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Soldering 101 - Introduction |
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Soldering is not a difficult skill. If you apply the principles in this tutorial and practice you can become quite proficient. You will need some basic tools to get started 1. Soldering Iron First thing to do is go out and get yourself the Tools. A 25 to 40 watt soldering iron will do fine for almost every job. Weller, Craftsman, and Radio Shack are all good brands. Expect to spend anywhere from $8 to $30 on an iron. Do yourself a favor and don't get one of the soldering guns. They are bulky and are too hard to control. It's kind of like cutting sheetrock with a chainsaw. You can do it but it's not pretty.
2. Iron Holder/Rest Used to rest the Iron between joints and also to allow it too cool. Picture is worth a thousand words.
3. Solder Used to form an amalgamated bond between the two metals to be joined. Usually a tin/lead alloy with rosin flux core.
4. Damp Sponge For wiping the Iron tip before soldering a joint. This will normally come with the Iron rest but any new sponge will do.
5. Small wire cutters This is used for trimming off excess wire and leads after the joint has been soldered.
There are a lot of other tools you can use for soldering. To list a few; liquid flux, lead bending tools, de-soldering tool, wire brushes, alcohol, a small metal project vice, lead tensioners and many more. All of these tools can help make the job easier but are not necessary to do a professional job. I will make mention of them and household substitutes through the tutorial.
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Damp Sponge |
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Wire Cutters |