Soldering
Soldering joins two metal surfaces with solder, a filler metal that melts at a far lower temperature than the metals being joined. The hot iron heats the joint, the molten solder wets both surfaces, and it sets into a bond that is both a mechanical connection and an electrical one. Flux is the chemical cleaner that strips oxide off the surfaces so the solder can wet them.
Your kit · click through
The rules · click through
The faults · click through
Sources & photo credits
- Photos: Adafruit (used with permission), SRA, and our own bench.
- Quotes are verbatim from SRA, Adafruit, Winstanley, Kester, OSHA, NIOSH, and Micah Toll.
- SRA, How to Solder Electronics: 15 Rules for Successful Soldering.
- Adafruit, Guide to Excellent Soldering.
- Alan Winstanley, The Basic Soldering Guide Handbook (2014).
- Kester, Alloy Temperature Chart.
- NASA Workmanship Standards Pictorial Reference (2002), companion to NASA-STD-8739.3, Soldered Electrical Connections (cancelled 2011): the 100 percent tinning-coverage bar.
- Voron and Oscar Liang soldering guides (the 310–390°C small-pad iron range).
- OSHA chemical data 793; NIOSH Pocket Guide (lead).
- Micah Toll, DIY Lithium Batteries (2017).