Home Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

RE: How to Learn to Solder & What to Buy?

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

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Signature Sound   [ Signature Sound Lounge ]


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.