Construction techniques

How to solder

Soldering is a skill that is essential for anyone interested in the construction of electronics projects and electronic circuits. Not only will a knowledge of how to solder and general soldering techniques enable reliable solder joints to be made, but the finished electronic project will look much better, and it will be possible to take pride in the overall job.

Although soldering has been the method of connecting wire components for very many years, it is still the method that is used as the standard way of making connections in electronics equipment. Soldering is very simple in its conception, but despite this it is still very effective and can make good reliable electrical joints provided that the soldering has been done well in the first instance.

Preliminaries

Before any soldering is started, it is necessary to make sure that everything is set. The right tools and the right area is needed before any soldering is started.

• Tools: Obviously the first requirement is for a good soldering iron. This is outlined on a separate page in this area of this website that can be accessed through the "Related Articles" menu located on the left hand side of the page below the main menu. Additionally a small pair of pliers, possible a pair of small round nosed pliers, a pair of small wire cutters and a few other tools may be needed. The actual size of the tools will depend upon the actual nature of the work envisaged, but for most projects these days, with components becoming smaller, the tools should not be too large.
• Work area: In order to make the most of the tools a suitable work area is needed. This should be well light, possibly using an angle light to be able to focus sufficient light on the subject, and it should also be well ventilated to ensure that any fumes from the solder flux, etc can be removed. It is often a good idea to have a small fan running to remove these solder flux fumes.
• Anti-static protection: It is widely recognised today that static can cause problems, especially to integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices. As a result of this it is wise to work in an antistatic area with an antistatic soldering iron. Antistatic mats are available to overcome this.