This is just a collection of notes I’ve made covering electrical and electronic soldering.

Soft Solder

• Electrical, typically 63% tin, 37% lead, 183-decC melting
• Lead-free, typically tin-silver-copper, varies up to about 210-degC melting
• flux 1.2% (harder to use) to 2.2% (easier)
• flux core solder – rosin core moving to water soluble (less chemicals in the cleaning)
• cleaning not needed normally
• 0.5mm dia = small, 0.8mm diameter = large

Soldering Irons

• electric, about 50 watts is good
• gas, for heavy duty only, too hot
• small gas irons, waste of time
• useful tips 1-2mm conical, 2mm chisel

General Notes

Too low power takes too long to heat, damages boards and melts wire plastic.

Too powerful same problems.

Tips too small and not enough heat transfer.

Key = fresh solder, clean iron tip and timing

Wrong

• too much heat
• too slow or fast

Wires and Connectors

Things to be soldered

Wires

• stranded
• solid
• plastic, silicon

Connectors

• small, pcb,
• power, deans, xt60

Components

• LEDs and resistors