The soldering iron is considered one of the most common tools that can be found in the home of any owner. It is not necessary to be a specialist and solder professionally. But every representative of the stronger sex should have general fundamental knowledge. Breaks in wires in electrical appliances, contacts in sockets, headphones, repairing circuit boards are frequent phenomena, faced with which a person wants to learn how to learn how to solder.
What is a soldering iron?
This is a special 15W to 40W heat emitting fixture, enough to solder wires, boards and microcircuits. There are soldering irons, the power of which is higher. They are intended for light soldering - for soldering badly connected wires of thick diameter or for soldering XLR connectors. The function of the heating element in soldering irons is performed by a nichrome wire, which is wound on a tube containing a "sting" - the working surface of the device. The tip is a copper rod that is heated by a nichrome wire.
The soldering iron uses copper because this metal has a high thermal conductivity. The heat supply to the wire is due to electric current. The soldering iron device contains an insulator, which is mica. For safety reasons, it prevents the wires from coming into contact with the metal tube and the soldering iron casing.
Which soldering iron to choose?
Learning to solder correctly is easy, but with a well-chosen tool. Among the wide variety of these devices, an amateur master who decides to repair office equipment should choose an acoustic soldering iron, which is small in size and has good performance. It has a low heat capacity, which is desirable for fine soldering work in chip assembly. It is better for a novice master to opt for a device whose power does not exceed 40 watts. It is important that the soldering iron is also not weaker than 15 W, since the power in such a product will not be enough even to connect simple office equipment wires. It is preferable to buy a tool with a three-way grounding plug. Its presence will prevent possible voltage dissipation during the movement of electric current to the metal tube.
Industrial soldering iron is suitable for connecting calibration wires, chassis and stained glass work.
Which sting is better?
Working parts of soldering irons, depending on the size, are of two types:
- Regular 0.5cm in diameter;
- miniature with a diameter of 0.2cm,used for soldering very thin wires and copper parts.
Working parts of soldering irons can be in the form of a needle, cone and spatula. The latter form is the most common, since it makes it possible to scoop up the required amount of solder. In addition, for the convenience of soldering, the tip can be straight or curved.
What is the principle of soldering?
The soldering procedure is to connect two metal elements using a third (solder). In this case, the melting temperature of the parts to be joined must be higher than that of the third element, which, in the molten state, penetrates into the gaps of the parts to be joined, as well as into their structure, providing a mechanical connection. At the same time, an electrical contact is observed between the connected parts.
What do you need for work?
The soldering procedure is not difficult. The question of how to learn to solder from scratch is easily solved. To do this, it is enough to acquire the necessary material and, following the instructions, start training.
Where can I learn to solder?
You can train at home by soldering conventional electrical wires. The main thing is to follow the safety instructions.
May need:
- soldering iron (according to professionals, a 20-40 W tool will be enough to work with small wires in electronics and radio engineering);
- pliers;
- knife;
- scissors;
- set of needle files;
- sandpaper;
- duct tape;
- rosin;
- solder.
The question "how to learn to solder" will be solved after a few trainings. The beginner will gain confidence and experience. Step-by-step instructions for soldering can help him in this.
Where to start?
- Preparing the sting. To do this, using pliers and needle files, you need to clean the working part of the soldering iron. The sting should have an angle of 30-45 degrees. In the event that the tip is damaged, it must be sharpened again, giving the necessary shape. After that, the tip is tinned - the heated soldering iron should be dipped first in rosin, and then in solder.
- It is necessary for safety reasons to prepare a lining for a soldering iron. This is due to the fact that the device is heated to a temperature of more than 300 degrees and operates under high electrical voltage. It is important to optimize your workplace during the operation of the soldering iron. It is desirable that a piece of textolite or plywood be used as a lining. Special trays for solder and rosin are also needed.
- Cleaning the surfaces of the joined metals under the solder. To do this, you need sandpaper, solvent or soldering acid. It is important that the surfaces to be soldered be free of oil, grease and other contaminants.
Work sequence
How to learn how to solder correctly, it will become clear if you follow the step-by-step instructions. Required:
- Install the soldering iron on the stand and turn it on.
- Dip in rosin. This isperformed 5-7 minutes after connecting to the outlet. The purpose of this procedure is to check the heating temperature of the tip and get rid of scale. The soldering iron is considered ready for use if the rosin boils and melts. If it only softens, then the sting is not heated enough. When the soldering iron overheats, the rosin hisses and splatters. In this case, the device needs to cool down a bit.
- Tinning surfaces. Molten solder covers the joints of metal products.
- Press the tinned surfaces together. In places where they are combined with a soldering iron, apply a new portion of solder. The parts to be joined must be pressed until the solder has cooled and solidified.
Using solder
Successful soldering is possible with the skillful selection of the necessary solder - an alloy of tin and lead. The most common solder is POS-40 and POS-60. They are characterized by a low melting point (183 degrees) and are used in most soldering work to connect steel elements. This standard solder is in the form of a wire with a diameter of 2.5 mm, which is very convenient for working with microcircuits.
For soldering aluminum parts, it is advisable to purchase a special aluminum solder. During operation, it is important to remember that, when heated, tin-lead compounds emit gases that are very harmful to humans. Therefore, work with them is recommended to be carried out in a well-ventilated area withusing special respirators, gloves and goggles.
How to learn to solder wires?
So, how to connect the wires? The sequence of work is standard for all types of soldering. The connected ends of the wires are tinned. But for reliable fastening, it is recommended to tightly twist them together. During the procedure, the tip of the soldering iron is directed with one hand to the joints, and the solder wire is supplied to this place with the other.
Twisting wires is not possible in some cases. Then the ends of the wires to be connected must be laid parallel to each other and squeezed with pliers. The work is done with one hand, the second one directs the tip of the soldering iron with solder to the junction. Holding the ends of the wire must be done after the soldering iron tip is removed from the soldering area.
Sometimes there is a need to connect the end of one wire to the middle of another. Twisting in this case is done by wrapping the end of the wire around the other to which it is attached.
It must be remembered that butt soldering wires is not possible, since its reliability depends on the strength of the mechanical connection.
The question of how to learn how to solder wires is one of the most relevant among Internet users. Having mastered the technique of splicing and soldering, craftsmen get the opportunity to independently, without the help of specialists, perform a number of the following tasks:
- seamless heating equipment;
- electric guitar cord extension;
- connecting the usb cable to the antenna, etc.
What is heat shrink?
When splicing wires, professionals recommend using special heat shrink tubing. Their diameter must be twice that of the wire. The tube is put on one end of the wire. After its mechanical coupling with another wire and soldering, the heat shrink is dragged to the place of their connection. It should be positioned so that 1 cm remains at each end of the seam. After that, soldering is performed again. The heat shrink should evenly cover and heat the wire connection. As a result of exposure to high temperatures, the tube is sealed, providing reliable insulation in the connection area, as well as mechanical bond strength.
How to learn how to solder boards?
Before starting complex soldering, for example, working with diode strips, experts recommend that novice craftsmen get inexpensive budget boards. After training on them and mastering the standard soldering techniques, after a while the beginner will learn how to solder microcircuits.
This type of soldering consists of successive steps:
- Preparatory. Before starting work, you need to ensure a strong connection and lower the resistance. To this end, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of grease and dust. For degreasing, you can use napkins and soapy water. Acetone is used when you need to polish the surface of the circuit to a shine. Methyl hydrate is recommended as a safer solvent. It is just as effective as acetone, buthas a less pungent smell.
- Placement of soldered parts of the board. Before you learn how to solder a circuit, you need to know the location of all its elements. In the very first place, flat parts are subject to soldering. This is a resistor and a varistor. After proceeding to the capacitor, transistor, transformer, microphone and potentiometer. This sequence guarantees the safety of temperature-sensitive elements of the board.
- Heating the joint to improve the thermal conductivity of the metal. The tip of the soldering iron must be leaned against the components of the circuit for a few seconds. It is important to prevent it from overheating. Bubbles appearing on the surface will testify to it. In this case, the soldering iron must be removed from the soldering area.
- Applying solder. It is carried out until a slight elevation appears on the diagram.
- Surplus withdrawal. It is carried out after hardening and cooling of the solder. It is recommended not to rush, but to allow the circuit to cool down for a while. This is important because it is possible to break the connections made, and the work will have to be done again.
Every man should learn how to solder circuits. This will make it possible to repair plugs, modems, etc. with your own hands.
Soldering as a process is not limited to working with copper wires and microcircuits. Having mastered the ability to use a soldering iron on wires, you can proceed to subsequent, more complex operations using various solders and various metals.
