It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
How much experience of actually soldering do you have?
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57776/handsomerik/p1
Good advice from Rik. A mallish crocodile clip is also handy for holding components in place. Try and get a bit of practice be going for the board.
Two real soldering basic that catch many out though and to always keep in mind -
When you are ready to solder a joint; tin your iron. This means adding a little solder to the tip. Then all within a couple of seconds you want to introduce the iron so that it simultaneously contacts the leg of the component and the pad, add solder from the other side until you see it flow around the joint ( completely filling/covering the hole ), take away the hand holding the solder, then remove the iron. Allow it to cool/harden naturally (instead of blowing on it).
Get some copper strip board and cheap resistors and do a load for practice.
If you then get into the habit of adding a bit of solder to the tip before replacing the iron into the stand, you will get through far less tips. Same before you turn it off, the solder hardens and protects the tip from oxidising. Of course clean the old solder off, and re-tin before making a new joint.
Use lead free solder too. Don't worry about the reports of it being harder to use. Lead is bad stuff to get into your body.
Plain lead-free is really much harder to work with, especially if you're inexperienced - because it's not only trickier to get a good clean joint with it, it's harder to tell when you have because even good joints look a little 'cold'. Silvered solder looks and behaves much more like leaded - well worth the extra money.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Stopping leaded solder going into new products does absolutely nothing about the leaded solder in all old electronics made in the last century and which is mostly destined for landfill even if it hasn't gone there already. Properly sorting the waste would, and if done it wouldn't matter that there was lead in the new stuff too since it would also get sorted! But sorting is expensive.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Re lead:
We used to fix radios and TV with fag in one hand, tea, solder and a wad. Guess what killed off most TV techs?
Then, I used to shoot on a range that has been in continuous use since WW1. You cannot turn sod one without find a bullet or case. And yet the trees grow, the flower bloom and the rabbits are bloody pest.
Yes, lead is toxic but only if you eat it or vaporize it in fuel! Solder with 60/40 if you need to, don't eat, drink or smoke and wash hands afterwards.
I am knocking on 69 and have a LOT of health issues but despite a lifetime of lead solder Pb poisoning is not one of them!
Dave.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein