Recap of Soldering 101

[Phend]

Please help by adding your tips, I will start with a few IMHO,

Buy a good quality soldering iron.
Practice.
What kind of solder is best ? Help needed here.
Use a heat sink (a clip on the wire of the component to prevent damage (if possible))
Tin the tip.
Have a wet sponge or towel near by to clean the hot tip.

[EBK]

I'd say don't use a heatsink.  Why would you want something to draw heat away from where you are making a solder joint?  You need heat to make the joint! Beyond that, those alligator clip things are not going to prevent you from damaging parts anyway. 

Parts get damaged during soldering by poor soldering technique (usually poor iron tip placement during heating) or an under-powered iron causing the joint to take too much time to make.  Really, time is the enemy (too little and you fail to make a good joint.  too much and you destroy the thing you are soldering).


I recommend that you buy some 63/37 rosin-core solder.  I use Kester brand, but there are tons of others that will work great.

[Rob Strand]

Pace Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

Doesn't cover lead free fine points.

[11-90-an]

Have a wet sponge or towel near by to clean the hot tip.

I did this, and my tip oxidised and wouldn't heat up until sanded it. Which leads me to my contribution to this thread: DON'T USE SANDPAPER ON YOUR SOLDERING IRON TIP. It destroys the tip, unless you use a finer grit.

[ElectricDruid]

Please help by adding your tips, I will start with a few IMHO,

Buy a good quality soldering iron.
Practice.
What kind of solder is best ? Help needed here.
Use a heat sink (a clip on the wire of the component to prevent damage (if possible))
Tin the tip.
Have a wet sponge or towel near by to clean the hot tip.

I second EBK's solder recommendation - 60/40 tin/lead rosin cored solder. Easiest to work with.

I used to use the wet sponge to clean the soldering iron tip, but I've recently changed to using the bundled-up metal wire stuff, and I have to say I prefer it. It doesn't cool the iron down so much, and it seems to do a better job of cleaning the tip. Recommended.

[tonyharker]

Rant on!   By the way watching the video, why can't people pronounce Solder and Soldering properly? Its NOT sodder or soddering! These are some kind of sexual activity!  There is an 'L' in the word it should be pronounced. Say SOLD-ER and SOLD-ERING.  Rant off.

[EBK]

I second EBK's solder recommendation - 60/40 tin/lead rosin cored solder. Easiest to work with.

But, I said 63/37 (lead/tin -- eutectic alloy), not 60/40....

[ElectricDruid]

I second EBK's solder recommendation - 60/40 tin/lead rosin cored solder. Easiest to work with.

But, I said 63/37 (lead/tin -- eutectic alloy), not 60/40....

Oh, ok. In that case I misunderstood you. Sorry.

[duck_arse]

you blokes had better sort out your lead/tins and your tin/leads - they are two different things.

don't use sandpaper on a plated tip - a bare copper tip [anyone? plumbers?] yes, but on a plated tip you are better off using a brassed wire brush for getting the blacking off.

soldering tip - don't  carry  solder  to  the  joint  on  the  tip. tin the tip for the heat transfer/cleaning, heat the joint for the melting, add all the solder needed for the jointing.

[garcho]

why can't people pronounce Solder and Soldering properly? Its NOT sodder or soddering!

How do you pronounce these words: talk, walk, folk, would, could, should, half, colonel, etc.? Coming from the nation that created the least sensible spelling system for a language in all of history, maybe lay off the judgement. /rant

another +1 for ditching the wet sponge and using "steel wool" type stuff instead.

Tin all wires before attempting to solder them.

Through-hole components can have very oxidized leads. If I notice a dull lead, I grab it with a knurled needlenose pliers and (gently) scrape it down until it's shiny. Takes only a few seconds and prevents cold joints.

[Kipper4]

I'm with Tom on cleaning the tip.

101 for me

Keep it clean. Componant leads and board. (store componants in an airtight environment to minimise oxidised leads, baggys are fine)

Mildly abrade the pcb copper surfaces. (I use a really worn out chunk of fine sandpaper and clean with alcohol before soldering.)

Heat up the surfaces with the iron and allow the solder to flow.


I'm sure I'm missing loads but it's a start.
Have fun
Rich

[Phend]

Hope this is helping Grendel2000, practice saying SoLLerding 10 times fast.

[11-90-an]

To stop all rants and complaints about the pronunciation of "solder"... I propose we spell it as "soulder" becoause you can't go wrong with "soul".(And reminds you of the innocent lead and tin ore being seperated from their underground birthplaces... )

[GibsonGM]

USA: "Sawder".   That's just how it is

I've found that cleaning the tip VERY frequently (as in each 1 or 2 connections on a pcb) results in a much longer-lived tip...

[PRR]

> Why would you want something to draw heat away

It is well suggested on Germanium, close to the device (not the joint).

Otherwise, no.

[Phend]

This will settle it, here is a fine young lady to help with saying solder.

https://www.google.com/search?client=avast&q=soldering

And a gentlemen saying flux.

https://www.google.com/search?client=avast&q=flux

[davent]

USA: "Sawder".   That's just how it is

I've found that cleaning the tip VERY frequently (as in each 1 or 2 connections on a pcb) results in a much longer-lived tip...

Can't say i've heard it pronounced any way but this in Canada and we did kind of straddle both English language influences.
dave

[ElectricDruid]

Mildly abrade the pcb copper surfaces. (I use a really worn out chunk of fine sandpaper and clean with alcohol before soldering.)

Yeah, this is a good tip. I used to use fine wire wool, but these days I use one of those scratchy plastic pan scourer sponges for this. With a bit of detergent to remove grease too. Give it a scrub, get it nice and shiny, and then rinse it and pad it dry with a cloth or kitchen paper. A shiny board is lot easier to solder than a dull one.

[ElectricDruid]

> Why would you want something to draw heat away

It is well suggested on Germanium, close to the device (not the joint).

Otherwise, no.

+1 agree. When soldering sensitive and expensive germanium transistors or diodes, I might use a clip to protect it, but otherwise probably wouldn't bother.
The other expensive stuff would be chips, and for that I'd use sockets, which would be a valid solution for the germaniums too.

[garcho]

Having a very very sharp angled precision nipper/snips/cutting pliers is important too. Using a dull clipper can peel the whole trace/eyelet off, break the joint, and leave little prickly bridges, possibly making shorts, not to mention sending leads flying through the air at your eyes like tiny spears.