this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 months ago (10 children)

Step 2 has never been very clear to me and this diagram doesn't seem to explain it either.

  • Do you touch the tip of the solder to the iron, the pin, or the pad?

  • Do you push the tip of the solder down into the pad, draw it up along the pin, or pull it away as it melts?

  • Why does the solder sometimes flow onto the iron instead of staying on the pad?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Additionally:

  • What do I do if solder doesn't stick to contact points?
  • What to do if there are plastic parts in contact with pad, like a button, or there's wire insulation that starts to melt before the solder does?
  • How do I clean the tip if I accidentally poked it into plastic?
  • How do I detach a part that has bent pins inside the solder layer?
  • What does flux do, exactly?
  • What's the difference between liquid flux and flux-core solder?
  • How do I prevent oxidation from occurring on copper wires?
  • How hot does the iron needs to be?
  • Do I need a heat gun?
  • How do I hold the wire, iron, solder and the board if I only have two hands?
[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

How do I hold the wire, iron, solder and the board if I only have two hands?

This! I found a nice set of "helping hands" and they're.. really helpful!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Which brand are you using? I've tried a couple generic sets, but they were so light that I could topple them over by just blowing really hard.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

KOTTO brand with magnetic base. The arms and base are very sturdy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

It does indeed look pretty sturdy and ergonomic. Thanks! I'll definitely order one when I'll be able to receive shippings again.

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