Soldering is a crucial skill for anybody who works with electronics on a regular basis. It might seem like a complicated procedure at first, and for that reason, you should practice a few times on a cheap or spare circuit board. But once you get the hang of it it becomes routine. This is not the same kind of soldering used for metal pipes; you will want to use rosin flux instead of acid flux, as acid will corrode and ruin your components. Solder for electronics typically has a rosin flux core for easier blending of solder and flux as you work. Check with your local hardware store for more details on what to buy.
Instructions
1 Use the wire stripper to remove some insulation off the wire to be soldered. Clear enough of the wire for you to work comfortably.
2 Dab some rubbing alcohol onto the sponge, and use the sponge to thoroughly clean the wire, the tip of the soldering iron, and the part of the PC board that is to be soldered. All 3 of these surfaces need to be totally free of dust or lint.
3 Plug in the soldering iron and heat it until it is just hot enough to melt your solder. Rub some solder over the tip until it melts, then cover the whole tip in solder. Solder will drip during this step, so be careful.
4 Use masking tape to cover up the area around the surface on the PC board that is to be soldered, leaving a small opening in which to work.
5 Join the wire to the PC board by threading it through a hole if there is one, otherwise use a bit of masking tape. It just needs to be able to sit in place without you having to hold it.
6 Use the soldering iron to apply heat to the wire and the PC board simultaneously. It is important that both surfaces be heated so the solder will stick to them. If you see any melting or bubbling going on with the PC board, remove the soldering iron immediately.
7 Touch the solder to the wire and PC board, but keep it away from the soldering iron. Allow the solder to flow freely until the surfaces have been thoroughly coated. If the solder beads up, the surface is either not hot enough or you have used too much solder.
8 Remove the coil of solder from the joint, then remove the soldering iron. Allow the joint to cool, then use rubbing alcohol and a sponge to wipe off any excess flux residue.
