Hand-Soldering Short-Course

Tools required for testing: 

• Safety Glasses
• Exhaust fan to pull soldering fumes away from the operator during soldering operation.
• Soldering iron designed for the alloy being soldered with largest tip possible. Typically 300°C (600°F) for Leaded and 375°C (700°F) for lead-free alloys.
• Proper tip for alloy. Lead-free alloy tip will have a thicker layer of tin.

Process: 

• Read the information on the roll of solder to ensure it is the correct material. Do not  use acid-based solder.
• If using extra flux, ensure that it is in the same family as the cored wire (e.g., ROLO, ORLO, ORMO).
• Never use a squirt bottle to apply extra flux. Use a flux pen or dip the solder wire in extra flux prior to bringing it to the solder joint. This will ensure all of the flux sees the heat of the soldering process.
• Any sponges used should be wet using de-ionized water only. (Regular water contains chlorine/chloride which can pose a long-term reliability issue.)
• Place the soldering iron on the connection to be soldered.
• Remove the solder wire from the joint before removing the heat (iron).