OK, Duh, you want to solder electronics. It takes a bit of practice to get right, but here are some basic principles:
Solder is not an adhesive. It works by dissolving the surface of the metal it’s in contact with, like water will dissolve a crystal of salt. When it cools, the metals have meshed at a molecular level, with no distinct junction between the solder and the metal.
Most solder used for electronics work is a composition of tin and lead. Because of the lead it contains, you want to exercise precautions – always have adequate ventilation, wash your hands after soldering, don’t eat while working with it.
Some metals cannot be soldered. Aluminum, brass, zinc, and stainless steel won’t take the stuff. Common metals that can be soldered are copper, silver, lead, tin, gold, and iron, although iron is harder to work with and tends to require higher heat and an acid flux.
Solder used for electronics has a rosin flux core. The rosin acts as a cleaning agent to remove oxidation from the metal surfaces. That’s what smokes and stinks when you work with the solder. When purchasing solder, make sure you get the rosin core stuff.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062712&cp=&pg=1&sr=1&retainProdsInSession=1&origkw=soldering&kw=soldering&numProdsPerPage=100&parentPage=search
Some solders used for other kinds of work have an acid core that is unsuitable for electronics work.
You can help the rosin along by making sure the surfaces you’re soldering are clean and free of oxidation. Acetone works well, although it is not pleasant to work with and is very flammable. I sometimes scrape oxidized surfaces with an X-acto knife to expose bare metal.
When you are ready to solder, you want to heat the joint of the two surfaces you’re trying to connect. Apply the solder to the point where the soldering tip and the joint meet, letting the solder melt and flow into the joint. Thin-gauge solders work best. A good solder joint will be smooth and will have no distinctive edges where it joins with the metal. A cold soldered joint – one that did not take the solder – will look like a blob, and can be easily dislodged with a small tool.
http://www.q45.org/soldering.jpg is a picture of a cold soldered joint.
When working with bare metal, it helps to pre-tin the surfaces prior to joining them. For example, if you’re soldering a bare, copper wire, heat it up with the iron and let solder flow onto it. Once again, if it beads up instead of appearing to wet the surface of the metal, it’s not taking.
Finally, any time you work with circuit boards, you need good lighting, and it helps to have magnification. I’ve found that a pair of reading glasses, like you would buy at Walgreens, helps. Get a pair in the higher diopter range, such as 3.0 or 3.25. Always inpect each joint carefully before moving on to the next.
Composing members:
0
Composing members:
0
