I got a new PC board from radio shack and I am going to be making a little flashlight.  I don't think the board is interconnected in any way, so is it ok for me just to use melted solder as a lead from one spot to another, like connecting the pos and neg of two led's.  If this isn't right, what is the proper way to use those PC boards.

I have trouble getting the solder to actually stick to the things I'm soldering. I use flux, but all the solder sticks to the tip. I have to keep making a bigger bubble until it falls off onto the wires. Am I doing something wrong?

Is soldering pronounced [ SAW - TERING ] ? I was told this, but it didn't make sense to me that it isn't pronounced how it is spelled.

Is a solder mask just pcb laquer? like you could make your own solder masks?

Is there anything that i can use instead of solder to bind electronics with? Im asking about solder itself, not the iron.

Hello all.  I had a question about desoldering.  First thing is that I have desoldering wick.  I found out I was using it wrong.  I melted the solder and then placed the end of the wick in the melted solder.  But I watched a youtube video and according to that I should place the wick on the solder and then heat up the wick and solder as one.  But this still has not been working very well for me.  The wick is over a year old and I was wondering if this could be a problem.  But my other question is how well do those spring loaded solder suckers work?  I was thinking about perhaps ordering one off of e-bay.  Yes I know I might find one in a good hardware store but I have some paypal money I could use.  In case you do not know what I am talking about....it is the spring loaded suckers where you cock it, put it next to the melted solder and then press a button and it forms a vacuum and sucks up the solder into it.  I think I can pick one up for a few bucks off-line, so if you people say they work well then I will give it a shot. Also in case you want to know what I am working on.  This would be used for salvaging parts of of circuit boards.  Like right now I am trying to salvage a few capacitors and also a couple of flyback transformers from crt computer monitors.  Also tomorrow I am tearing apart a broken water cooler to see if there is anything I can take out of there. I have also being having a problem getting solder to melt in the first place.  But that probably just has something to do with the 2 soldering irons I am using and I am trying my best to figure it all out.  I know my way around computers as far as building and repairing them.  But soldering and desoldering is something I really want to learn to be able to further my computer repair skills.  Sometimes it would save so much money being able to solder and desolder myself.  Especially those darn ac ports that are soldered right onto the boards sometimes. I have not actually made anything from this site yet.  But this is a wonderful site and after cruzing the forums here I am pretty sure I will get some good replies.  Ok I will stop babbling and I look forward to your replies.  

I'm a grade-A electronics noob, and I'm just starting my first project soon. I'd be doing it now if not for the fact that I'm doing it in an upstairs bedroom and if I know anything about soldering it's that you're supposed to do it in a well-ventilated area. Should I get a fume extractor, or is that more of a luxury? Is there a cheaper alternative? Would it be a problem that there's another house a couple of feet from the window I'll be soldering in front of? 

Would any one know what type and where to get a soldering iron to solder tabs on to solar cells

My last soldering iron needs to be retired, it will no longer melt solder, and was originally purchased sometime in the 80's. So I need a new soldering iron, but I do not know which one to buy. Should I get a 25 watt or 30 watt to make sure I have enough heat? Also are any of the soldering stations with the variable heat gun worth it? For now I will have to be careful and use my butane soldering iron (I have not burned any components yet).

Sooo i bought a soldering iron because i though i could be cool..so i bought one and now i dont know how to use it...anyone wanna help me with my problem?

I am looking for a well-built, durable soldering station that has adjustable output modes. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about any soldering stations that they own or used that was a great product. Also, i would like it to be under $70 is possible, but all suggestions are welcome.

I have been soldering veeeery small devices lately and I wanted to ask the community if there are any other cheap options such as a voltage-conductive polymer (with good conductivity), I know that it may not be possible for it to have the same characteristics but soldering with glue would be so much easier, I may sound silly but it may exist already... I found this: "silver conductive epoxy" my question still lingers: Is there a true solder replacement?

I have been soldering veeeery small devices lately and I wanted to ask the community if there are any other cheap options such as a voltage-conductive polymer (with good conductivity), I know that it may not be possible for it to have the same characteristics but soldering with glue would be so much easier, I may sound silly but it may exist already... I found this: "silver conductive epoxy" my question still lingers: Is there a true solder replacement?

Hi there. We’re Solder Otter, a team of recent engineering graduates from the University of Waterloo in Canada that is redesigning the soldering iron so soldering electronics can be safer and simpler. You may have seen the survey we posted back in 2013 when we first started working on Solder Otter. Since then, we’ve built prototypes, won pitch competitions, and learned so much about makers and soldering. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback, so we’re pushing forward with the project beyond graduation. We have another survey. It’s similar to our last survey, but this one is designed to help us refine our prototype into the best soldering iron for you. We’re reaching out to makers and hobbyists across several forums because we want to learn about your soldering experiences, preferences, and needs. We're also considering designing with children in mind, so if you have any input in that regard, we'd love to hear that too. If you can spare 10 minutes to fill out our survey (link below), we would really appreciate your input. Thank you! If you have any questions or comments feel free to reply to this post or send us an email at info@solderotter.com. Link to survey: http://goo.gl/forms/Uep9Qd0GiM

So i recently got a 40 watt weller soldering iron. This is my first soldering iron ever, and i have watched many instructional videos and tips on how to use it. I had a bit of trouble tinning the tip but i got the hang of it. I am using Rosin Core Solder btw. Today i went to go practice my soldering a bit, so i plugged in my soldering iron and waited for it to heat up. Once i heated it up i got a damp sponge and i wiped off the old solder. IIRC i wiped it off and then tryed to tin the tip again, but i saw my tip has turned black. I tried to tin it, but the solder just turned into a ball and rolled off the tip, as if the tip was oil and the solder was water. I tried taking off what i presumed was oxidation by cleaning it with the sponge, mr. cleans magic eraser, and my last resort was a nail filer. MR cleans magic eraser turned the oxidation a grayish blue, but the nail filer was the only thing that took off all the oxidation. (i know that any sort of abrasive thing shouldn't be used, but i was angry and confused). I felt pretty happy, but as soon as i put solder on the tip, the tip immediately turned black and the solder rolled off again, making tinning impossible. I tried re tinning my spare chisel tip too and it wasnt so bad, but the solder just rolled off too. Now all i have left is a tinned "mini chisel" tip that im scared to use because i dont want to mess up what i have left. Is there something im doing wrong? I could really use some help.

I have a couple of questions pertaining to solder paste... Can you buy it in really small amounts, like 10g? Can you apply it by hand, or do you need a stencil? I wanted to do a project involving an ARM chip, but the only way I could solder it to the board is using the paste, but considering I'd spend $40 on paste and $20 on a stencil, its not worth it.

Where can I find a good quality one for on the cheap? Or at-least semi-cheap? Preferably under $50. My computer wont put a space there. Thanks for all incoming answers. Unless your answer doesnt help. NO THANKS FOR YOU!

I am a sculptor and, if possible, would like to make simple bases for my work...ie a 3" x 3" steel plate with a verticle a 1/8" - 1/4" steel rod attached.  Is it possible to do this with soldering?   If not , would copper possibly work?  Thanks for any advice!

Hi, guys. I've been looking for videos and advice on how to solder quickly, but I keep hitting a wall with my search engine giving me quick instructions instead of quick technique. Does anybody have any advice or links I could use? (I work putting together solar cells and since I just had a significant pay-cut, I need to produce more plates in the same amount of time)

So im making a  laser spirograph (https://www.instructables.com/id/Laser-Spirograph/#step1) and i just got my laser diode to come out of its case, and i was wondering where i should solder the red and black wire as it does not look like the one in the 'ible. the laser diode looks like this one here http://10mW 532nm Green Laser Module (3V 11.9mm)  (i would take a pic of the diode but i cant find my camera!) the only difference in the diodes is that mine has a black button instead of the red. Oh and one more thing is that it has to bypass the use of the button. Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!

To dodge an onslaught of summer boredom, I'd like to fart around with small scale electronics projects (LEDs, maybe a circuit board, etc.). I hope that by the time I finish farting around, I would have something nifty to post on this website. Unfortunately, I have little practical knowledge of this stuff (other than what I learned five years ago in high school electronics). I mean, I don't even know how one technically refers to "this stuff." Can anyone recommend some good books or a general method of wetting one's feet before jumping into the pond? Highly technical sources are obviously beyond me at this point, so I'm looking for introductory-level information that can be flexibly applied to whatever bizarre project pops into my mind on Friday afternoon.

Hi. I purchased some decent headphones a little while ago and my little brother was playing with the cats with the jack. One of them stuck their claw through it and it needs replacing. They were pretty expensive headphones, so I want to repair these. Will any old solder do? I like my sound quality. I've only got Lead-free crap ATM. Cheers, Josho.

------------------------------------------------------------ SOLDERING ALTERNATIVES - CONDUCTIVE GLUE/SOLDERING PASTE ... ? i am looking for a reliable, not-too-expensive alternative for soldering connections & found conductive glue/paste products as listed in the following; .... i assume that there is nothing that really replaces soldering but would like to know, if you probably tested any of these or may recommend a specific product suitable for "sticking" components onto pcb's ... any hint is highly appreciated! ------------------------------------------------------------ PRODUCTS http://de.rs-online.com/web/c/?searchTerm=loet+paste&sra;=oss solder paste/solder glue ... based on silver http://www.ponoko.com/make-and-sell/show-hardware/2201-a-solder-paste-50g-leaded?source_node=ponoko_united_states#main-image solder paste ... needs heat to harden out, cheaper than silver based glue http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/b70c/ "Wire Glue" ... does not need heat to harden out, based on graphite powder, cheapest of all i found so far https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Conductive-Glue-and-Glue-a-Circuit/ ... selfmade, based on graphite powder ------------------------------------------------------------ TESTS/RATINGS/COMMENTS http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?70,21723 "Wire Glue" ... it's consistence might be too brittle, using additional expoxy might make up with this issue

I had an idea about making a pen that writes solder not ink i searched for it and i found that it has been made this year but i'm thinking about making my own version maybe of wood link for the solder pen : http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/07/01/faux-pen/ if you have an idea please share it here

Well today i finally got my soldering iron Weller marksman 25 watts for $ 17.75 but i turned it on it smoldered for 3 minutes then stopped then the tip started to get black and solder wont stick to it is that oxidization and how and what do i use to clean it off

I'm working on a project that requires soldering a 1/4" OD copper tube into a hole drilled in the side of a 2" copper pipe. Will a soldered join (not brazed) be sturdy or do I need to do something to reinforce (cut threads into the tube and pipe, flare the tube and insert from inside, etc) it? There won't be a lot of stress on the join but there will be a small tap on the tube to there may be a bit of torsion now and again. Thanks for your responses!

I'm new to soldering, and I was wondering if you guys knew of some projects to help me get some experience in soldering. I know that there's a guide on here, but I didn't know what projects to get started on. Your help is appreciated.

Ok. I'm an absolute noob at soldering. I am trying to fix my drum set that I got for guitar hero world tour because the dumbos at redoctane did a crappy job when they soldered on the wires to the hit sensor for the red pad. I need help trying to figure out how to do this because I dont want my whole drum set to go to waste because of a soldering mistake. But I am afraid ill screw up and permanently damage the sensor. Anyway somebody could help me out? The mod im following is https://www.instructables.com/id/GHWorld_Tour_Drum_Repair/

I was just wondering how (aside from being clumsy and burning yourself) soldering can be a health risk. I would suppose the fumes would be bad for you, and is there anything else? And is it safe to solder in an average room in a house, or should I do it outside for better ventilation? 

Hello sorry if this is the wrong place, i'm pretty new here. recently i got a 30w solder iron and found this instructable to make it adjustable https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Create-an-Adjustable-Soldering-Iron/ I know it won't be as good as buying a real adjustable iron but this is cheaper and will work.  I have a little potentiometer that i got from a lamp but unlike most it only has 2 terminals and a space for a third. i did some experimenting and it seems to work fine, the 2 terminals are a middle and one to the right then a space to the left i hooked a wire in the space and it basically worked in reverse to when it clicked off it turned the (in this case) motor. so my real question is how do i wire this up, can i just wire the "hot" wire threw the pot and will it work to make my iron semi adjustable the only info i have on the pot is that on the top it says B500k i can take a picture of it if needed. 

I hand soldered some surface mount LEDs and most of them seem broken now. I assume I overheated them. However, I`ve soldered lots of other kinds of surface mount LEDs with no problems, even really small ones were fine. The problem was with some warm white (yellowy white) LEDs. I removed some of them to check for a soldering error and they still won`t light up when I test them so I guess they are really broken. This is a bummer because I paid over 100 yen a piece for them. Do you think I overheated these LEDs when I soldered them?  How can I avoid this problem in the future? Why did this only happen with this particular kind of surface mount LED? 

Is it just me or do you have to "break in" a soldering iron before it's really usful? I've had a new soldering iron for about amonth (using it about 4 hours to 8 hours a week) and it only started to solder really well in the past couple of days. Anybody know why? Also my soldering iron kind of has a hot spot, where you the solder melts really well, that normal?

Just today, my brother offered to give me his old coffee maker that he had replaced with a newer one. He is well aware of my electronics hobby, which is why he offered to give it to me in the first place. Nothing is wrong with the coffee maker electronically - he just didn't use it for a long time in which it became moldy on the inside. He cleaned the inside properly, and as a precaution I did it a second time. Now that it is cleaned, I'm curious as to if I could turn it into a solder pot. Seeing plenty of DIY solder pots, I'm thinking I could use an empty soup can, cut to a reasonable size, and have it rest on the heating element of which the coffee pot would normally rest on. Would I be able to do just that or no? Any suggestions as to what to use for the "bath" or "pot" of which will hold the molten solder? Thanks in advance! P.S. This is a basic electric drip coffeemaker I'm wanting to salvage - just to clarify.

I'm just starting out but most of the instruction I've seen on soldering (jewelry) talks about flux, the solder itself, and a torch or soldering iron. When soldering copper to copper is there a special flux and solder to be used so that the solder doesn't look "silver"? Does it matter whether you use a torch or a soldering iron?

I have a soldering iron which  is  expensive and used to work well but after some time instead of melting the solder it made balls of iron which were still connected to the solder and never stayed on the soldering iron. please help

It's learn to solder month! Earn yourself an Instructables patch by sharing your soldering knowledge. Full details here: How to get an Instructables patch by contributing to "Learn to Solder Month".Also, be sure to check out our How to solder Instructable and all the rest of the soldering Instructables in the How to solder group.

 i have blow three my soldering iron , and it is because wire positive and negetive collide, when i buy soldering iron wire positive and negetive is not connect to heating element strongly,and can broke anytime when im using my soldering iron.so to prevent this collision , can i solder  wire positive and negetive(seperately ) to heating element,and can my soldering iron still function after i solder the wire. and i dont want my soldering iron to blow again , plesea help me.

So...If I were to solder a wire to a battery...Is that legal? I mean, will it like explode, or melt, or go haywire or whatever? Or will there be no problems at all, whatsoever? Thanks!

Well theres been a minor hicuup in my soldering iron if any cd help the soldering iron doesnt heat up proprly the led which acts as indicator somtyms brights up sometym is dimmd or doesnt lyt is there a problem with the soldring iron or mains line

Quick question regarding diy soldering flux can i use gum rosin to make the flux

I am new to soldering and am looking to buy an iron. Any suggestions on beginner irons would be great. I plan on mostly using it for soldering small electronics. Also I would like to buy at a store and not over the internet. Again, any advice is greatly appreciated.

I'm building an aluminum bridge for my railroad.  I need to solder the side braces rather than using screws and nuts.  I've ordered a 150 watt chisel soldering iron and need to know what items (solder etc) I need to perform this project.  Any assistance greatly appreciated.  I would rather not use a torch on this project unless absolutely necessary.

Hello! Recently my soldering iron broke, and i want to buy a new one! I was thinking of getting a butane with interchangeable tips. Can you suggest an online one thats >$10 and with free shipping? Thanxs!

It has become apparent in my that a soldering iron is my next necessary resource/skill. Wondering what I am looking for in a good one, or any tips on what other people use. The use will be arduino circuit building. thanks  

I want to get into soldering and circuit boards, but i dont know what to do first. I HAVE soldered before, but it was only a couple little things in woodshop (we were making a clock) and i didnt understand what i was doing, i was just following instructions. So any input would be greatly appreciated! Can you guys recommend a decent soldering station around the $50-70 range. What about tutorials, i want tutorials on ANYTHING that has to do with soldering, but nothing to overwhelming, remember im just a beginner. some tutorials i would appreciate are: -soldering (of course) -reading schematics -the theorys (ohms law, and all that good stuff) -practice projects (projects that show you how things work) -and basically anything that you think is helpful besides soldering station, what other tools are necessary? and do you have any recommendations for those tools.

Im liiking to buy a soldering iron. I really dont know all that much about them, so i was hoping i could get some advice on what i should purchase for general use soldering. Do i need a variable heat iron? Wattage? Heat? im hoping something from radio shack (under $20) will get me by.

I'm having some trouble soldering and am hoping you guys can give me some pointers.  When I try to get a little bit of solder on the tip of my iron, the bead that forms will sometimes either not stick to the iron at all or will roll up the tip a bit so it's on the side rather than right on the point.  How can I get the solder to go on the very tip?  I am soldering 0603 surface mount LEDs, so precision is key. Also, I've been placing my wire against the fluxed pad and dragging a bit of solder across it, but something I read said you should apply a tiny bit of solder to the pads and the ends of the wires separately then hold them together and just apply heat with the iron to fuse them.  Which method do you think is better/stronger?   Thanks.

Apparently, for all of you in the NYC area, July 29th (next-next tuesday) is the NYC Soldering Championships."With solder irons blazing, and the power of molten metal at their finger tips, New York City's electricity enthusiasts and hardware hackers will connect components to complete circuits for the glory of being the fastest soldering gun in NYC."The end goal is to solder an entire electronics kit (which has not yet been chosen) as fast as possible. Unfortunately, you must be 21 or older to enter.....After the competition, the Ignite NYC talks will begin, several of which seem quite... interesting...For registration and more information, check out NYC Resistor's site.

Hi everyone. I just signed up for Instructables, but I have been a constant visitor for a while now. I'm also the happy owner of a cheap soldering iron I bought a while ago for some projects I had on mind, so I've been checking out all those Instructables about soldering to have a clue of how to solder without dying on the attempt. The problem is, most of them are for soldering circuits and I'm more interested in other kind of stuff like audio wires, speakers, LEDs, switches, and the most audio plug jacks. So, I bought my soldering iron (a pretty cheap one) and started to use it but, hell, I just cannot figure out how to do it right. The first time I used it I tried to tin it correctly but I think I might have let a spot I couldn't tin quickly and apparently that spot never heated correctly. After several days of use the tip of the darn thing changed a few times of color to finally corroded and the mentioned spot of the tip fell apart although I cleaned it and tinned it after every use. My second bigger problem is that after tinning the tip the solder appear to have life of its own. Usually I put the tip upon the place where I want to solder and next to the wires, apply the solder, and then the solder: a) Melt, shrinks and go back the way it came.... or b) A portion stays in place but manage to stay down, left or right from the wires to be soldered. When trying to tin wires the solder always rejects them (I think running away from them). So please, help. Could anyone tell me what am I doing wrong. Is it the solder? Do I need to stop being cheap and buy a better soldering iron?? Is it me doing all wrong?? Can anyone post a "Soldering for less than dummies" Instructable??? Any help will be highly appreciated.

If you have a soldering iron, or in my case a soldering station, tell me how you use it and what you make with it! I really need some new projects i'm all out of ideas. just another quick question, has anyone ever heard of a store called active? it is the best store in the world for electronics,tools, components etc.