Where can I learn to solder?

[Atarifever]

I tried to learn to do some soldering about four or five years ago, got frustrated and gave up. It feels to me like trying to help an elephant mate with a mouse. And the mouse ain't having it. I have no idea how anyone can work with so large a tool in so small an area and actually make something happen (you're still thinking about the elephant thing now ). However, I always have tons and tons and tons of things I'd like to be able to do if I could solder, and I collect for 7800, so eventually I'd like to stop buying new systems and just fix a power button.

 

Anyway, are there any good youtube (or elsewhere) streams teaching this that people could recommend, especially console specific stuff? Everything I found last time was basically "get it ready, then solder" and I could never figure out what I wasn't doing that they were. Any tips? Any "startup" kits I should buy? Any help would be appreciated.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Atarifever

[+save2600]

Practice on stuff you don't mind destroying and watch some YouTube vids...

[NE146]

^^^ Exactly that.. tons of youtube vids on it. Youtube teaches you everything in life these days. e.g. It just taught me how to change the fuel pump relay in my car.

 

On another note there's also kits like this for kids.. it's how my kid learned how to solder. Pricey though, but hey. https://www.makershed.com/products/make-getting-started-with-soldering-kit-1

 

 

[danwinslow]

Practice on stuff you don't mind destroying and watch some YouTube vids...

 

This is exactly what I just did. For years I was afraid to do even simple installs. Although there's some great folks like Steve Tucker and Ken Jones that still do custom install work in the U.S. for very reasonable prices, packing, shipping, and waiting for what actually are very simple soldering jobs seemed like a real bother. Plus to be honest I just felt kind of lame about it. So I bought a soldering setup, some 60/40 rosin core, and spent some time watching youtube vids and soldering various wires together. Then I practiced on some old 130xe and 800xl boards I had that were already broken. I was then able to do a Rapidus install (3 wires, 2 to freddy and 1 to the MMU) with no problem. Of course, that's about as simple as it gets, but it felt like a real victory. Harder stuff that involves DE-soldering chips and putting sockets in I am working on now, and I expect it will take a while to get that down and I'm sure I'll wreck a board or two. Having a good desoldering station, chip puller, multimeter and various other tools like crimpers and snips makes a big difference I think. I have a tool that has a magnifying glass and a couple of arms with alligator clips that you can position to hold stuff in place, and that was really helpful. It was sort of expensive to put it all together, probably in the 300-400$ range, but it was just something I felt like I wanted to be able to do. You probably don't need to spend that much to get a basic setup. It's like anything else, practice is required.

[Flojomojo]

Snarky: http://bfy.tw/3g52

 

Sincere: sounds like experimenting on old boards you don't care about is the best way. For what it's worth, I never learned. I'm dumber/poorer for it, but I rarely have time/space for delicate projects these days.

[carlsson]

Two words: Fine tip. I found that it is instrumental to have a fine pointed tip on your soldering station. Everything becomes so much easier then. Also if you don't already have a decent station, buy one. I believe for around $50 you should be able to get one with a digital temp control instead of the ultra cheap analog ones that break very soon. You can probably spend more than that, but with a station you can adjust the temperature and a fine tip that lets you point at details, you'll take one huge leap from newbie elephant to average amateur.

[CatPix]

There are "pen solders" for 10 bucks on DealExtreme and alike Chinese sites. I've used two on the last 5 years. One burned and the other is still fine.

 

If you want to leanr about soldering, there are several tutorials as pointed out.

The important thing is to have the right tools, as Carlson pointed out

 

http://www.dx.com/p/abc-ll-8133b-60-60w-adjustable-temperature-electronic-soldering-iron-ac-220-240v-2-flat-pin-plug-174151#.WbFeTtEqp9M(beware, this one is a 230 volts version)

 

You can also acquire a metallic sponge for your solder tool :

http://www.dx.com/p/soldering-iron-tip-cleaner-black-34154#.WbFeYdEqp9M

 

Stations usually come with a sponge or a sort of pad, but franckly the pads usally get dry and leave mess on the soldering tip; The metal sponge last forever and clean your tip more easily (do not put out of context).

 

A 3rd hand isn't necessary but a helpful item if you plan to solder small parts or plugs :

http://www.dx.com/p/helping-third-hand-soldering-stand-w-5x-magnifying-glass-107293#.WbFe9tEqp9M

 

If you get a soldering pen, a stand is also a welcomed addition :

http://www.dx.com/p/abs-metal-soldering-iron-stand-golden-black-478781#.WbFfbtEqp9M

 

To leanr to solder, try to find an old radio. Preferably an old radio from the 60's or 70's.

Radios made later will use smaller parts, and modern ones from the 90's will use surface mounted components which are high level soldering.

 

What you want to learn to solder is simple plane, pass-through big components.

 

Edited September 7, 2017 by CatPix

[keepdreamin]

A Hakko 808 will be your bestest friend

[HoshiChiri]

I've always wanted to learn to solder myself, just haven't had the time. I'm lucky in that, I have an 'in'- both my fiancé and my dad do aerospace electronics for a living, so I've got people I can consult for tips if I need to. I would love a serious course on gaming/computer soldering specifically though.

[CatPix]

There isn't much specific about our old systems htat is so different from ther electronics.

The only specific thing are IC.

Usually, the rule is that you solder a chip socket and never solder a chip directly. a clever thing to learn is how to desolder an IC as it's a tricky thing.

But most issues are caps and voltage regulators, and switches.

Resoldering the switches and replacing hte regulator of an Atari 2600 is a good training :

Edited September 7, 2017 by CatPix

[MrMaddog]

All you need is a soldering iron, some solder and wires to practice on...

 

To solder just put the solder on the tip of the iron (tinning) and lightly put that stuff on your wire end or terminal. Never use the solder to connect the bare wires & terminals...

 

(I got that information from an old Radio Shack catalog that's long out of print, so that's why I'm mentioning this.)

[0078265317]

I am not very good either. Maybe with practice you will get the hang of it.

[spacecadet]

I will say that there are some machine-made solder points that really are so tiny that you can't realistically deal with them as a human, at least not one who doesn't solder professionally. So don't feel bad if you come across a 1 square inch surface mount chip with 160 pins or something and feel like you can't do it... most people probably couldn't do that even if they're pretty good at soldering.

 

It does help to at least get some half-decent equipment too, and by "half-decent" I really mean that - I previously had a soldering iron from Radio Shack that I think was pretty common to low-end tinkerers and it also had me wondering what alchemy other solderers were conjuring because I just couldn't get anything done. It was total junk, but when I upgraded to just a cheap Chinese-made soldering station, everything got a lot easier. This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MCVCHJM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

It has an adjustable temperature setting and supports commonly available tips. Those are really the two most important things - you need to match the temperature and tip to the job. You also need an easy way to clean the tip, which is something my RS iron didn't provide so I never really realized how important it was. But you need to have either a wet sponge or a ball of wire (I prefer the sponge method) to be constantly cleaning your tip. With a clean tip, you can also tell better if you need to re-tin, which I usually do a couple times during each job.

 

Anyway I bought mine in 2015 and it's been working fine since then.

 

A solder sucker is also really handy. Everyone has different desoldering tools they prefer but I've never been able to get the braid to work (maybe I'm just using bad braid; everything to do with soldering depends a lot on quality). Ideally, if you make a mistake you should be able to just clean it right up and start over. But many soldering jobs, especially basically any repair job, really require you to start by desoldering something. So you need something to do that and I find that a cheap solder sucker is the easiest thing for me. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Electronix-Express-060820-Solder-Desoldering/dp/B00L2HRW92/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1504845906&sr=8-4&keywords=solder+sucker

 

As for instructions, I would really just search for "how to solder" on YouTube - a ton of good stuff comes up. There's no real mystery to it and only a few really basic techniques, which are in pretty much every video. Then it's just practice. It is a skill that you just get better at by doing it, but you need to have equipment that's good enough to at least be able to handle the jobs you're doing.

[carlsson]

I was once teached that you should heat the joint and then apply solder once it is hot. However I tend to use solder like electric glue, meaning I apply a rich amount of solder to the tip and then try to smear it out, alternatively apply heat and solder at the same time, so it melts in place. Most of the time it works. In particular when repairing or extending cables, I find this is the only way I can make it work. But any technique that works for you and that gives a decent result is fine, then you can improve from there.

[Atarifever]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think my problem may be the equipment. I bought a fairly cheap kit at "The Source" (one time Radio Shack in Canada), and perhaps it was not up to the job. In addition, I think my practice items may have indeed been too small, and perhaps I need to start with some bigger items (like the old radios.) Time to hit up goodwill for old electronics junk.

[Ramses]

Oh I can relate. I just rage quitted tonight while trying to desolder the IC chips on my Colecovision. I've never been successful with chips. A while back I spent a few weeks trying to desolder the ram chips off an Atari 800XL. I wasn't able to remove a single chip and I ended up buying another one instead. I've got all the equipment (fine point iron, solder sucker, solder wick, rosin flux, sponge) and I've watched many youtube videos but they never seem to share the secret incantation.

 

I will say that you should definitely get the smallest iron tip you can find. I could probably go smaller myself. I really wish the solder suckers came with a smaller tip. They seem way too big for use with chips as the pins can get in the way sometimes on the underside and there's not enough room for use on the top side.

[+remowilliams]

Protip - you don't 'bring' solder to the components, you heat the juncture and the solder all at the same time and let it do its thing. Most newb problems I see involve people trying to fling solder at joints.

Desoldering is a bit of a different art... and yes, this is 1000% true (own an FR-300 myself)

 

A Hakko 808 will be your bestest friend

[+wood_jl]

^^^ Exactly that.. tons of youtube vids on it. Youtube teaches you everything in life these days. e.g. It just taught me how to change the fuel pump relay in my car.

 

On another note there's also kits like this for kids.. it's how my kid learned how to solder. Pricey though, but hey. https://www.makershed.com/products/make-getting-started-with-soldering-kit-1

 

 

 

That thing actually looks really cool! Please tell a little bit about it. Was it to your satisfaction?

[rasch_C]

Personal lessons from Ben Heck!

 

On a more serious note, all the above advice is great. Practice, practice, practice. Like anything, equipment used can make a big difference as well. Some good 60/40 rosin core solder (I use Kester in a 0.031" diameter). Diameter of solder can make a big difference. You do not usually want too big or too small for most things. This is a good dia. for me.

 

The biggest difference I noticed in my own soldering skills came when I purchased my Hakko FX-888D soldering station. A good multi-temp iron w/ some tips (only need maybe a couple chisel tips, a hoof tip, and a small conical tip) made a huge difference. I did have multiple Weller, Ungar, etc irons previously that I either inherited from my Dad when he passed, or that I purchased on my own. All these were single temp irons. They were OK, and I would just choose a different iron for different applications. But, I did find myself struggling as well with those. Not so with my Hakko. You do not need to spend for a Hakko (this is just my choice). But having a decent multi-temp iron w/ the above mentioned range of tips will certainly help you.

 

De-soldering is important too. I have both a spring-operated suction pump and solder wick. And I use both depending on which works better at the time. I dream of having a nice de-soldering iron. Something like the Hakko 808 mentioned above, but it will have to continue to wait.

 

-Allen

[spacecadet]

I really wish the solder suckers came with a smaller tip. They seem way too big for use with chips as the pins can get in the way sometimes on the underside and there's not enough room for use on the top side.

 

I think using a sucker is kind of a skill in itself. For me it was pretty easy to pick up while I could never get the hang of the wick/braid for desoldering, but for others it might be the reverse. But the technique I use with the sucker is mostly based on speed. I have it primed and ready right next to the joint as I heat it up, then in one motion pull off the iron, put the sucker on firmly and trigger it. I usually need to do it a couple of times to get all the solder off.

 

One thing about the suckers is that their tips wear out; they melt. If you have a melted one, you need to replace it to get good suction. Some suckers let you replace the tip, but most are so cheap that they just make you replace the whole thing, which is kind of a waste.

[AtariLeaf]

I'm new to this as well and have a whole 4 page thread (currently) on my experiences. I've gone through about three irons and all crapped out on me and needed to be returned. I finally broke down and bought a Hakko 888D or whatever it's called by an almost unanimous cry from the soldering experts on AA. It's on it's way and I can't wait to try it. There is an immense satisfaction in getting old equipment working again. Before my last iron stopped heating I was able to desolder and replace a start switch on an XEGS and it felt great. As for soldering youtube tutorials I've watched a bunch but I recommend Thomas3120's two-parter for beginners. He used to be on youtube a lot and has created some incredible custom consoles, mods, and controller mods.

 

Part 1

 

 

Part 2

 

[icemanxp300]

I disagree w/using that metal sponge. For me it did nothing but destroy tips. I find a normal wet sponge is better and I have been using the same tip now for a long time as compared to burning one out every other month using that metal POS.

 

My advice.

 

1. never leave the iron on too long w/out being used. This means if you plan on not using it even for like a minute maybe even 30 seconds put plenty of solder on the tip so it does not burn out.

 

2. de-soldering is best w/ a gun but if you need to do it by hand then you can try using a solder sucker but only on through hole. For pads I would only use wic and make sure the solder and iron are very hot and the solder should slide off into the wic easily. I have had numerous pads suck right off the pcb using those suckers and that was the reason I purchased a hakko fr-300.

 

3. Thin tips are better for smaller but do not conduct as much heat. Depending on what you are doing a thicker tip may be better than a smaller tip.

 

4. Wear white cloth gloves..... just save yourself burns right now. I also wear a mask and solder w/fans and an exhaust fan but that's because the fumes bother my throat.

 

I'm not kidding about the gloves, burns and not handling the lead. I got the gloves tip from EEVBlog and it has been one of the best pieces of advice I got.

[Ramses]

I'd love to get a desoldering gun. Looks like it would be a lot easier. I have trouble with solder splattering over the board when using the regular sucker - I have to act fast, but when I'm fast, I can't get it pressed down firmly enough and it moves when I press the button.

[Jess Ragan]

Regrettably, I have no current access to flux. What can I use in the meantime? I've heard lemon juice is adequate for that purpose.

[icemanxp300]

I no longer use flux. It is messy and not usually needed. Flux has a use here and there like for surface mount but from my experiences and what I generally do flux is not needed. So don't use it just because you read online to use it. Buy a quality solder that has a rosin flux core.