Winstanley - Basic Soldering Guide Handbook - Learn to solder electronics successfully

All text, diagrams and photographs areCopyright 1996-2013 A. R. Winstanley. All Rights Reserved.

All text, diagrams and photographsare fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any commercial ornon-commercial publication or medium, mirrored on any commercial ornon-commercial website nor may they be appended to or amended, monetised orused or re-distributed for any commercial reason, without the prior permissionof the writer.

Every care has been taken to ensurethat the information and guidance given is accurate and reliable, but sinceconditions of use are beyond the writers control no legal liability orconsequential claims will be accepted for any errors contained herein.

Where mentioned, the U.K. mainsvoltage supply is 230V a.c. and you should amend ratings for your localconditions.

In 1996 when the world wide web was still very young, Ilaunched the first and most detailed website ever describing the practicalskills of electronic soldering, and my BasicSoldering Guide quickly became the #1 web site of its kind in the Googlesearch engine.

Thanks to its in-depth reference text and the unequalledhigh-quality close-up photography showing soldering step by step, many quickly learnedthe essential stages needed to make a solder joint successfully. Even noviceswho had never tried soldering before, gained the skills and confidence neededto acquire this skill.

My Basic Soldering Guide became a key go-to online guidefor soldering, and Ive enjoyed receiving encouraging feedback ever since fromthe likes of the US Air Force, US Marines, US Coastguard, Honeywell trainers,Atomic Energy authorities, Australian aeronautical suppliers, UK colleges anduniversities, trainees and many more around the world.

In association with Antex (Electronics) Ltd., the leading UKmanufacturer of electronic soldering equipment, Im delighted to bring you thisupdated Basic Soldering Guide containing over 80 all-new colour photographs, morebackground, more detailed information and lots more practical hints and tips.

Ive revisited various areas of the guide and refreshedthem, taking onboard readers queries and nearly 17 years of online feedback, experiencesand answering readers questions. With the help of all-new photography, Imsure youll master the skills needed to solder electronics successfully using thisupdated guide.

I welcome feedback and comments, and readers can reach mevia my website

Alan Winstanley

July 2013

The first and most important aspect of assembling anyelectronic project is that of soldering, which is a delicate and preciseskill that can be mastered with experience. Sometimes called soft soldering,theres no shortcut to acquiring the necessary expertise, and producing aconsistently satisfactory solder joint takes a little practice. However, likeriding a bicycle, soldering is an art which once learnt is never forgotten, andthe purpose of this new and updated guide is to explain the techniques ofsoldering and desoldering for beginners, which I hope will set the hobbyist or traineetechnician firmly on the road to successful electronic assembly or repairs inthe future.

Soldering is the least aggressive way of joining non-ferrousmetals together, and is used universally in electronics, air conditioning andrefrigeration circuits, household plumbing and more besides applicationswhere the precise joining together of components at fairly moderatetemperatures is needed. Further up the scale, brazing involves usinghigher temperatures to melt brazing rods onto larger metal parts, perhaps to repaira metal chair, lawnmower or to fabricate metal components or jewellery intointricate shapes. Lastly, welding is a very aggressive way of fabricationusing welding rods or wire; steel girders, oil rigs and ships are all weldedtogether, or robotic spot-welding is used for the mass production of, say, washingmachines or car bodyshells using sheet steel to make strong rigid assemblies.

Due to the lower temperatures used and the need to makeconsistently good electrically conductive and mechanically sound joints withprecision, soldering is used to connect components together when manufacturingelectronic circuits. Small components would quickly be destroyed by brazing orwelding, although tiny spot-welding joints do appear in electronics, perhaps toweld a metal tag onto a button battery.

This guide therefore deals with the soldering techniquesused in electronics at hobbyist or trainee educational level. It explains whatto look for before buying a soldering iron, describes ways of making various solderjoints on circuit boards and other electronic components, and also how to desolder removing solder in order to repair a circuit board or replace an electroniccomponent.

Youll also find more details of other aspects of soldering,including an outline of typical solder types and fluxes. In short, everythingyou need to get started in electronics soldering is here, so lets get started!

The principle behind soldering sounds quite simple: the ideais to join components together to form an electrical connection, by using amixture of lead and tin solder or alternatively lead-free solder (an alloy oftin and copper), which is melted onto the joint using a soldering iron.If you have never picked up a soldering iron before, then this guide will showyou everything to help you start soldering with confidence. I also hope thatthe guidance will help those working in other areas computer technicians oraudio enthusiasts, for example, who may be faced with electronic repairs ormodifications using a soldering iron for the first time.

If youre an electronics hobbyist or trainee, beforeembarking on any form of ambitious electronic project, it is recommended thatyou practice your soldering technique on some brand new components usingclean strip board (or protoboard) or a printed circuit board, and selecta simple and straightforward constructional design as a starting point. Becomeacquainted and comfortable with your chosen soldering iron, which likely tobecome as familiar to you as a favourite pen. Learn how to balance it and handleit with precision. Try soldering an assortment of resistors, capacitors,diodes, transistors and integrated circuits with it, and then try your hand at desoldering removing the solder again to make a repair or modification.

A really good place to start learning is by building asimple electronics kit, such as a Velleman kit that contains a good qualityprinted circuit board. Youll learn some of the basic skills of successfulsoldering this way, and itll be a great confidence booster too.

Did you know? In the USA and elsewhere, the letter L insolder is silent and they say soda or sodder but here in Britain we dopronounce the L and we say sole-der.

Search any electronics catalogue or website and youll see abewildering array of soldering equipment on sale, including irons, controllers,work stations and desoldering equipment too. A large range of soldering ironsis readily obtainable - which one is suitable for you depends on your budgetand how serious your interest in electronics is, but theres something forevery pocket distributed by a variety of retail, industrial and mail-orderoutlets.