Soldering 101

What is Soldering?

Soldering is the process of joining electronic components with molten metal alloy. It is the foundation of electronics assembly and repair.

Tools You Will Use

• Temperature-controlled soldering station: Set to 320-350C for leaded solder
• Helping hands: Holds your board and components steady
• Fume extractor: Removes harmful solder smoke
• Brass sponge: Cleans the iron tip without water

Step-by-Step

1. Prepare Your Workspace

Set up at one of our soldering stations. Turn on the fume extractor before you start heating anything.

2. Tin the Tip

Apply a small amount of solder to the clean iron tip. This helps heat transfer to the joint.

3. Heat the Joint

Touch the iron to both the component lead and the PCB pad simultaneously. Wait 1-2 seconds for the joint to heat up.

4. Apply Solder

Feed solder into the joint from the opposite side of the iron. It should flow smoothly around the lead and pad.

5. Remove Solder, Then Iron

Remove the solder wire first, then lift the iron. The joint should be shiny and cone-shaped.

Common Mistakes

Practice Projects

We have beginner kits available:

• LED flashlight kit
• Simple FM radio
• Custom keyboard kit (intermediate)

Next Steps

• Try surface-mount soldering with our hot air rework station
• Learn to desolder and salvage components
• Design your own PCBs in KiCad