HOW TO USE SOLDER
By
NAME : DIOVANDI SILALAHI
CLASS : XII ELECTRICAL AVIONIC
TEACHER : XII ELECTRICAL AVIONIC
One art form that geeks really appreciate is soldering, but not all of us know the proper
technique. It’s an easy skill to add to your geek resume, so let’s learn how and some old
projects off the shelf.
WHAT IS SOLDERING
A soldering iron is a tool with a metal tip that gets really hot. We’re talking like 800 degree
Fahrenheit, though you can adjust the temperature on a good iron. Its job is to transfer heat to
things like wires, transistor leads, and pads on PCBs. After the appropriate areas are heated
properly, solder is applied. If you plan on soldering, then you’re better off spending $30-$40
on a 20-30 Watt iron instead of on a cheap $15 one. You’ll get a longer-lasting tool that will
work for a much wider variety of applications and you’ll get proper heat control to boot.
There are also soldering guns available, but you should only use these when repairing thick
cables and never on PCBs, as the tips have a live voltage running through them that can
damage sensitive electronics.
Solder is a thin tube, usually rolled in spools, made of various metal alloys. Its job is to hold
the individual components together. The individual components and their quantities can vary,
but for computer electronics, you’re usually looking at a 60% tin and 40% lead. Lead-free
solder is also available, though it has higher melting temperatures and less “wettability,”
meaning you may need a better soldering iron to use it and removing it can be more tedious.
Lead-free solder is better for the environment and has other benefits, and they function more
or less the same way.
The inside of the tube is filled with “flux,” a substance that gets rid of oxidation and helps
clean the surfaces involved in the fusing process. For electronic use, you want rosin-
core/rosin-flux solder. Acid-flux is used in plumbing and the acid can damage the sensitive
components on PCBs.
THE STEP’S HOW TO USE SOLDER
1. Safety First!
Many who’ve never used a soldering iron are afraid of damaging equipment, but more
important is the danger to yourself! Soldering irons get really hot (think, and solder itself is
molten metal. Be sure to wear safety glasses, keep loose clothing and hair out of the way, and
be careful with your fingers. Better still, use protective gloves. Solder can contain lead, so be
sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. It’s also really important to work in a
well-ventilated area because the fumes from the rosin can cause damage to your lungs when
inhaled. Honestly, it’s more common sense and preparation than anything. Just take proper
precautions and you’ll be fine.
2. Cleaning and Tinning the Tip
In order to conduct heat properly, your soldering iron needs to be free of any old solder. After
being exposed to air, it oxidizes and thus insulates against heat. We want heat to conduct so
that we can apply everything quickly and efficiently. A dirty tip means that you’ll have to
hold the iron on longer and risk heat damage to the PCB, and nobody wants that. Keep a wet
sponge handy, and after the soldering iron is fully heated, softly scrape it against the sponge
to remove old solder. The tip should be nice and shiny, or at least very close to it. Next, we’re
going to “tin” the tip. This will protect the tip and allow heat to conduct better via the
presence of new solder. On the hot iron, carefully apply a small amount of fresh solder and
coat the tip. It should still be shiny if you’ve done it right. As soon as you tin the tip you
should start soldering your components together. After every few joins, clean and re-tin, and
again before putting your iron away into storage. This will really help increase the longevity
of your tool. A good soldering iron should easily last years this way.
3. Joining Parts
Hold the iron in your dominant hand and a long piece of solder in your other hand. When
soldering two components together, you want to touch the area where they join with the
soldering iron. Hold it there for about a second, then slide the solder underneath the tip of the
iron, sandwiching it to the PCB (refer to above image, cursor points to solder). Hold it for
another second or two, feeding in how much solder you need. This amount will vary
depending on the project, application, and diameter of the solder, so check your instructions
and study the pictures to get a good idea of the end result.
4. Desoldering
When removing a connection or undoing a mistake, you can often resolder over the original
and add a touch of new solder. If you want to take the extra step and do it right, you can
remove the old solder completely and start with a fresh work area. There are two tools you
can use for this, a vacuum-based “solder sucker,” or a solder wick. A solder sucker is
essentially a tiny hand-held syringe-like pump. It creates and uses vacuum pressure to suck
solder off of whatever it’s on. It’s a great tool to have and works well. A solder wick is
woven copper which the old solder bonds to. It’s more expensive and it’s expendable, so I
usually don’t recommend it. Some jobs, however, will greatly benefit from the clean finishing
touches that a solder wick provides. Both tools have their strong points, and odds are that in
your soldering career you’ll need to use one or the other specifically from time to time.
Having a clean working area is really important, as it provides the best results and minimizes
risk of damage.
