Soldering tips for a beginner?

Hey everyone,

I've got a PAL Saturn sitting there with solder in between the legs of the signal chip. I've been told from another member here to use Wick and Flux to remove the dropped solder in between the legs of the chip.

When it comes to safety when using Flux is there anything I should be aware of. Is it harmful to skin can it spit at high heat etc etc.

Reason why I'm asking is because some people are talented here with soldering jobs and would like professional answers from people I know that solder.:nod:

 

Make sure you solder in a well ventilated area, because the fume is not exactly healthy.

Hold the solder wick over the point you want to desolder, push with your soldering iron, and desolder gently in a swiping motion.

Make sure to always cover the tip of your soldering iron with a little bit of solder before switching it off, this way the tip won't oxidize!

 

Thanks alphagamer, so there is no need for eye protection or anything like that?

 

After each solder job clean the tip of your iron. If you decide to use a 35 watt iron on a normal circuit board like in the saturn, then it would be wise to constantly wet the tip on a water filled sponge. Also I sugest you to invest in a third arm.

 

Good call on that 'third arm', we call them 'third hand' though over here


Eye protection is not really necessary, but as takeshi said, keep a wet sponge ready to clean your soldering iron!

 

This is a list of all the basic equipment you need for electronics.
For your Saturn, all you need is a Soldering Iron, Flux, Solder Wick and Solder (in this case, leaded is best).

Soldering Iron,
Flux,
Solder Wick,
De-soldering Pump,
Helping Hands (third hand),
Brass shavings (better than sponge anytime!),
Leaded Solder (lead free has more toxic chemicals and is pure shit. Rosin core or not, does not really make a difference if you have flux).

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsDZJszxeZ8&feature=related
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHNDa2Wvk8I&feature=channel
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zYtQFJLvR8&feature=channel
4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krxTfZCFptk&feature=channel
5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-_pnc-Qqm8&feature=channel

Important facts > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4


What you want to do is, heat up the soldering iron, and find exactly were the solder bridge is.
Then, grab your solder, and solder a tiny amount to the bridge. This will add fresh solder, that has not been oxidised.
You then want to add a tiny bit of flux. You do not have to since you put fresh solder, but it does help in case you heat the pins to much and the flux boils away.
Grab your soldering braid / wick, and lay it across the solder and pins that are bridged.
You then finally, want to lay the soldering tip across it, heating it. IT does get hot, so hold the wick in the plastic spool.
You will see the wick absorb all the solder between and around the pins.
If there is still one that has been missed, add more flux (a tiny amount) and repeat.
If it does not still come out, brush the soldering tip away from the chip so you make the solder flow outwards.
When the solder becomes dry and sticky, add more flux or either more solder repeating the process until it has cleared.
You do not want to hold the soldering iron there too long, because remember - it is an IC so it is more sensitive to heat.
Do not use excessive pressure! The pins will lift from there pads and bend. You want to stroke away from the IC in a straight line, following the pins.

You do not need eye protection. Sometimes the solder may 'pop' when soldering joints, but it does not get into your eye. Usually hits your arms.
The most important thing, is to open a window or get a small fan pushing the fumes away from you.

 

Thanks Haunted those videos were really in depth.

With flux and braid/wick are there any brands or type I should look for. For the Saturn's kit?

 

The fumes from most solder is from the flux burning, unless you get that solder extremely hot the lead in it won't vaporize.

 

Not really. Everything comes from China in the end ;-)

 

So I'm guessing the cheapest from eBay will do the trick?

 

It's a very good idea to use eye protection. As it spits solder around, one of those bits of solder could get in your eye.

 

I never had that problem and I've been soldering for years now. Was I just lucky?

 

I was told so in Electronics class- Someone had solder get in their eye once and his iris got severely damaged, and the shape went from round to star-shaped.

 

That sounds really ugly! Well better safe than sorry I suppose:nod:

How much would a 3rd arm possibly cost?

 

Go to your stove and place a pan on it. Run it to 3/4 of max heat and leave it there for 5 minutes. Come back and throw a raw steak on it.

That is exactly the same thing that will happen to your eye.

 

Yes, almost everything is from China nowadays unless you spend a fortune on it, but there's still an advantage in buying from a local retailer: they've hopefully picked out the good stuff for you. Ordering from one of those China/Hong Kong free shipping sites can be like buying a pig in a poke, there's lots of utter crap in the market.

Another thing to be aware of if ordering from China; even when it comes to stuff like flux and solder, there's a lot of knockoffs of known brands.

But then again, it might be so much cheaper that it's worth it. I'll probably get ten bottles of flux from China at the same price as I get one here in Sweden. If a few of them are useless, it's not a big deal.

 

Never seen solder bubble and spit, what wattage is your iron? Sounds like a 90 watt iron planning to have a cookout with a board are we?

Bought mine for $5 at harbor freight.

 

Cheap chinese shit braid is crap.

You dont need braid to remove bridges anyway - just the iron and flux.

example (around 1:50):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzI31gfCjJE

 

Alright then, sounds easy enough.. I'll check my local hardware store on Tuesday and hopefully I can get everything under $10. I'll most likely only use this stuff once any how.

Very well stated kaput but it can also be the same buying from local stores, I've returned an electronics screwdriver set twice to one of the local stores some stuff they order can be quite useless. Anyhow, I'll surely check the hardware store for flux and braid.

Even though you mentioned braid isn't needed Bad_Ad84, would it be easier for a beginner like me to use the braid as like some kind of assist? Or would is be easier to just use the flux like you mentioned?

 

Not too sure of the wattage. He gave us lessons if we didn't know how, and then gave us the irons and told us to figure them out from there from what we had read up in class.