How to Solder

Introduction

Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a relatively low melting point. Soft soldering is characterized by the melting point of the filler metal, which is below 400 °C (752 °F). The filler metal used in the process is called solder.

Soldering is distinguished from brazing by use of a lower melting-temperature filler metal; it is distinguished from welding by the base metals not being melted during the joining process. In a soldering process, heat is applied to the parts to be joined, causing the solder to melt and be drawn into the joint by capillary action and to bond to the materials to be joined by wetting action. After the metal cools, the resulting joints are not as strong as the base metal, but have adequate strength, electrical conductivity, and water-tightness for many uses. Soldering is an ancient technique mentioned in the Bible and there is evidence that it was employed up to 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia.

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Lets Start Soldering

For this tutorial we will be soldering two different things. The first being a component and some headers. The second being some wires.

Before we begin lets look at the items we will need to complete this tutorial.

Soldering Iron

Make sure to purchase a soldering iron that feels right in your hand. Furthermore, try not to skimp too much. You will pay the price later.

Solder

Any solder will do. We purchased this from radio shack for a few bucks. It has a handy case where the solder can be extracted and retracted from.

Soldering Stand

This is not required - however - it makes your life a lot easier. We highly suggest investing in a stand like this one. Take note that the sponge is used quite a bit. Some stands do not come with this - we suggest getting the stand that comes with the sponge.

Magnifying Station with Arms

We highly suggest getting one of these. It will make your life easier when working with components. When it comes to soldering - you can always use a third or a fourth hand to help out. These devices do the job just right!

Headers

These headers will be used on the compass we are using in this example. They are not required for soldering - however - for the purposes of this tutorial - they are. Part of the tutorial is to demonstrate how to solder headers onto a board.

Component

We are using a component from one of our projects which has an I2C interface. The board came without headers - like many boards - therefore - we are putting some on to make it easy to plug into our projects.

In this picture we already have the headers on the board. Refer to the video to see how we actually soldered the headers onto the board.

Wires

These are just basic wires. These wires are used for the purposes of this tutorial to demonstrate how to solder two wires together. They are not need for your soldering projects unless it is required. Again these are just two basic wires we are using for the tutorial.

Step by Step Soldering Video Tutorial

How To Solder - Part 1

How To Solder - Part 2