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How To Get Started In Soldering

popularmechanics.com

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Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#141

Post by dusted »

bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

I have to agree, when I was 7 or 8 I started out with a "pen" and it sucked, I got a WE-WHS40 for my 10 year birthday, now I'm 37, and.. I'm still using that one.. The transformer inside broke lose after I dropped it.. but.. for everything small-ish, it's whate I still use to this day.. I have a butane powered cheap chinese iron (that will eat away at the tip at each use, and leak itself empty within a week from filling it) for heavier connections.. Those two together cover everything I do.

One thing though.. I disagree with wet sponge, they're annoying and flimsy.. A brass sponge is so much nicer in my opinion.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#143

Post by tengbretson »

bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

Definitely skip the hardware store soldering irons, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a ton. I got a knockoff Hakko 936 for like $20 and I have no complaints.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#144

Post by nibbleshifter »

toss1 wrote: post #134
bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

Hard Agree. Plus, generalize this to all tasks and sports. Bad equipment will give you bad habits right from the start. This does not mean that you should buy the top equipment to begin at anything, but it does mean that you should find out from some knowledgeable people what is the minimum you need so you won't be unnecessarily fighting the equipment and learning bad habits (basically hacky workarounds to the equipm…

There's an exception, IMO, for safety critical items in sports.

I've seen so many people show up at climbing walls with cheap carabiners from amazon/etc that aren't rated for climbing, but when you view the listing all the images show climbing.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#145

Post by derkades »

nlnn wrote: post #139

As a very occasional solderer, one thing I don't see written about much in beginner guides is ventilation. With lead-based solder, I'm never sure what I should be doing, especially in a small room/workshop. Keeping windows open or having good airflow isn't always possible. Things like: should I avoid leaning over or breathing in while leaning over something I'm soldering? Do I need to air the room afterwards? Would a…

The fumes are from flux (usually rosin), not lead. They are mostly safe, just breathe out while you're soldering. Soldering should hardly leave a bad smell. If the room does smell bad after soldering, you might be accidentally burning something else, like plastic insulation.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#146

Post by ianburrell »

dotancohen wrote: post #68
CarVac wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A wet sponge doesn't cause rust, it's occasionally blamed for cracking plating when you use a high temperature. If you use a moderate temperature (650°F/340°C) it's a gentler way to clean flux residue off the tip. Brass wool I reserve for scrubbing oxidation off the tip, but this eventually wears through the plating so I don't do this often. Leaded solder is both toxic and completely unnecessary for hobbyist use. I l…

> I recommend a Weller WE1010. My budget is more in the $20 - $25 range. Cheap adjustable-temp soldering irons are available for under $4 [0], surely there is some middle ground between those irons and the $115 unit you suggest? [0] https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005058271470.html ?

The problem is that bad soldering irons are infuriating. I started with super cheap one and it didn't work at all. I upgraded to $20 adjustable one that worked for a while but is inconsistent. I thought it was my bad technique until this thread but sounds like it is the quality.

The $25 Pinecil sounds good and is probably your best option. I may go for soldering station since I can afford it.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#147

Post by atahanacar »

sbolt wrote: post #117
atahanacar wrote: post #45

I used to "suck" at soldering, until one day I was recommended a Louis Rossmann video by Youtube and decided to watch it. Once I saw how much flux he used, I started to use more flux and as it turns out, that was my problem. That is my problem with this article. Flux is only superficially in a sentence. So my tip to beginners: Cleaning flux is way easier than struggling to solder with little/no flux.

Do you have a link to the video by any chance?

Not really, it was around spring 2018. He was joking about how one can never have enough flux.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#148

Post by puredata »

the__alchemist wrote: post #25

- No mention of tip types/quality - No mention of flux outside that embedded in the solder - No mention of braid etc - Recommends a wet sponge to clean (This shocks the tip) - Defaults to leaded solder without mentioning the risks (I admit this is hot-take territory!)

As long as you wash your hands after soldering, leaded solder is fine. Lead-free solder is harder to work with and never comes out as good as leaded solder.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#149

Post by bobsmooth »

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #38
dustinsterk wrote: post #35

I would recommend starting with a kit so that you also get the benefit of feeling like you created something valuable as your practice/learn. Something like this is great for the price! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X13KY6S

have you used this one? I'd like to buy it, I'd just want to hear that someone used this successfully.

I use it as a clock for my workbench and power it from a USB port. Fun little kit.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#150

Post by buescher »

CarVac wrote: post #124
buescher wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sponges - if you have a decent iron, you should be using a clean, damp-not-wet, sulfur-free, cellulose sponge. This means: buy the type sold for use with a soldering iron, squeeze the water out of it after wetting it, and switch to a fresh one when it gets cruddy. I have never had an issue. Flux - hobbyists either try to use 50-year-old parts with totally oxidized plating and no flux, or they use too much flux. New p…

"Yes-clean" flux has absolutely been the cause of controller malfunctions due to its conductivity for makers of my controller project. It needs to be removed. But yes, no-clean flux is best left where it is.

Could be so, and it can depend on the flux and the processing, but it's almost never the flux. From a 10,000 ft look at your project, I wouldn't expect it to need the high isolation or high impedances that would drive a serious cleanliness spec. You could have other issues that a temperature and humidity test would uncover with no-clean, for example. We can discuss them if you'd like.

Depends on what you mean by "yes-clean" though - "water-clean" OA flux must absolutely be cleaned - it can start to corrode overnight even.

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