You Guys Taught Me How To Improve My Soldering Skills!

Wow! I'm amazed by all the great comments on my last video, I can't thank you enough! I was a bit terrified to take on my new soldering project: my MotoZero motor controller for my Raspberry Pi Zero w 2, but I pulled it off, thanks to you guys!
All the tips and tricks were overwhelming. And I tried to use most of what you taught me to improve my soldering skills.
I used flux, got new solder, I clean everything with some white spirit, I got some brass stuff to clean the tip of the soldering iron, I made sure to put heat in the right places and I even got a tip activator!
Check out this video and decide for yourself if I figured out how to improve my soldering techniques or not, I for one, think so :D
Next up, hooking my Raspberry Pi + MotoZero to my tiny toy car!
#soldering #motozero #raspberrypi

[@WizardTim]

Looking good! Glad the Pi still works. Tip; to get it looking even nicer you can clean the flux residue off with a gentle solvent like isopropanol alcohol and a brush or lint free tissue (stuff like acetone or MEK will damage it and tap water will leave mineral deposits). Also those screw terminals actually slide and clip together hence why they're a bit crooked. But I can guarantee no matter how good at soldering you get you will always manage to put things on backwards.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you! I'll try to clean up some of the flux residue, got some white spirit, maybe that works? That's good to hear! I'm happy as long as it works! 😂

[@PaulWarrenEaton]

Wohoo!! Nice job. First one looks like bird poop. Latest board is brilliant. So happy also that the Pi still works. Looking forward to the next update.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, couldn't agree more. Thanks! No more bird poop! Yes, time to get my programming back on! 😅

[@bengouws]

Great improvement! You can use Flux to re-solder the pi, or any connections you don't like. (just ad flux to connection and reheat with solder iron) And remember to clean the flux after, on digital circuits the flux can cause a lot of problems (false data etc.) On the controller you could turn the connector around by using a lot of solder and heating both pins alternately while pulling lightly on connector, then use solder wick to clean out solder from the PCB and reinsert the connector (be careful with the wick as you heat the pads on PCB, as it could become to hot and melt the glue that holds the traces). Good luck.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you for your comment and all great tips! On a short winter vacation right now, but I'll try that when I get back home! Thanks again, much appreciated! 😊

[@ArtemisKitty]

@@TryingToBuildStuff And don't be afraid to use LOTS of flux! I was so stingy with it in the past, until I saw how FAST Louis Rossman was getting it to flow, and now my boards are completely drenched when I solder. Puddled around the pin/board point. It's made it so, SO much easier, and I just use a silicone mat for cellphone repair underneath it since it has an indention to catch the splash/drips. Soak the sucker. And if it starts to dry? Drop more on there. Keep it wet the whole time. As you discovered here, it makes a HUGE difference. In fact, if you'd added some to that first job when you were wicking the excess away, most if not all of the pins would instantly be perfectly flowed. I've gone back and redone all my old horrible jobs (we ALL started out with stuff looking pretty much like that or worse our first time, haha). Between that and a nice temp controlled iron and low temp (I like 270-280C) I was able to go back and make them all look at least like someone more skilled than I did the work. You could probably do the same if you wanted to clean up the "old" job, not needing to redo it all, just flux, heat, and maybe wick away the extra if needed. It's awesome watching you progress with this project, and I can't wait to see what you finish with! I'm working on a similar one, so this is super helpful! Also, as he said... Make sure to wash it off afterwards. Flux is NASTY stuff to leave on boards... Eats away at the traces over time and can cause bad conduction/readings.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@ArtemisKitty Oh man, your comment totally made my day, thank you! 😁 Got my hands on some proper isopropanol (wasn't that easy to find here in Norway) and it's colored blue for some strange reason, but it works great for cleaning up the board when I'm done soldering! Totally going to drench my soldering projects in flux from now on! And lower the heat on my iron, think mine is set well above 300! Would love to hear more about your own project! Still working on the programming on my little car, but I think I'm getting closer! Again, thank you for your comment, really appreciate it! 😄

[@ArtemisKitty]

@@TryingToBuildStuff Ah, my Zero Moto will be here in a few days and I'll update you for sure! I'm actually working on implementing collision avoidance using a few different cheap methods to compare them (ultrasound, Doppler radar, visual, and possibly IR rangefindera as well). I figure before I go all-in I'll try one cheap model from each type (which I already have some of from other projects, luckily). I too am using a cheap store bought RC car as my base, albeit one that I've converted (again using parts I had already) to running off a simple generic (bought a cheap 4-pack with charger from Amazon) 2000mah (allegedly, haven't tested yet) 7.4v lipo battery pack designed for a cheap Chinese brand quadcopter. (I liked that it could charge all 4 independently at once, and had a standard JST connector on each battery. Plus it was cheap.) I figure I can just make a little y harness if I end up wanting longer life per charge that way. Oh! And on the iron temperature thing, don't be afraid to change it. There are so many factors that playa a part there, like how conductive (thermally) is the material, how thick is it, what's the room temperature... If it looks like it's slowing down, add a bit more heat. The idea is to quickly heat it enough to do the job, but let you keep up so it doesn't sit too long in any one place, so increase/decrease it when needed, absolutely. (It will change over time, too, as you get more comfortable.) If it seems to be heating so fast you can't keep up, just do the opposite and turn it down. I usually go in increments of 10C at a time but... That's just my default from experience as my opportunities have provided, so may be different (again, weather/environmental factors are a huge part here). But yeah... Get the machine to work at your speed, not the other day around. It's the tool, after all, and you're the maker. 😁 Your rules. Heh.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@ArtemisKitty again, thanks for your advice, much appreciated! Can't wait to hear more about your project! Sounds like you have some really cool ideas! 😁 Is it going to be autonomous? I'm just gonna see if I can drive mine over wifi. If I succeed with that I want to beef it up, add 4G/5G and build a proper outdoor car with lipo batteries and a camera. To explore the garden from the comfort of my home office 😅

[@bobwong8268]

👍👍👍👍👍Great Job! Great learning attitude and spirit! Very encouraged by your sharing, thanks a ton!

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback! 😊

[@Amishhellcat]

flux prevents oxidation when you solder, think of it as the inert gas you use when you gas weld, or the stuff inside flux core arc welder wires. nice first solder there. however you should avoid moving your piece until it's been cooled down for a better and less brittle bond also, did you take a cold one before you started? you did seem way less shaky :D

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Ah, that makes sense, good analogy! Thanks for the advice, was a bit too hyped not to pick it up right away 😉 And no, just found a better way to position my hands without having the camera in the way. Had a cold one when I was done soldering, to celebrate 😁

This looks much, much better now!

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you! All the comments in my previous video really helped, think I'm on the right path :)

[@Batmule]

I suggest that you use a small (somewhat stiff) brush to apply your flux (that works great for me). See flux as a cleaning agent that helps remove the oxidation that prevents your solder from wetting (the process of bonding solder and metal)

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Great advice, thanks! Need to get hold of a small brush. Guess my local hobby store might have that 🙂

[@Batmule]

@@TryingToBuildStuff Ask for one that miniature painters use for "dry brushing"

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@Batmule will do! Thanks :)

[@shroomy7199]

Great improvement well done. Use a damp sponge or metal pad to clean your iron. You can go back and tidy your pi soldering up. Just don’t get the board to hot

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thank you! 😊 Yes, I have both a sponge and som brass thing now, just in case! Oh, I thought that was a big no-no, but then I might give it a go! 😁

[@w13rdguy]

I use the brassy(is it copper?) pot scrubber from our dollar store, shoved into a ceramic dish. It's fantastic.

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@w13rdguy yes, the brass-thing is excellent! 🙂

[@paulabraham2550]

@@TryingToBuildStuff Just spread a glob of flux over it like you did with the bridge board and then go back over the joints with a hot iron. They'll tidy up nicely. You'll probably want to remove some excess and your wick will do that - put some flux on that too before using it, it makes all the difference.

[@raul0ca]

I got magnifier glasses at drugstore. That and good lighting make a big difference

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Nice! It really helped with the magnifying lamp thing I got now :)

[@raul0ca]

@@TryingToBuildStuff But imagine how much easier it is when your magnification follows where you are looking. And how much cheaper

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

@@raul0ca you have a very good point! Need to see if I can find a pair!

[@Imevul]

Looks clean! Coding livestream? :D

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Thanks! Haha, I will probably use the magic of editing to make it look like I got my code working on the first try 😉

[@zark_rwhiphop]

I really fucked my rasp trying just like your last video about it... but I insert the sd and don't works... the next time I will try with flux paste... great for you bro!

[@MahBor]

Learn soldering on a protoboard with LEDs and resistors before moving to expensive devices like arduinos and raspberry pis. Don't forget, you should never heat a component for more than 5 sec at a time. If the soldering doesn't work after 5sec, wait for the component to cool off and try again.

[@WillowG95]

Hi ! It remembered me the first time i use flux :) Are you me ? :-)

[@TryingToBuildStuff]

Haha, I might be you!

[@charm2348]

You never finished this