Soldering, How to
From HvWiki
Knowing how to solder is a vital skill when working with electronics, this guide will explain the basics of soldering and desordering.
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1. Choosing the right soldering iron.
The right soldering iron plays an important part in soldering, I recommend a high quality temperature adjustable soldering station if possible, otherwise a cheap directly mains powered one will do, soldering irons in the range of 15-40 watts are ideal, any higher and you risk component damage from overheating. Also don't use "soldering guns" these generate most of their heat by passing current though a wire, as a result of this they are very high wattage and have a high a leakage, these have a very high risk of damaging either a component of even the PCB board itself. "Cold Heat" irons are also pretty much useless for PCB work.
2. Choosing solder
The idea solder for most applications is 60/40 tin/lead resin core solder, I like a thinness of 0.50 to 1.00mm, choose one that you feel comfortable with. Remember never to use acid core solder, this will corrode the PCB tracks and the component leads.
3. Iron Preparation
Plug in the soldering iron and wait for it to heat up, you can test to see whether it is ready by Applying a small amount of solder to the tip and observing whether it melts. If you are using a temperature controlled type, set it to 360-380 degrees C and wait for the heater indicator light to stop flashing. Once the soldering iron is ready apply a small amount of solder to the tip of it, the solder should flow around the tip giving it a shiny metallic look. Now proceed to wipe the tip of the iron onto a damp sponge. This procedure is known as "tinning". You will have to tin the soldering iron every so often while working. Congratulations you are now ready to start soldering. Note: the solder applied during tinning is not the solder that will make up the actual solder joint, it is merely applied to help increase heat transfer.
4. Component preparation
Most components will not be ready to able to solder to a PCB board when they a bought. For example a resistor is usually supplied with the component leads protruding straight outwards from the body, you need to bend the leads so that they both face downwards. Next push the component leads through the corresponding holes in the PCB board; make sure it is as far down as it can go. After that, bend the leads at about 45 degrees from each other. You are now ready to solder. Note: most components will go through the holes in the PCB board with very little force, although this is not the case with transistors. If the component does not fit easily you have most likely placed it in the position.
