Transcript Soldering Basics

Soldering Basics
Ground rules for soldering
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Rule 1: Irons get hot. Be safe.
Rule 2: You need to wet your sponge. This wet sponge is used to clean the
corrosion on the tip of the iron. A dry sponge does nothing but damage the tip.
Rule 3: The point on the iron-tip is NOT the hottest part. This takes some practice
but learn to use the side of the tip near the point. It's all about getting the heat to
flow from the iron to the joint
Rule 4: When soldering joints that have a lot of thermal weight, heat the joint up
for an additional 5-10 seconds. When you solder to a big part or a pad that has a
lot of copper attached to it (very common with GND connections), it takes a few
extra seconds for the iron to pump enough heat into the part to get it to the
correct temperature to form a connection.
Rule 5: Shinny is good, dull is bad. The soldering iron is only there for heat, not
solder. You use the iron to heat two things - the part and the board, and then you
add solder to the two heated parts. Use the side of the iron (remember, not the
point) to heat the two parts while adding solder from the opposite side.
Iron
This is an under $100 iron. You don't really
need a digital read-out but do use an iron
that has an adjustable temp dial. Set temp
to about 350C for leaded solder. Notice the
sponge is wet!
A cold iron tip. You can see the barrel
and upper area of the iron are discolored
by heat over time
Solder
This solder is SN63PB37 meaning it's 63% tin
and 37% lead. It's also called 'rosin core solder'
because it has an organic core of rosin. As you
melt the solder into the joint, a small amount
of rosin inside the core will come out and help
the solder flow. Rosin basically changes the
surface tension of the solder allowing it to flow
better (we're talking about liquid metal after
all). Rosin will burn off and that's the small
amount of smoke you see while soldering.
Get a fan or open a window to avoid the
smoke.
Lead is known to be a carcinogen. In general,
don't eat the solder. Wash your hands before
you eat and you should be safe.
Clean and Shinny Tips
Here is a hot iron, with a blob of oxidized
solder on the tip.
A quick double swipe on the sponge and the
tip is clean and shinny. This is the iron you
should be soldering with! Keep your tip clean
and shinny. Clean it often. Wipe it on the
sponge every time you take it out of the base.
Add a bit of solder to the end of your cleaned
tip to increase heat flow
6 min video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4&feature=related
The end
That's the starters.
Soldering takes practice,
just go and get your hands
dirty!