Skillbuilder: Learn to Solder

Find more at the Maker Shed: makershed.com
Soldering is one of the most fundamental maker skills - you can use it to mend and splice wires, build circuits, even make jewelry. If you haven't learned yet, don't wait any longer.
Find more at the Maker Shed: makershed.com
------------------------------------------------------------
Visit us on the web! www.makezine.com
Go to a Maker Faire! www.makerfaire.com
Subscribe to the Magazine! www.makezine.com/subscribe
Twitch.TV: / profile
Follow us on Twitter: / make
Instagram: / makemagazine
Facebook: / makemagazine
Pinterest: / makemagazine

[@Rapidpanda1st]

2:14 This is the worst...but it happens to the best of us. Remember, when you're fusing thick gauge copper, the wire will heat up dramatically up to 15cm away from the splice. This softens the protective plastic sheath and allows the helping-hands jaws bite right through; it also heats up the clamps. Before I made some Torlon clamps, I used to put pen lids over the jaws to prevent this.

[@CameronCrosby2468]

2:17 That's why you need to put heatshrink on both sides of the helping hands. :0

[@Ferelmakina]

hey thanks dude! I'ma love this series

[@sciencetoymaker]

Good video. Beware of "solder bridges" that can cause short circuits and other troubles. Sometimes rubbing a little with the soldering iron will get the solder so flow and stick under less than ideal situations--like not perfectly clean metal. Of course it's better to clean off tarnish first, though.

[@MusicAnthropology]

That was so great! All these years I've been doing wrong.

[@misperry]

this is a good video for beginners in soldering. good presentation

[@AmusementLabs]

How do you suggest tackling the issue of extended solder tip contact where the components become hard to work with because they're too hot to touch or even begin melting?

[@jimsmind3894]

Coaster Labs That's a sign that your iron is probably at too low temperature for the job you're doing. Or your technique could be bad. ;) You should only apply the iron for the minimum time possible otherwise the heat will transfer up the legs of the component you're soldering and fry it. Some components are really delicate to temperature. If you only have a basic iron using a more 'chunky' tip like a chisel tip could help as it stores more heat and can transfer it faster. Also using 63/37 solder might help, it has a lower melting point.

[@AmusementLabs]

I'm trying to start a Maker Camp at my local library, any tips?

[@MAKE]

That's awesome! Get started here: makercamp.com/explore#host

[@marycochran-ormbrek5125]

Thank you for this info. I am going to an interview tomorrow and I have no soldering skills at all. This will help me.

[@alternative2104]

I've seen multiple videos on soldering introduction and tutorials. 5-10-25 min long nightmares that complicate explanations and confuse the viewer. Too bad this wasn't my intro to soldering. Very helpful and informative video.

[@8osm3rka]

Dude, you earned new sub

[@ivana.8672]

What is the best temperature to set the soldering station (TH components)? 370degC?

[@FlyingShotsman]

No need to bend component legs over at 90 deg like shown in the video. Doing so creates unnecessary stress on the component. Once it's soldered, forcing the cutter blade under the leg to trim it creates lifting stress on the copper PCB pad. Bend it just enough to keep it from falling out and no more. Better yet, hold the component in place with a blob of Blu Tack so you don't have to bend the leads at all.

[@MAKE]

Yeah, I was overbending it just to make it clear in the video - Generally I just bend it enough that it won't fall or I use the helping hands to hold the component. The blue tack trick is great!

[@Sytrag]

Can you talk about ideal temperature settings for those Digital stations for different soldering needs?

[@1pcfred]

I can say the ideal temperature is subjective. Everyone works differently. Plus there is a lot of variability in tools, and the work itself.

[@anthonylopes7987]

thanks for the tip

[@Geeksmithing]

Good one Tyler!

[@MAKE]

Thanks Wes!

[@calvinthedestroyer]

Nice tinning job :)

[@jmpattillo]

Use a flux pen with no-clean flux to add flux before soldering. This is especially useful to small or tricky connections

[@angellife4097]

thats true you should use FLUX before soldering the non clean Flux is alot easier, l use the non clean Flux marker

[@brendongyde]

0:21 were the wires even tinned?

[@robertcoulthard7461]

I will clean up the rosin with a isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush. gives a nicer finish

[@MB-bs3ji]

nice tutorial. What model is that digital soldering station?

[@jonathanmulzer17]

Looks to be a Weller WESD51.

[@MAKE]

Thanks! The digital station is the Radio Shack "Digital Soldering Station" catalog number 64-053. You can probably have them for pretty cheap these days, but make sure to stock up on tips. Seems like it's a rebrand of this unit from Atten: www.wavecom.com.au/product_view.php?id_product=729

[@Deshaine]

I have an external hard drive with a broken micro USB port, looks like it popped off and could easily be soldered back. I have a soldering tool and standard solder. Do I need to do anything special or have a special solder/tool?

[@FlyingShotsman]

Perfect example why lead-free solder is awful. It's brittle and easily cracks away from component pins or PCB pads, especially on connectors. It was intended to reduce toxic waste in the environment, but it has created the opposite problem by increasing e-waste due to solder joint failures. Anyway, for your repair, I would definitely use some liquid flux. You can get it in a squeeze bottle with needle tip or in a fiber-tip pen. Look on eBay for "flux pen". Apply a little flux to the joint, touch it with your iron tip and add a little tin/lead solder. It's a pretty easy repair, as long as you have a soldering tip of the right size and the copper pads haven't been lifted off the PCB. If the copper pads have been lifted, you may have to super-glue the connector in place. Follow the traces on the PCB to see where they go, then create a new connection from the USB connector pins to the right place on the PCB using very fine wire. Good luck!

[@MrSnoots]

Conical tips tend to have terrible heat transfer characteristics due to the small surface area and mass. Get yourself a high quality chisel or wedge tip and it should work for 99% of THT component soldering. Fine point conical can be useful with SMD soldering, but more sophisticated techniques are generally required anyway. Simple tips: get a solder station with temperature control, use leaded solder with flux core (it's much easier to work with), don't apply solder to the tip when soldering a joint - apply to the component leg opposite of the iron. Lastly, practice. Get some cheap soldering practice kits. This will give you a feel for your iron, temperatures, solder behavior, etc before working on a real project.

[@DoctorThe113]

One thing I like about the video is his iron's tinned tip.

[@purpletoupee]

I'd love to see some surface mount tips for beginners

[@MAKE]

I'm not sure I'd reccomend surface mount for beginners! I'm still pretty intimidated by it. That said, Collin Cunningham has this great video over on the Adafruit channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6vSgausfrJlp6c

[@1pcfred]

I keep having a hard time installing surface mount parts into solderless breadboard myself. Clipping test leads to SMD is tough to do too. I have no problem soldering the junk though. I used to make SMT military aviation communications gear. So yeah now I can't stand looking at the crap, and refuse to work with it for myself.

[@davidbrenneman4038]

Use a tip appropriate for the pad size. Don't over use either the wet sponge or the brass tip cleaner. An overly wet sponge cools the tip too much. The brass tip cleaner CAN erode the iron tip. Never 'park' a iron without leaving some solder on the tip while it isn't being used. The tip will last longer. Never leave it without some fresh solder on it. Spend as little time as is necessary per solder joint. The longer it is on the pad the higher risk of permanent damage. Leaded solder and lead free have different soldering characteristics. If excessive flux residue is left on the board, clean off with a flux remover. Flux is a cleaner of metals and can still contaminate a solder joint if left behind in sufficient quantity. A clean board after soldering is always best.

[@Yonatan24]

Any tips for stopping the tip from oxidizing? I always keep my sponge quite wet, but should it be more on the moist side? Also, yours looks a lot softer than mine.

[@JeffLMisc]

get one of the brass pot scrubber things to clean your iron with. they work a lot better than the sponge. also, use good tips and good solder. Cheap ebay solder is something to avoid. Get some multicore, kester, or M&G Chemicals rosin core solder.

[@chrisharrel8837]

Always keep solder on it. The tip will come pre-tinned and it should remain tinned at all times. The tip will only oxidize if there is no solder on it. You should primarily be using a brass sponge cleaner. The MOIST, not wet, sponge is for heavy, infrequent cleaning like when you get some non-solder contaminant on the tip. Never use a wet sponge, just moist. I pass the iron over a moist sponge maybe once per month or once in two months. My personal routine for a new tip is to heat it up and immediately put additional solder on it. The rosin will burn away and leave the tip coated. I "clean" the tip in a brass sponge before and after I use it. If I set the iron back into the holder, I clean it in brass, apply more solder to it, then set it down. When I start the solder up next time, I heat it up, clean off the old solder in brass, then immediately put more solder on it. Anytime I pick up or put down the iron, it goes through the brass. Anytime it goes through the brass, I put more solder on it right after it goes through the brass. My tips never oxidize. I only use leaded solder as well. I prefer 0.8mm 60/40 tin/lead solder with rosin flux core. A chisel tip is also a must have.

[@Yonatan24]

Thanks. I use solder from eBay - it's CHEAP! And a $1 tip. From eBay... Because it's _CHEAP!_ I will try the brass thing again.

[@Yonatan24]

I'm pretty sure what I had got attracted to a magnet, so it's not brass. Will probably buy some on eBay because its.......

[@Yonatan24]

Yup. I keep it tinned. Interesting. I will need to buy a brass wire brush, as all of the cheap ones that I see on eBay are brass "steel". So, if I understand & sum it up correctly, you clean it all the time with brass, but rarely with the sponge? Thanks!

[@fatinsiddiquee4831]

Does it need wet sponge

[@SciPunk215]

Hmmm... a whole video on soldering without mentioning the word "flux"... very strange.

[@BrentBlueAllen]

+Obama Jr Yeah, I get by using only flux-core solder. A good brand of solder, like multicore, should do just fine without. I mainly use a flux pen for desoldering/rework.

[@premcalibro8673]

flux causes oxidation which leds to corrosiveness. And so the heavy electricals and mother board dont use flux

[@m0r7u71715]

I've been bitching about Make's lack of soldering skill videos for years now. Used to get drunk and go on super rants. This could have been much better...

[@jimsmind3894]

prem calibro Sorry, wrong! With surface mount soldering, flux is even more critical. Often with motherboards they use a stencil to paint a layer of solder paste which contains it's own flux. The way flux works is it actually removes oxidation from the surfaces when the "weld" / solder junction is made. True some flux needs to be cleaned off because it would corrode in the long term. Most modern flux is "no clean" meaning you don't have to clean up afterwards. A quick toothbrush with isopropanol is the best thing if you do need to clean any excess off. Don't confuse non electrical flux with stuff for welding copper pipes etc, that's no good for electronics. Maybe that's what you're thinking of?

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

Flux is in electrical solder, never any need to add any additional flux.

[@creeperslayer363]

I always learnt to apply the soldering iron to the leg of the component before the pad. This is because the leg will take a longer time to heat up and on some circuit boards the pad can delaminate from the board

[@1pcfred]

You were taught wrong. If the component is a heat sensitive semiconductor you should heat the pad. If you're lifting pads your iron is way too hot, or you are working too slowly.

[@Shane-zh6tx]

Can you guys do a welding lesson like this?

[@MAKE]

I would LOVE to do something like this, but I only know a little bit of MIG and no other styles. I bet I could meet up with someone close by to help us learn! What types would be most helpful?

[@Shane-zh6tx]

I would love to learn MIG, TIG Stick, you name it! These short lessons would be perfect for a beginner like me!

[@MAKE]

I figure I could start with MIG and an overall explanation for how welding works, how to set up your space, equipment, etc. Then followup videos on TIG and Stick.

[@Shane-zh6tx]

Make: that would be perfect! I can't wait!

[@InnovationBlast]

Second this

[@int16_t]

How about soldering of SMD not SMT. Please make a video about it.

[@1pcfred]

SMD is SMT.

[@kennybo-iy2ed]

I have only used flux for soldering copper pipe and never on electrical parts or splicing wire together, cheers

[@MAKE]

I did that once! It was functional but it wasn't at all pretty!

[@kennybo-iy2ed]

mine was the prettiest you could have ever saw ;-)

[@irocklalot]

Cool, do you have anything more advanced? Or higher level? Soldering as a maker is really important. Can you tell us about common mistakes? The other day I did a circuit soldering and it worked fine for 2 days, then it died. I think because I reversed the polarity. Not sure tho

[@jimsmind3894]

Diego Salazar The best solderer on KZbin is BigClive, some of his vids have great demonstrations. :)

[@finndriver1063]

He asked for 'more advanced'. Not 'solder magician'. (joking, good to see another BigClive-er ;) ) Personally, I would also recommend the Collin's Lab video on soldering. I wouldn't call it more advanced per se; it just covers more stuff that I now consider essential to my soldering, and in a little more detail.

[@bjbest]

Diego Salazar big clive or eev blog. To be honest this video isn't great.

[@irocklalot]

Brian James Best yeah it's pretty baby basic. He didn't even show the... forgot the name, like the cream. I haven't used it yet but teachers have told me it's hell useful

[@jimsmind3894]

Diego Salazar Best way to really learn is to do it. The more practice you get the easier it is.

[@user-kt1io3vn4i]

good

[@Digitalhunny]

I'm the MOST clumsy person you'll EVER meet. I'm nursing a scald from a stupid Walmart glue gun. But I NEED to learn to solder. I'll just ready 911 on speed dial.... *sigh

[@BigButtocks967]

I licked a hot soldering iron for a bet years ago when I was drunk. Not recommended.

[@sKIPper76M]

The bigger the blog, the better the job.

[@therealb888]

Wow didn't expect such a poor wire splice from make!

[@myketchups_]

wow

[@fatinsiddiquee4831]

For cleaning

[@zer0b0t]

Don't cut too flush because you can create stress in the solder

[@1pcfred]

There is nothing stopping anyone from reflowing clipped joints.

[@dylxnchn]

The sad thing is that I don't have one...😭

[@superpooper_2030]

and you miss out about maintenance after use.

[@GalaxyOneFilms]

The bigger the gob, the better the job.

[@thebigboi5357]

Eric Espinosa not quite true.

[@GalaxyOneFilms]

What do you mean? I've been soldering for a whole 37 seconds, I think I would know.

[@thebigboi5357]

Eric Espinosa I meant in general. Example: Too much glue: makes a mess. Also I'm pretty sure you're joking?

[@GalaxyOneFilms]

Yes, I am joking. That phrase is said by a man whose channel is called AvE.

[@thebigboi5357]

Eric Espinosa sounds dandy

[@diegor4966]

Don't forget to use a solder fume extractor for the nasty fumes, I use this one www.thingiverse.com/thing:3474360 is very compact and easy to make.

[@misterthekaitheman]

Personally I find flat tips the best type to solder with. Never buy one of those irons with just a power cord attached to it! They are the worst! They're dangerous, and inefficient. A can good simple soldering station can be just as cheap. When soldering look at the tin spool and find what temperature your iron needs to be for that particular tin to melt, set your iron to a little above that. When soldering components onto a pcb you should generally use flux. Also don't bend the leads to far, you should seek a way to hold them in and not have to bend the legs at all. When you've soldered the component ALWAYS cut the leads a little above the solder joint! NEVER cut into the solder joint! This will cause a lot of stress on the solder connection and weaken it and you might even pull the whole pad off! Just some additional tips for you! I had to find out the hard way.. ;-)

[@misterthekaitheman]

Oh and to quickly add on to that, you can never use to little solder! Make sure the connection is a nice smooth bend finish and not a big fat blob of solder.

[@Yonatan24]

misterthekaitheman I don't understand why so many people say to not buy them. I have a $20 40W Antex from eBay and think it's really good, and I get excellent solder joints. Sure, it isn't ideal for SMD soldering, but it doesn't cost much, saves space, and is ideal for someone that doesn't solder that much.

[@misterthekaitheman]

Yonatan24 The problem with them is, that you can't set the temperature manually. This means that the chemicals in the tin which can't handle too much heat for instance get damaged and the tin won't flow well and you get bad connections. Also they are very inefficient.

[@MyBigThing2010]

mains irons "do a GREAT JOB too" ..uhh hemmm...I beg to differ!

[@DanielMores]

why is it called "soddering", not "soldering" like smoldering, oldering, mold, etc.?

[@lostonexxx]

It is soldering, its just the way the guy pronounces it.

[@MAKE]

British folks pronounce the L. Usually they yell at me for pronouncing it in the American style. :D

[@1pcfred]

Just tell them to sod off.

[@MexieMex]

I'm always a little confused by the way some Americans pronounce the word, do they honestly not see the letter 'L' in the middle of the word?

[@jdornan23]

I am so very burnt right now.

[@TheOriginalStego]

i use toilet paper to clean my iron so i just take the used papersheets off the roll and throw it in the trash

[@cremakerhuang6100]

87！

[@dylxnchn]

I'm only almost 13.

[@igrewold]

You do not have to have the best soldering iron in the universe. I had trashy ones when I was kid but they worked ok and I soldered, replaced and fixed different stuff with them. Now I got something similar to this one, it is ok. www.banggood.com/DANIU-Professional-110V220V-60W-Adjustable-Temperature-Welding-Solder-Soldering-Iron-Tool-Kit-p-1142989.html And remember you get your gear overtime, so each week, month, season...etc. think of tools, parts, things that could help you in whatever you are into and buy them. Get what just works, even if it were from the dollar store. It is a good thing to have quality gear/parts, but if it stopping you from progressing then it turns into a curse, that one must avoid. Also in life you must dabble and try things for yourself like buying some stuff from dollar store like screw drivers or such and testing their quality and judging and rating it, like is it total trash or does it just work or is it fair/good...etc. Buy an AM/FM radio from dollar store, open it up, look inside, learn how it works, tamper with it, take its ferrite out and tuning capacitor, try to build your own AM radio with that and a crystal diode like 1N34A...etc. Buy cheap things, take them apart, learn, salvage, repurpose, modify....etc. kzbin.info?search_query=build+am+radio sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/radio.html#crystal Good luck and regards.

[@HassanMartinezTech]

flux, flux, flux, everything with flux..... just a little bit more flux.

[@etunimi4206]

HM Tech No flux means no soldering is going to happen. Understood soldier ?

[@ChristerJokela1]

Lead-free solder is really toxic although it doesn’t have lead. Really irresponsible to claim that lead-free solder would be safe. It’s safe to use only with proper respirator and gloves.

[@310shadow310]

What's up with the Illuminati symbolism in the back on your make magazine?

[@dev_ace7251]

everyone knows that

[@BradCaldwellAuburn]

Didn't work

[@mixtermuxter8602]

fahrenheit...

[@joku900]

I wouldnt make a tutorial about soldering, if I cant solder my self. At 2:20 you can see 6 (or 5, I guess that all resistors are soldered) solder joints from other side, and all of them suck. Only two of them are almost nice, but not quite (bottom right and left). You could even try!

[@pmdoit]

Chuck Norris I was thinking the same thing. He is not the person that should be teaching others.

[@MAKE]

Of course Chuck Norris can solder better than I can.

[@MAKE]

Let's try to keep this helpful here: I'm far from pro at this but I've soldered hundreds of functioning circuits. What could I have done better?

[@topperdeluxe]

He soldered them correctly! The Resistors were soldered from the other side. You can see that just 15 seconds later. What you see at (min) 2:20 was the solder that oozing through the holes to the other side.

[@EvilED08]

HAHA Chuck Norris, that's hilarious! Way to make a fool of yourself! He soldered those on the other side. YOU could even try!

[@aayush3782]

anyone before 1000 Dislikes? 😂😂

[@YevgenShevchenko]

This guide is terrible. No flux mentioned, no overheating warnings, no wires tinning etc...

[@Geeksmithing]

Yevgen Shevchenko Where is your soldering tutorial video? Let's see how you would do better. :)

[@YevgenShevchenko]

This is your argument, "make better", seriously? You couldn't be lower.

[@Geeksmithing]

Yevgen Shevchenko My point is that he is putting the work in to get information out into the world to help others learn. What are you doing?

[@YevgenShevchenko]

I'm helping too. I hope, people will search for another soldering videoguide (and there are LOT of them) after my comment. Because this video is almost about destroing electronic components, not about soldering.

[@fluxxNZ]

L people, there is a L in the word Sole Der

[@SkillBuilder]

They are American. Don't expect them to learn English. Give them another hundred years and they will have a language of their own.

[@vapenation7061]

who doesn't know how to solder lol. it's like the easiest thing to do

[@Yonatan24]

What a smart comment.

[@radarreally2110]

ayy lmao Were you spawned knowing how to solder?

[@1pcfred]

I'm sure the inspectors for the mil spec company I did sub contract soldering work for might have a few things to say about how you solder. Actually they could probably critique your work 8 hours a day for about a week straight. It is their job after all.