It’s great to have a hobby that grows with you as your knowledge and skills grow and one skill in particular that can be very useful to learn is soldering.
If you can acquire the ability to solder electronics it creates many new project opportunities for the enthusiastic hobbyist, so here’s what you need to do to learn how to solder and what kind of simple projects you can do to sharpen your skills.
Think safety
The first thing to say about learning to solder is that you need to be aware of the potential inherent hazards of working with hot iron and molten metal.
There’s no need to be intimidated by the possibility of working with a tool like this as long as you maintain a safety-first policy and always aim to ensure everything is properly prepared before you start work.
Semiconductors are readily available on sites like Online Hospital so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to tackle multiple projects once you’re confident in handling your soldering iron safely.
A good tip is to make sure you always have a safe place in your workspace to put your soldering iron after use and a soldering station with an iron stand fits the bill, especially since it doesn’t cost much to buy one.
Also, make sure you invest in a good pair of safety glasses to wear whenever you work with a soldering iron.
Transferring heat
The only way to get really good with soldering is to keep practicing and learning as you go, but one tip to remember right away is to remember that soldering irons don’t always transfer heat as efficiently as you might think.
A good way to increase that heat transfer is to tin tip.
This process involves waiting until the iron is hot enough to melt the solder, then brushing the tip against your solder wire. This will make it melt and flow around the ends, resulting in a much smoother finish.
You can remove excess solder with a soldering sponge, but don’t be tempted to use a regular sponge as it will melt.
Avoid the classic rookie mistake
Perhaps the most common mistake someone new to soldering makes is when they place the iron directly on the solder, as this will make it speckled and look very messy.
The trick is to heat the part you want to solder before touching the solder.
Another useful technique to remember is that when you put the ends of your components through the circuit board, make sure you bend them outwards, even if only slightly. This will help hold the components in place and bring them closer to the board.
Once you get your soldering skills right, it won’t be long before you can tackle more projects with not only enthusiasm but competence as well.
