Beginner's Soldering Tips

#3
About the only thing I'd add to that article is:

  • It's not so much the wattage as the temperature. You really want a temperature controlled iron if you're assembling PC boards or components such as small wattage resistors, capacitors, and especially transistors and ICs. An inexpensive iron from RadioShack will do for things like passive guitar and bass wiring as long as you're careful. But unless you have some soldering experience, an iron like that won't be a good choice for electronics assembly in general. A good soldering station isn't that expensive and can be had for well under $100. If you're going to be doing soldering projects with any degree of regularity, bite the bullet and get yourself a decent soldering station with a temperature controlled iron. They start around $50 - or about two times the price of a cheap iron. And they're a wise investment. Weller and Hakko both are good but affordable brands with a long track record for reliable service and performance. Get one.

  • Many inexpensive irons come with a conical or needle tip for some reason. For most guitar wiring, that'll make a lot of work for you. So either install the small chisel tip that came with your iron, or buy one if your iron didn't come with one. Trust me, it'll make your life a lot easier.

  • Stick to standard lead-tin formulations (60-40 being the most common) unless you have a very good reason for using something else. If you're going to use something else, make sure your iron tip is "tinned" for whatever solder formulation you're going to use unless you want to take the chance of watching your tip get eaten by the solder while you're using it. Using silver solder formulations on a standard pre-tinned soldering tip is a good way to see that corrosive reaction happen.

  • If your're doing anything with circuit boards, get BOTH a solder sucker AND a roll of desoldering braid. You'll likely need both if you need to remove something from a board or other through-hole mount such as a pot. Having both tools will let you desolder quickly and efficiently with the minimal chance of doing heat damage. (And you will need to desolder something sooner or later.)

  • Get yourself a silicone soldering mat or a piece of Masonite to solder over. That'll save the surface of your table or bench and can be easily and cheaply replaced if it ever gets severely damaged or starts looking really ratty. I used to use a 2'x3' piece of Masonite taped down with duct tape to the surface of my bench. I've since gone over to a commercial ESD soldering mat which I like more because it doesn't need to be taped down and can be rolled up and put away when it's not being used.

And always remember:

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#4
Old Garage-Bander said:
If not, then may one of each pair of your socks go missing.
Click to expand...

However, you could also do what I do and always get the same color and brand of socks. You don't need to match them when you take them out of the wash. And if you ever do lose one, it's not like you're out an entire pair. Just pair it up with another one of it's identical brethren and be on your way. ;):thumbsup:
 
#6
here's the one you really want to watch!


key breakthroughs for me?

-creating the "solder bridge"
-understanding that solder flows towards the iron
-making sure that there's active "uncooked" flux in the mix while it's happening, and that no uncooked flux remains when you're done

use the 63/37 "eutectic" solder; 60/40 is kind of obsolete. avoid that lead-free mess if you can, hateful stuff to work with.

use the fattest iron tip you can, preferably with a big flat face, it'll transfer heat much faster.
 
#8
making sure that there's active "uncooked" flux in the mix while it's happening, and that no uncooked flux remains when you're done
Click to expand...

That's a great point. Me too. I'd been hand soldering since I was about 11 and I thought I was OK at it, but at college in my 20's I was shown this, and it quickly gave me consistently bright, shiny solder joints. I had been in a hurry to get the iron away as soon as the joint was made, but I was told to linger for a second or two as that initial smoke plume came up. This is the flux burning off.
 
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