you are not going to be doing a lot of soldering like for a business or repair work, then I would just get something that is in the 40watt range with a adjustable temperature for the soldering iron. Also make sure you are grounded with a proper ESD wrist strap and cord. This will go a long way that you don't damage you parts like Mosfets, Transistors, or I.C.'s before you even put them in. A grounding work mat is good also.The Hakko, Metcal, and Wellers are expensive but are good units. But it's the technique you use that is most Important. Good soldering and Desoldering irons/station do help a lot but if you don't know what you're doing and your technique is not good it doesn't matter cause you will end up damaging traces, part, and board. You can use less expensive tools that will work just as good if you know what you are doing correctly like the brand Aoyue it's cheap and works well. This is what I use now after I went through two Hakko desoldering irons and two Wellers soldering irons really fast. Remember to use a heat sink clamp to avoid over heating the transistor or other heat sensitive part.
Like for example there is a certain time limit you want to have the iron or desoldering iron on a trace/part. beyond that the damage starts. I do what you call the count to 3. and then start adding solder. The sold should flow nice and easy and spread with a shinny finish. Please flux too. If it takes longer than that for the solder to start to flow then the temperature is not hot enough. Slowly bring the temperature up until the solder starts to flow at the count of "One Thousand and three"
For resistors and caps please pretin the leads and this will go a long way to help you solder better and get better contact between parts a PCB traces. I usually clean the leads with alcolhol and slightly scrap the leads, add flux and a little solder to pre-tin them.
Always make sute to have the proper tip for the job whether its soldering and desoldering. This will go a long way to making adding or removing parts very easy that with proper temperature.
Now if you are working on a thick trace usually associated with power supply caps, this can get a little tricky. Sometimes you have to use one hand to slightly pull on the cap while heating the bottom trace, this will help lift it out but usually with correct temperature/tip on the desoldering you would have to do this. Now if its a resistor or transistor that you are not going to use again you can just simply cut the leads and use a plyers to put the lead out while heating it.
This just a few of the techniques to help you out and not damage things while learning how to solder or work on your own gear.
Also read up on Milspec soldering techniques and Safety tips for electronics. There is a difference between Solid State and High Voltage for Tubes electronic safety rule.
Hope this helps!
Edits: 03/17/16
Far and away the best soldering gear I've used.
You'll never look back.
More than a few high end manufacturers use Metcal, including one of the best, Ayre Acoustics.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Sondek, bacon, and brownie speak the truth. Hakko's are by far and away the best soldering irons period and make soldering much, much easier to do/learn.
Get this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HAKKO-937-Solder-Station-w-Hakko-900-ESD-Iron-/360460055700?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ed17f494
It is a great iron that lets you fully adjust temp and will last a lifetime
I just finished soldering together an old m3 LCRZ meter kit.I bought a used Pace 80w soldering station. I love it.
When I started, I was not a very good solderer. I'm much better now.
Part way through my project I got really frustrated as to why the soldering was going so badly, so I went to Youtube and just started watching videos on how to solder. Most of them were really bad. And almost none of them explained the situation in a way I could relate to.
However, I saw the trick with my eyes. I'll try and explain it to you in some very embarrassing layperson's language.
The trick is in the tinning of the soldering iron. First, you MUST have a solder sponge or other tip cleaning solution handy. Clean the tip.
Then, heat a VERY SMALL blob of solder onto the iron.
What nobody ever really explained to me was this - if you hold a dry iron up to a component, the heat will not transfer very well. You'll sit there for a long time getting pissed off and melting your boards, etc.
The secret is to kiss the little molten blob of solder on the tip of your iron to the part you want to put the heat into. As soon as the molten blob sticks to your intended object, THE HEAT WILL TRANSFER EXTREMELY EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKLY, and it's hard to go wrong from there. If you are looking closely you will see the metal change its appearance from the rapid heat.
If you're soldering to a PCB board, I have found that touching the blob to the ring on the circuit board is more effective than touching the component leg.
Also, get one of those magnifying glass stations that has the built in light. That makes the process so much easier to see.
Good luck.
ccm
Edits: 05/19/12
I just bring the solder so it touches the iron, lead, and pad at the same time. But the iron tip should be clean first.
A temperature-controlled iron, not necessarily adjustable, is a good thing. Otherwise a high-powered iron gets too hot, and a low power iron doesn't have enough oomph for soldering 16 gauge wire.
Don't use anything but rosin core 60/40 or 63/37 solder. "No clean" doesn't work as well, "water clean" leaves a conductive residue if you don't clean it off.
Isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) is good for cleaning off flux without melting plastic components.
Good lighting, and extra powerful reading glasses if you're over 40. Glasses are a good idea anyway since plated-through-holes occasionally spit molten solder (trapped air?).
The "third hand" thing is essential for soldering multipin connectors. Wrap some tape around the alligator teeth to prevent chewing up the wires too much. Lay a strip of RTV (silicone) on the base so it doesn't slide so easily on the bench-top.
For desoldering, get an Edsyn DS017 Soldapullt. I've never tried a Hakko, but I was as quick with the DS017 as coworkers using Pace desoldering stations. Don't waste money on smaller spring-loaded solder suckers; that extra suction power and volume really makes a difference.
At least a decent temp controllable iron that you always keep clean. Wipe it on the wet sponge every time you pick it up. Leave solder on the tip when it sits. A basic iron with a temp control starts at pretty well under $50.
After that it's practice. There are good video tutorials online.
Earl
I can't wait till our record comes out and the teenagers start to buy it-FZ
An addition to any soldering kit should be some Solder Wick and/or a solder sucker. Both are good for helping to clean up the odd mess. It happens.
I will when working a board, 'tin' the area around thru-holes. I will use solder wick to clean off all the solder BUT leave a very thin, well flowed layer. When you finally install a part, the solder flows quickly and forms that nice 'dimple' at the join.
I am....or rather was....self taught. That changed a long time ago when a workmate taught me a few things. He was mil-spec certified right down to having test pieces cut in half to check solder flow / penetration.
Too much is never enough
Radio Shack 40-Watt Pencil Iron #64-2071 and Soldering Iron Holder and Cleaner #64-2078. Both are on sale at this time.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062738
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062740
For a newbie's learning curve, a classic Helping Hand is a fine tool to hold wires/cables, connectors, and other parts in position while making a solder joint.
See link:
A small desktop fan pointing away from your work to suck the fumes away.
Dynobots Audio
Music is the Bridge between Heaven and Earth - 音楽は天国と地球のかけ橋
A large gauge, high conductivity AC extension cord to plug the soldering iron into. I built a DIY version that would be a good non-audio DIY power cord project for a newbie DIY power cord builder.See link:
Edits: 05/17/12
40 watts what? About 3 amps at 120 Volts.
Why recommend high conductivity cord?
"40 watts what? About 3 amps at 120 Volts."
Y'all slipped a digit, try 333 mA.
Naturally any extension cord in the world will work, the recommendation was just a joke. I think...
Rick
Actually, while it may seem counter intuitive, there are soldering iron manufacturers, electronics assembly advisers, and professional end users who recommend plugging a soldering iron directly into an AC outlet at the wall (even very low wattage models), or if absolutely necessary use a heavy duty extension cord, while one source even went so far as to say never use an extension cord...
Except for the "industrial hygiene" issue, i.e. in general extension cords are frowned upon in industry because they can trip people or breakers for that matter if wrongly applied, there isn't a problem using them for non-fixed applications.
Certainly there aren't any functional issues using ANY extension cord for a 40W soldering iron.
I spent my whole career in Electronic manufacturing companies and would qualify as a "professional end user" and an "electronics assembly adviser" and my advice is to not sweat it!
It's one thing to apply mysticism to audio cables but extending it to soldering irons is beyond the pale in my book.
Rick
Don't feel offended. Your accusation of mysticism is an insult. It is you who's sweating this minor issue. Here's a few links to argue with. Don't argue with me.
http://www.inlandcraft.com/uguides/tipcare.htm
http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/how-to-repair-xlr-microphone-wire/
http://whitebreadonpatrol.com/?category_name=diy
Well Duster, I came across this looking for a way never to spend an hour and a half desoldering and almost butchering a circuit board. An 8 pin socket. Geoff's 54AWG SPEAKER wire, now that's mysticism in audio cable. Maybe someone like yourself should completely debunk such nonsense. Tweaker
I am not arguing, just sharing my knowledge and experience.
"Mysticism" isn't an insult, rather it's an apt description of the current state of the affairs in some areas for many of the posters here including me.
It can be a stopover on the road to understanding and it can even be rather fun. If understanding isn't important it can be an endpoint for a particular instance. But it can also be a starting point if general knowledge is desired. However in the case of soldering irons, which are far cruder animals than stereos, I can tell you from much experience with them in every imaginable condition that any functioning extension cord is adequate for achieving good solder joints.
As you well know home audio system are, sadly, crankier and indeed I appreciate your diligent efforts and the observations that you post. They are good data points towards understanding and hopefully improving our systems.
But not all systems have such a gap between control and effective operation.
Regards, Rick
Yeah I should not be trying to do even simple math in my head after visiting the local brewery.
Al Sekela took me aside to get me over my fears. Fears that had been generated by all the purist admonitions about soldering only under a certain moon, with unobtainium flux, with a rock steady robotic hand, etc. What bullshit all that turned out to be!
Of course you can do a crappy job of soldering, but with a little practice you can do a great job easily. And a little sloppy does not equate automatically with ineffective for audio, I learned.
To start, all you need is a simple soldering iron in the 25 or 40 W variety available at any Radio Shack or hardware store, plus something to hold it while you're not using it so that you don't light your table on fire. Some solder with flux built in and or some liquid flux. A cheap jig to hold your pieces (you can buy those for under $10 at same places - looks like a small hobby "vise" with magnifying glass built in), a little 90% alcohol with a swab to clean the surfaces of oil, and I'd throw in foot square piece of any crappy tile you have to work on so you don't worry about fires or messing up your table.
Study the tutorials, be safe, and try it out on some scrap. You'll be shocked at how easy it generally is to do and you can improve from there.
One thing Al did teach me that turns out to be absolutely true is that you can't count on a solder joint to mechanically hold pieces together. You have to make them mechanically stable before you solder. For example, if you are soldering the wire leads to two components, you need to securely twist those wire leads together. Then the solder makes the contact better and more secure, but solder alone won't do that.
Soldering and welding only look similar, but welding holds securely and soldering doesn't.
No, it won't make you more attractive to hippie chicks. That's the disappointing side, and you can't use it as a pick up line.
Check out the link. I really like my Hakko 936.
I just went through this.
Excellent tutorial and very informative site worth bookmarking.
I did purchase a Hakko N454JN-V12 25W Dash Soldering Iron and everything mentioned in the tutorial. Before this I was using junk and was wondering why I couldn't solder correctly.
nt
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