[ale] [OT] Soldering

Discussion:

Chuck Payne via Ale

2018-07-05 17:10:43 UTC

Guys,

Does the maker space in Decatur teach soldering? I been playing around but
my soldering is ugly. Youtube is ok, but I learn better by someone showing
me in person.
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Boris Borisov via Ale

2018-07-05 17:18:05 UTC

Permalink

I haven't done any soldering recently for a projects. But did small repair
and I think is still good. I'm talking regular pitch elements here not 164
pins IC.

Post by Chuck Payne via Ale
Guys,
Does the maker space in Decatur teach soldering? I been playing around but
my soldering is ugly. Youtube is ok, but I learn better by someone showing
me in person.
--
Terror PUP a.k.a
Chuck "PUP" Payne
-----------------------------------------
Discover it! Enjoy it! Share it! openSUSE Linux.
-----------------------------------------
openSUSE -- Terrorpup
openSUSE Ambassador/openSUSE Member
skype,twiiter,identica,friendfeed -- terrorpup
freenode(irc) --terrorpup/lupinstein
Register Linux Userid: 155363
Have you tried SUSE Studio? Need to create a Live CD, an app you want to
package and distribute , or create your own linux distro. Give SUSE Studio
a try.
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DJ-Pfulio via Ale

2018-07-05 19:08:54 UTC

Permalink

I learned in high school.

Heat the metal/joint, not the solder. The solder will be "sucked" into
the hot connector. Avoid overheating components. They will fry. NEVER
touch the solder to the iron.

Category5.tv did a show about soldering and showed what NOT to do then
later, what you should do. It was about 1-2 months ago. Some experts
were in the live chat during the show providing insight.

Lots of other things to know, which I don't know, concerning flux,
different types of solder, and what sort of heat is needed for different
types of joints.

How to remove solder is an important skill too. I like the sucker
method ... heat the solder, then suck it using a bulb.

I've never needed more than a $15 iron. Fixed some loose connections on
lots of electronics around here over the years.

Practice on some old junk a few times before doing anything important.
Well ventilated areas - don't want to inhale toxic fumes.

Guys,
Does the maker space in Decatur teach soldering? I been playing around
but my soldering is ugly. Youtube is ok, but I learn better by someone
showing me in person.
--

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Steve Litt via Ale

2018-07-05 19:45:25 UTC

Permalink

On Thu, 5 Jul 2018 15:08:54 -0400

Post by DJ-Pfulio via Ale
I learned in high school.
Heat the metal/joint, not the solder.

Yes, except that you need enough fresh liquid solder on the solder tip
to *quickly* heat up the lead and hole, so you can get in and get out
quick. A too dry tip is slow to transfer heat.

Post by DJ-Pfulio via Ale
The solder will be "sucked"
into the hot connector. Avoid overheating components. They will fry.
NEVER touch the solder to the iron.

Never touching the solder directly to the iron is a goal we all have,
but sometimes, with a small lead and a small pad, things work better
when the solder goes right between the surfaces to be soldered and the
solder iron tip.

To minimize the necessity of the preceding, use very skinny solder.

One more thing: For gosh sakes, use a regulated solder iron, even if it
costs $200 (you can get them a lot cheaper). Unregulated irons oxidize
their tips quickly, leading to overly long solders and bad solder
joints.

This information comes from my six year audio repair career, during
which time I performed 40 to 100 solder joints per day, on single sided
boards with discrete components. I'd imagine that with multilayer
boards and tiny (or even surfacemount) components, techniques have
become even more demanding.

Steve Litt
Author: The Key to Everyday Excellence
http://www.troubleshooters.com/key
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stevelitt

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Mondo Hondo via Ale

2018-07-05 19:31:29 UTC

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Sorry Chuck, no soldering classes in the near future that I see.

Soldering basic electronics projects is not difficult -- no need to be
intimidated. Learning the skills needed to "get you through" a typical home
electronics project will take about 10-15 mins of practice.

Lots-o-folks at Decatur Makers are pretty darn good at soldering and would
be happy to give "look over your shoulder" assistance. Best to come by on
an Open Build Night or maybe Family Build Night, be friendly and ask for
some help. Odds are quite good that you'll end up with a bit more
advice/opinions than you sought :) But you'll learn what you need to know
and have the opportunity to practice.

What type of project(s) are you considering?

Open Build Nights
<https://www.meetup.com/Decatur-Makers/events/qwdkcmyxkbxb/>:
https://www.meetup.com/Decatur-Makers/events/qwdkcmyxkbxb/

Family Build Night:
<https://www.meetup.com/Decatur-Makers/events/250064103/>
https://www.meetup.com/Decatur-Makers/events/250064103/

Cheers,
Preston