A Framework For Making Affordable & Stylish Modular Controllers (USB to MIDI, HID, or Serial)

Step 6 Soldering Like A Pro

As you can probably tell there is going to be some soldering necessary to build your controller. If you have not soldered before, don't fret, it's really easy (if you follow my tips). If you don't have a soldering iron here is a super cheap station. You can also get irons at most hardware stores as well as Radio Shack. Below are four important tips to help you solder like a pro!

Buy a flux pen
This is imperative! They can be purchased here. Never ever try to solder without a flux pen no matter what anyone tells you. 

Watch my videos

Use this method if you have a free hand available to feed the solder. 
 

Use this method if you don't have a free hand available to feed the solder. 

Clean your tip using a wet sponge
If you don't do this you iron will become useless very fast. 

Use stranded wire
Solder sticks better to wire with many strands. The crimped wire from Pololu is stranded. 

Comments

[asfi235]

Are you using lead-free solder? If so, I can see why you need the flux pen -- lead-free soldering is crazy fussy and I can just barely get the hang of it.

[Fuzzy-Wobble]

I use both. Lead free solder is obviously better for my health. It doesn't matter what kind of solder you use when you have a flux pen. They are trying to phase out lead based solder so better get used to that flux pen!

[skrubol]

Lead free being better for your health is a myth. Very little of the lead vaporizes, it's mostly the flux that gets in the air, and due to more aggressive fluxes and higher temperatures needed for soldering with lead-free, it's actually worse for your lungs and burns your eyes more.
For hand soldering something that's going to be around for a while (and not going to be shipped to Europe,) I always prefer traditional lead solder.

[asfi235]

As I understand it, a major motivation for the whole RoHS thing was to keep lead and other toxic materials out of landfills and waste incinerators. It would make a huge lot more sense to, say, avoid throwing out electronics with regular trash, but I guess it's easier to legislate a giant sweeping change to a huge industry than it is to change the lazy waste-management habits of millions of consumers.