Precision is the key to soldering on electronic boards, so a soldering iron with a needle-like tip is a necessity for doing precise electronic board soldering work. Ideally, a 15 watt to 30 watt soldering iron should be used because these irons won't melt the solder too quickly or damage the component to be soldered. However, for an experienced practitioner, a 40 watt iron will allow soldering joints to be done quickly and effectively. Regardless of what wattage the iron is, always use a rosin core solder, as an acid core solder will damage both the board and the components on it.
Instructions
1 Clean off an area of a table or dedicated work space to make room for the electronic board.
2 Plug in the soldering iron and allow it to heat up fully. This time will vary with the wattage of the iron.
3 Tin the iron by rubbing a bit of solder over the tip. When the solder begins to melt, the tip is hot enough. Use a wet sponge to wipe the tip off, then cover the tip completely in solder. This is an important step to both clean off the iron tip and to allow a consistent heat transfer between tip, solder, and the component to be soldered.
4 Insert the component into the board, and bend the leads into an approximate 45 degree angle to hold it in place. The angle does not have to be exact, as long as the bent leads hold the component in place.
5 Grasp the soldering iron like a pen or a pencil and touch the tip to where the lead contacts the board at the "track." The track is the copper line on the board that connects each component together. Hold it there for only a few seconds to heat the lead and the track up, and then touch the tip of the solder wire at the exact point where the component lead and the track meet. A correctly melted soldering joint will look like a tiny volcano shape.
6 Remove the iron first and the solder next, keeping the joint still for a few seconds while the solder hardens.
