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I require aid from the solder king!

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compute:

--- Quote from: yotsuya on April 12, 2012, 03:46:27 pm ---I need to watch some tutorial videos on how to do it right. I plug in the iron, let it get hot, touch the end of the wire and end of the solder together to mount it on the PCB, hope it makes a nice shinny melted ball that hardens, and repeat. In the end, it works, but I'd like to make sure it will stay working.

--- End quote ---

If it forms a ball, you're either applying too much or the solder is not flowing.  Get a scrap pcb or something to play with.  The materials you are soldering need to heat up in order to form an intermetallic bond.  When this happens, the solder will literally flow  either into a through-hold or across your soldering area.  Start by using the three-second rule:  hold the iron to the work, apply the solder to the now-heated WORK (not the iron), remove the solder, then remove the iron.  If you apply the solder to the work and it melts, then you know if it's hot enough to form the intermetallic bond.  I mentor people who are learning to solder for a living, and the one thing you need is PATIENCE.  Make some scrap and play around with it.  A "good" solder joint is going to be damn near impossible to break.  If the solder doesn't flow, you get a condition called "non-wetting" where the solder will sit on top of the material instead of bonding and flowing onto it.  This will still conduct electricity, but will be unreliable and will break easily since it is only bonded to the metal superficially.

EightBySix:

--- Quote from: compute on April 22, 2012, 04:49:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: yotsuya on April 12, 2012, 03:46:27 pm ---I need to watch some tutorial videos on how to do it right. I plug in the iron, let it get hot, touch the end of the wire and end of the solder together to mount it on the PCB, hope it makes a nice shinny melted ball that hardens, and repeat. In the end, it works, but I'd like to make sure it will stay working.

--- End quote ---

If it forms a ball, you're either applying too much or the solder is not flowing.  Get a scrap pcb or something to play with.  The materials you are soldering need to heat up in order to form an intermetallic bond.  When this happens, the solder will literally flow  either into a through-hold or across your soldering area.  Start by using the three-second rule:  hold the iron to the work, apply the solder to the now-heated WORK (not the iron), remove the solder, then remove the iron.  If you apply the solder to the work and it melts, then you know if it's hot enough to form the intermetallic bond.  I mentor people who are learning to solder for a living, and the one thing you need is PATIENCE.  Make some scrap and play around with it.  A "good" solder joint is going to be damn near impossible to break.  If the solder doesn't flow, you get a condition called "non-wetting" where the solder will sit on top of the material instead of bonding and flowing onto it.  This will still conduct electricity, but will be unreliable and will break easily since it is only bonded to the metal superficially.

--- End quote ---

+1
My 'aha' moment was realisin I had to get the *work* hot and then apply the solder to the work. It just jumps on to the wires (or whatever) and flows around them that way. I found that putting a bit of solder onto the iron tip (tinning) seems to make a better surface area  ironand work come into contact, and heats it up better

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