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This guide focuses on soldering for the beginner and explains how you can solder a variety of components using a few different techniques - from the classy to the downright caveman. Although soldering can seem daunting at first, once you give it a try you will see that in most applications it's quite simple to do.
Please note: this instructable is written for beginners, and contains lots of very basic information. If you have lots of experience soldering, please use the comments to share your knowledge. Clarifications and corrections are especially welcome.
This Instructable was the lead-off for "How to Solder" month, where we rewarded soldering tutorials with Instructables patches. See the original call for project here at submitting a How to Solder Instructable or just check out all the other soldering Instructables here at the How to Solder group.
Please note: this instructable is written for beginners, and contains lots of very basic information. If you have lots of experience soldering, please use the comments to share your knowledge. Clarifications and corrections are especially welcome.
This Instructable was the lead-off for "How to Solder" month, where we rewarded soldering tutorials with Instructables patches. See the original call for project here at submitting a How to Solder Instructable or just check out all the other soldering Instructables here at the How to Solder group.
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Signing UpStep 1Tools and materials
Soldering is the process of using a filler material (solder) to join pieces of metal together. Soldering occurs at relatively low temperatures (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit) as compared to brazing and welding, which actually melt and fuse the materials themselves at higher temperatures. In soldering the filler material becomes liquid, coats the pieces it is brought into contact with, and is then allowed to cool. As the solder cools it hardens, and the two materials are joined. Soldering is a quick way to join many types of materials, from copper pipe to stained glass. It creates an electrically conductive strong bond between components that can be re-heated (desoldered) if you should ever want to disconnect two items joined together. It's great for joining electrical components and wires and is used in just about everything electronic. In this Instructable I explain how to solder the basics you see in most Instructables: electrical components and wires.
For further information and some more technical specs on soldering check out the wikipedia article.
As with many skills, having the right tools for the job effects the quality of the work being done. When it comes to soldering you can end up using a lot of fancy tools, or just a few simple items you can pick up at the hardware store for a couple of bucks. I am going to use a couple of different soldering tools in this Instructable; there are many ways to solder, and you should use what works for you.
At the very minimum you will need the solder and a heat source to melt it - preferably something small which can get to 600-800 degrees Fahrenheit. If you've got that, your ready to make a connection. That being said, there are a wide range of soldering tools and accessories that can be really helpful if you're going to be soldering frequently. Ladyada has compiled a nice list of equipment and sources to buy the tools on her site. I got together a solid supply of soldering tools by raiding the Squid Labs soldering station. Here is the complete list of what I used...
1. Soldering iron
Most people opt for using a soldering iron to solder. It's a great heat source that heats up and cools down quickly and can maintain a pretty constant temperature. Soldering irons can be purchased from a variety of places. I have picked up some at Radioshack - evil yes, but convenient, some from the hardware store, some from garage sales and a bunch more from retailers online. Low wattage (15-40 watt) soldering irons work best for soldering components on circuit boards while more powerful (60-140 watt) soldering irons work well joining thicker materials like braided speaker wire. If you use too powerful of a soldering iron on a circuit board you might damage the components you are trying to join. I like to keep a low-wattage iron around for detail work, and a high-wattage iron that I can use when I am not too concerned about exposing the material I am working with to high temperatures. It's a real pain to solder thick wires without a powerful soldering iron.
The soldering iron in most of the pictures is made by Weller, and has a variable temperature control. This is the best of both worlds since you can set the heat exactly where you want it, but it's significantly more expensive than fixed-temperature irons. If you're just going to do some occasional soldering it isn't a must have by any means. Anyone interested in modding a soldering iron should check out DIY Hot Air Soldering Iron by charper.
2. Solder
There are lots of kinds of solder available. They come in different thicknesses from around .02" to some really thick stuff you would only use on copper pipe with a butane torch. You use thin solder for detailed work like putting resistors onto circuit boards and thicker solder for joining larger materials like speaker wire. I use solder around .025" for most jobs. Most solder is made from a combination of tin and lead - it's about a 60% tin, 40% lead mix depending on what solder your using. Recent international health codes from Japan and the EU (California and New York have adopted similar policies as well) mandate that lead solder be phased out of certain commercial products and substituted with a lead-free alternative. The manufacturing deadline was this past July so we should be seeing the changes now. Even if you don't live in California or New York its still worth staying away from lead solder since lead has been known to cause all kinds of a nasty health effects from birth defects to severe developmental and neurological damage. Plus it's pretty easy to find the lead-free stuff.
Some solder will contain a small amount of silver. This pushes the melting temperature up a bit, but the silver helps the solder to flow and makes a stronger joint. If you are worried about burning whatever your working with, try to stay away from solder with silver in it, but it works very well if you're just joining wires or something that won't be easily damaged. The last thing to know about solder is that you want to use a solder that has a rosin core. The rosin acts as a flux when soldering and helps the connection - it's also the kind that's most readily available at the hardware store and from electronics suppliers.
3. Soldering iron tips
Soldering irons come with a tip, so you don't have to go out and get a special one, but it's important to know the differences between them and make sure you're using the right tip for the kind of soldering you're doing. Some small-wattage irons come with conical pointed tips for detail work, while most high-wattage irons come with a flatter screwdriver-style tip that works well on wires. You want your tip to be a little smaller than whatever you are soldering so you have good control of what you heat up and what you leave alone.
4. Soldering iron holder and cleaning sponge
It's nice to have a safe place to put the soldering iron down in between soldering. A soldering stand safely holds the iron and gives you a place to clean the tip. Some soldering irons come with their own holders. If yours doesn't have one, you can buy one or make one. jaime9999 has a Homemade nearly-free Soldering Iron Stand that is pretty much identical to what you can buy. The stand isn't a necessity for learning how to solder, but it does help.
5. Tools to work with wires
I have a go-to stock of tools that I round up when working with wires or electrical components. They consist of wire cutters, a wire stripper, needle nose pliers, and an automatic wire stripper (courtesy of the Squid Labs soldering station.) The automatic wire stripper is really convenient if you're going to be stripping lots and lots of wire, but by no means necessary. I have stripped lots and lots of speaker wire using my teeth (not the best idea, I know I know.)
6. Clips to hold your work
Often called "third hands" or "helping hands," these little guys help a whole lot when soldering. You have to hold the soldering iron with one hand and the solder wire in the other, so it really helps to have something else to hold the components you're actually trying to join. You can use alligator clips, clamps, or even some tape to hold things in place if you need to. The third hand is generally a good investment if your going to be soldering regularly, and there are plenty of Instructables with with ideas to modify them if you do happen to pick one up. Check out: Make a 3 degree of freedom 'hand' to help with soldering / gluing work and make your 'helping hands' 100x more useful for soldering / gluing small parts by leevonk to start.
If you would like to make a set of helping hands of your own there are already a number of good Instructables on that too. Quick helper for surface-mount soldering by http://www.instructables.com/member/bikeNomad/bikeNomad, QuickMods - Soldering Arms by Aeshir and Build a Pair of Helping Hands by john otto should get things started.
7. Exhaust fan
I do most of my soldering at a soldering station that is equipped with an exhaust fan. It's really not such a good idea to breathe in solder fumes, and soldering does produce fumes. Any kind of ventilation/fan you can rig up will help. Vent the fumes outside or use an indoor fan with a filter if you can't vent them outdoors. Here is a Window-mounted solder fume extractor (not just for RVs!) posted by bikeNomad. Also check out Dr. Solomon's low tech, but functional Solder Fume Extractor if you're looking to build something that you can place right on your table. If you're just doing a quick soldering job, the fumes wont kill you by any means. I have certainly done my fair share of soldering without a vent, but anyone doing repetitive soldering should definitely pick one up or make one.
8. Safety goggles
I hadn't ever used goggles before while soldering, but while doing research for this post I saw it mentioned elsewhere and agree that its a good idea. Little molten bits of solder tend to fly out of the soldering joint when you're feeding in the solder, and if it landed in your eye it wouldn't feel too good.
9. The materials that you want to join together
I was just messing around, and mostly soldering for the purpose of this Instructable so my materials didn't necessarily make anything. You can solder wire, electrical components like resistors and capacitors, circuits, breadboards, electrodes, small pieces of metal and whatever else you can think of. Don't know if it can be soldered? Give it a try - you won't blow anything up.
Once I have got my tools and materials rounded up, I like to pretend that I am a pilot and begin my pre-flight/solder checklist.
For further information and some more technical specs on soldering check out the wikipedia article.
As with many skills, having the right tools for the job effects the quality of the work being done. When it comes to soldering you can end up using a lot of fancy tools, or just a few simple items you can pick up at the hardware store for a couple of bucks. I am going to use a couple of different soldering tools in this Instructable; there are many ways to solder, and you should use what works for you.
At the very minimum you will need the solder and a heat source to melt it - preferably something small which can get to 600-800 degrees Fahrenheit. If you've got that, your ready to make a connection. That being said, there are a wide range of soldering tools and accessories that can be really helpful if you're going to be soldering frequently. Ladyada has compiled a nice list of equipment and sources to buy the tools on her site. I got together a solid supply of soldering tools by raiding the Squid Labs soldering station. Here is the complete list of what I used...
1. Soldering iron
Most people opt for using a soldering iron to solder. It's a great heat source that heats up and cools down quickly and can maintain a pretty constant temperature. Soldering irons can be purchased from a variety of places. I have picked up some at Radioshack - evil yes, but convenient, some from the hardware store, some from garage sales and a bunch more from retailers online. Low wattage (15-40 watt) soldering irons work best for soldering components on circuit boards while more powerful (60-140 watt) soldering irons work well joining thicker materials like braided speaker wire. If you use too powerful of a soldering iron on a circuit board you might damage the components you are trying to join. I like to keep a low-wattage iron around for detail work, and a high-wattage iron that I can use when I am not too concerned about exposing the material I am working with to high temperatures. It's a real pain to solder thick wires without a powerful soldering iron.
The soldering iron in most of the pictures is made by Weller, and has a variable temperature control. This is the best of both worlds since you can set the heat exactly where you want it, but it's significantly more expensive than fixed-temperature irons. If you're just going to do some occasional soldering it isn't a must have by any means. Anyone interested in modding a soldering iron should check out DIY Hot Air Soldering Iron by charper.
2. Solder
There are lots of kinds of solder available. They come in different thicknesses from around .02" to some really thick stuff you would only use on copper pipe with a butane torch. You use thin solder for detailed work like putting resistors onto circuit boards and thicker solder for joining larger materials like speaker wire. I use solder around .025" for most jobs. Most solder is made from a combination of tin and lead - it's about a 60% tin, 40% lead mix depending on what solder your using. Recent international health codes from Japan and the EU (California and New York have adopted similar policies as well) mandate that lead solder be phased out of certain commercial products and substituted with a lead-free alternative. The manufacturing deadline was this past July so we should be seeing the changes now. Even if you don't live in California or New York its still worth staying away from lead solder since lead has been known to cause all kinds of a nasty health effects from birth defects to severe developmental and neurological damage. Plus it's pretty easy to find the lead-free stuff.
Some solder will contain a small amount of silver. This pushes the melting temperature up a bit, but the silver helps the solder to flow and makes a stronger joint. If you are worried about burning whatever your working with, try to stay away from solder with silver in it, but it works very well if you're just joining wires or something that won't be easily damaged. The last thing to know about solder is that you want to use a solder that has a rosin core. The rosin acts as a flux when soldering and helps the connection - it's also the kind that's most readily available at the hardware store and from electronics suppliers.
3. Soldering iron tips
Soldering irons come with a tip, so you don't have to go out and get a special one, but it's important to know the differences between them and make sure you're using the right tip for the kind of soldering you're doing. Some small-wattage irons come with conical pointed tips for detail work, while most high-wattage irons come with a flatter screwdriver-style tip that works well on wires. You want your tip to be a little smaller than whatever you are soldering so you have good control of what you heat up and what you leave alone.
4. Soldering iron holder and cleaning sponge
It's nice to have a safe place to put the soldering iron down in between soldering. A soldering stand safely holds the iron and gives you a place to clean the tip. Some soldering irons come with their own holders. If yours doesn't have one, you can buy one or make one. jaime9999 has a Homemade nearly-free Soldering Iron Stand that is pretty much identical to what you can buy. The stand isn't a necessity for learning how to solder, but it does help.
5. Tools to work with wires
I have a go-to stock of tools that I round up when working with wires or electrical components. They consist of wire cutters, a wire stripper, needle nose pliers, and an automatic wire stripper (courtesy of the Squid Labs soldering station.) The automatic wire stripper is really convenient if you're going to be stripping lots and lots of wire, but by no means necessary. I have stripped lots and lots of speaker wire using my teeth (not the best idea, I know I know.)
6. Clips to hold your work
Often called "third hands" or "helping hands," these little guys help a whole lot when soldering. You have to hold the soldering iron with one hand and the solder wire in the other, so it really helps to have something else to hold the components you're actually trying to join. You can use alligator clips, clamps, or even some tape to hold things in place if you need to. The third hand is generally a good investment if your going to be soldering regularly, and there are plenty of Instructables with with ideas to modify them if you do happen to pick one up. Check out: Make a 3 degree of freedom 'hand' to help with soldering / gluing work and make your 'helping hands' 100x more useful for soldering / gluing small parts by leevonk to start.
If you would like to make a set of helping hands of your own there are already a number of good Instructables on that too. Quick helper for surface-mount soldering by http://www.instructables.com/member/bikeNomad/bikeNomad, QuickMods - Soldering Arms by Aeshir and Build a Pair of Helping Hands by john otto should get things started.
7. Exhaust fan
I do most of my soldering at a soldering station that is equipped with an exhaust fan. It's really not such a good idea to breathe in solder fumes, and soldering does produce fumes. Any kind of ventilation/fan you can rig up will help. Vent the fumes outside or use an indoor fan with a filter if you can't vent them outdoors. Here is a Window-mounted solder fume extractor (not just for RVs!) posted by bikeNomad. Also check out Dr. Solomon's low tech, but functional Solder Fume Extractor if you're looking to build something that you can place right on your table. If you're just doing a quick soldering job, the fumes wont kill you by any means. I have certainly done my fair share of soldering without a vent, but anyone doing repetitive soldering should definitely pick one up or make one.
8. Safety goggles
I hadn't ever used goggles before while soldering, but while doing research for this post I saw it mentioned elsewhere and agree that its a good idea. Little molten bits of solder tend to fly out of the soldering joint when you're feeding in the solder, and if it landed in your eye it wouldn't feel too good.
9. The materials that you want to join together
I was just messing around, and mostly soldering for the purpose of this Instructable so my materials didn't necessarily make anything. You can solder wire, electrical components like resistors and capacitors, circuits, breadboards, electrodes, small pieces of metal and whatever else you can think of. Don't know if it can be soldered? Give it a try - you won't blow anything up.
Once I have got my tools and materials rounded up, I like to pretend that I am a pilot and begin my pre-flight/solder checklist.
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There's a few possible problems, the obvious one is you're iron isn't hot enough. I prefer a 40W iron over a 30W any day. It seems 30W are the most common, but they just don't cut it for me.
Try a cheapo model form ebay etc for $5 or so and see how it works for you.
Another fix is to heat the iron up a bit with a torch. I rarely need to do this to boost heat, but I will use a torch as the heat source for the iron if I'm too far from an outlet..
The other problem could be thinking the flux inside the solder is enough. It is not.... At least it has never been for me. You need to flux the surfaces and be sure the surface can be soldered in the first place.
The surface could be coated or plated with something that either the solder or the flux doesn't like. It might also be corrosion, a lubricant, protectant, or who knows what. In those cases I clean it with a chemical such as electric contact cleaner aka brake cleaner, or even carb cleaner, but most people use alcohol. If that doesn't work then it's probably some kind of coating you'll need to remove with force, like sandpaper or a Dremel tool to break thru to the good metal. Once you've ground the bad part off, clean it, coat it with flux and try again.
If it's still being difficult you can try using sandpaper on it while it's coated in flux. I like 320-400 wet/dry paper, maybe 180-220 if it's really bad. Cut a small piece for sacrifice because you don't want to use it again now that it has flux on it. After you have either roughed it up nicely, or ground thru the problem coating whatever it was, clean it, flux it, and try again.
I prefer to coat the problem item in solder first, that way I know it'll work when it's time to attach something. Assuming the iron is hot, clean, and will hold solder (plain old rosin core 60/40 works best for me), put a little on the tip, then apply it to the surface and hold until it flows and coats your surface. If it's a large item and you can't get it hot enough you will need to preheat the item with a torch or whatever, I've used anything from little butane torches to my oven, as long as everything can handle the heat that is. (fyi; preheating also works for welding when the machine can't generate enough heat). Once it's hot enough the solder will flow nicely into the area worked on, and your problem is solved.
If you never could get the solder to stick then you might be working with the wrong metal, like aluminum, so use the appropriate method for that metal, or simply try using a screw or bolt as a contact. If you can figure out what the base metal is, then search the net for a bolt material that will not react with it. Example; drill a hole and use an appropriate bolt/nut and torque it down good, then apply solder to the bolt's head which should be a snap. Common steel bolts are usually coated with something which probably needs to be ground off. Grind off just enough area for what you need, and preferably solder it in a way you can still use the tool to remove it if needed. Now flux your spot and apply a little drop of solder like described above. Being a bolt it's probably heavier and may need a little boost with a torch.
I flux/solder each piece first so I know they're both good to go, then I put them together and add a drop of solder with the iron until it flows.
I hope this helps some people with their soldering problems...
Tin/Lead = around 200C
Lead Free from 217-250C
.FAIL.
but i laughed at your comment. i'm sure you did as well looking back on it. sorry if i offended u. but i know how hot those are and i can almost see it happening!
When I do it, the solder either balls up on the end of the solder wire, or bunches up into a little blob around the lead, which is only a good enough joint to last for a week or so before I start losing the connection again. (I had the exact same problem while I was soldering the pickups in my guitar as well, although that was soldering a wire to a plate so it was quite different.)
So can somebody please tell me....WHAT am I doing wrong??
I cannot see what you are doing but it sounds to me like your iron tip is not tinned properly, or it was, and it is dirty now. Something like that. Take a paper towel fold it into a little square and soak it with clean water, then wipe your hot iron tip on it with a rolling motion a few times see if you can make it shiny bright.
You should be able to get a droplet of solder to stick right to your iron tip. If you can't do that you can't solder. Well, not you can't solder, just you can't solder with that iron tip.
When you solder to a metal plate it is helpful if you sand the smooth metal with emery or sand paper to put some scratches in it that the solder can grip to. Solder won't stick to all metals either. Like you can't solder aluminum. Well you can solder aluminum, just not with regular solder.
Confused yet? Good! I think that is how they want us to be.
Insist on genuine lead solder!
http://i.imgur.com/l1z0g.jpg
With a small surface mount product you can "wipe" the component off onto the soldering iron buy using a large blob of solder on the tip of the iron. Large enough to touch both ends of the component is ideal but if it's a big component you can move it up and down the component to melt both (or all three) solder pads at once and the component will slide off with just the pressure of you soldering (you don't need to push it). If you have something to wipe the component off onto you can usually clean it up and reuse it too.
i need to find some soldering braid..
Not even there and i would run off to buy a replacement tip ...
Hope this helped
-Eric
http://tinyurl.com/27c77zm