De Vinck - Make: getting started with soldering: a hands-on guide to making electrical and mechanical connections

Copyright 2017 Marc de Vinck. All rights reserved.

Printed in Canada.

Published by Maker Media, Inc., 1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111

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Publisher: Roger Stewart

Editor: Roger Stewart

Copy Editor: Elizabeth Campbell, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Proofreader: Scout Festa, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Interior Designer and Compositor: Maureen Forys, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

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Indexer: Valerie Perry, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

November 2017: First Edition

Revision History for the First Edition

2017-11-03 First Release

See oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=9781680453843 for release details.

Make:, Maker Shed, and Maker Faire are registered trademarks of Maker Media, Inc. The Maker Media logo is a trademark of Maker Media, Inc. Getting Started with Soldering and related trade dress are trademarks of Maker Media, Inc. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Maker Media, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. While the publisher and the author have used good faith efforts to ensure that the information and instructions contained in this work are accurate, the publisher and the author disclaim all responsibility for errors or omissions, including without limitation responsibility for damages resulting from the use of or reliance on this work. Use of the information and instructions contained in this work is at your own risk. If any code samples or other technology this work contains or describes is subject to open source licenses or the intellectual property rights of others, it is your responsibility to ensure that your use thereof complies with such licenses and/or rights.

978-1-680-45384-3

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To my wife, Christa.

T he world of electronics is waiting for youa fantastic land of LEDs, buttons, motors, and microcontrollers. And what is your key to this kingdom? The common soldering iron! This humble item has been tossed into toolboxes for years, to be pulled out whenever a household wire is loose. Whether your soldering iron is a pen-type, battery- or butane-powered, or a fancy stand model, you will be able to do a lot with soldering.

First of all, you can fix things around you!

How many times have you had to toss out a really nice pair of headphones because of a worn-out wire? Now, that will be a 10-minute job. Or maybe your bicycle headlamp goes on the fritz whenever you jump the curb? Get in there with your soldering iron and fix itgood as new.

And then, you can make new things!

Upgrade your costume, cosplay, or festival attire with LEDs, soldered in place. If you do theater A/V, your ability to make custom cables will be very handy. Or pick up a kit, and get into the relaxing rhythm of cross-stitching with molten metal (as I like to call it).

Soldering may seem a little intimidating at firstits hot, its metal, what kind of solder should I use? But its not that tough millions of people have picked up this handy skill. And Marc here is an expertnot just at soldering, but at knowing how to get you, the beginner, going!

Are you ready? Then lets get started...

Limor "Ladyada" Fried, Adafruit

M y adventures in soldering began with a kit that I ordered from a person in Long Island City about 10 years ago. The kit was a mini persistence-of-vision (POV) circuit. It consisted of a series of LEDs that would turn on and off at a very specific rate, and if everything went well, you could wave it in the air to spell out a word or create a graphic. It was magical!

The only problem was it had to be soldered. Although I had soldered before, I had never soldered anything as ambitious as a printed circuit board. I ended up purchasing a very inexpensive soldering iron and somehow managed to solder it together and get it to work. The feeling of accomplishment was amazing, and I was hooked on learning more about soldering electronics.

Learning to solder was a bit intimidating. There were all types of irons and tips, and even different types of solder. Who knew there would be so many different choices?

By the way, that cheap iron I bought for the POV project subsequently caught fire! (Dont worry! Well also talk about how to make sure you choose the right equipment!)

I learned almost everything I know about soldering by getting advice from other Makers, looking up information and videos online, and, most of all, from years of practice and first-hand experience soldering and making electronic kits. Along the way, I designed and helped launch the Learn to Solder program at Maker Faire, which is now sponsored by Google and has taught thousands of young people this valuable skill.

In this book, I will give you helpful advice on navigating the available tools and materials as to what may be your best buying options. Ill also show the basics of soldering through-hole components, and then later on, more advanced techniques about soldering surface-mount components that are typically reserved for robots and professionals. I hope this book also helps you avoid some common pitfalls, or at least minimize their impact. Ill show you examples of the typical things that can (and will) go wrong when soldering, and Ill also show you how to fix them.