Best intro I've seen because it assumes nothing and starts with the real basics. Your explanation is clear and concise too. Excellent. I've had a soldering iron for years and haven't got around to learning how to use it....I need to get a project mat though! :)
Thanks! So glad you like it. Funny...I just shot part two. Through hole soldering for components. The first video everyone seemed to enjoy so I’ll keep the series going. And yes I assume nothing when it comes to teaching people things. I am a college professor of film production so the only way I KNOW if somebody knows something is by telling them. Then I can be certain they get what I am referring to :)
Nice guide. Simple soldering is not hard and 99% of people learn it without much trouble, and hopefully this video helps some people get started. In the past, I've been involved in large-scale PCB rework and production, and generally used a mix of Hakko and Weller stations for hand-soldering work. Hakko has a decent low-cost soldering station kit in the $100-120 range as well that I own personally-the FX888 I think it is. We generally had better luck with the more expensive, $500-1,000+ Hakko soldering stations lasting longer than the Weller stations in that price range, while the higher-end Weller units tended to work more consistently over their lifetimes-we are talking usage of 18-hours/day generally, so not something most hobbyists are going to have worry about though. Of course though, you do have the 1% that are in a position like I am. I was engineering lead at the US arm of a large Taiwanese electronics OEM/ODM for almost a decade and used to do quite a lot of soldering a various points...then I was in an accident that resulted in a moderate tremor and finger flexion issues with my right (dominant) hand. Now, half-a-decade on, I very rarely solder and then only simple through-hole jobs or other things where I'm confident my "lay-right-forearm-on-the-table-and-put-pressure-on-my-arm-using-my-torso-and-pray-my-hand-doesn't-shake-too-much"...this doesn't really work most of the time, but I can still do some stuff. If I have someone around that can be a third hand for handling the solder, flux, etc, I can hold my right hand with my left and get a lot more done. However, I'm usually alone when I want to solder something, so anything that requires too much dexterity, I just take to a friend or to former colleagues to get it done (and that way I get access to multiple BGA rework stations, some with x-ray imaging, wave solders, reflow ovens, etc., and people much, much, much better at hand soldering than I ever was to begin with)...it just has to be outside of main production hours-and I have to drive an hour now-a-days... BTW, if you or anyone is ever in the market for a $50,000++ BGA solder rework station, the ones from Martin GmbH in Germany are by-far the best quality in terms of workmanship that we ever used. They were well worth paying a small premium over one from Fonton, Weller, Pace, etc. The Martin ones were just built so well. When we bought them, they even sent someone over (at no extra cost) to set them up and help us get up and dialed in to match the profiles from our Shanghai, Suzhou, and Chongqing factories (they used Fonton-made equipment generally).
lol I wish I had the need for a rework station that nice. I have had a few chips needing BGA work but yeah...never got done lol I really like the Weller WE1010NA in the video. I almost bought the Hakko but the lack of buttons would have driven me nuts. But yeah I want more people to learn how to solder because it seems daunting but it's seriously one of the easiest things to learn. Solder loves copper so it's basically "magic" as to just how easy it is to start learning how to solder. Sorry to hear about your accident! Weirdly I have ONE issue with soldering...if I get near something irreplaceable I get a bit shaky and can psych myself out. Thankfully a nice 2 oz pour of gin later I am golden lolol
Great video! Soldering is indeed very easy! It just takes a little knowledge and a bit of practice. I would like to leave some suggestions of my own (I do solder repairs on all kinds of devices including board-level repairs on Macbooks and occasionally Windows laptops). I will leave a few links at the end of this comment. Right now, I think there isn't a soldering iron out there that can beat the Pinecil, at least when it comes to price. For $25 you get an open-source microprocessor-controlled soldering iron that uses TS-100 style tips. I personally have a TS-100, and while that iron is great, it's a lot more expensive than the Pinecil and doesn't include a USB-C port for power. Both have a barrel connector meaning they can be powered by a standard Toshiba-style laptop power supply. The biggest reason I like these irons, aside from the price, is that the tips have the heating element inside them (you can also change these tips while hot, as the area beneath the heating element in the tip stays cool). This makes them heat up faster and stay more consistently hot than the older Weller-style tips. This can make a pretty big difference when you're soldering something with a large ground plane. With the older style tips, it's easy to suck too much heat out of the tip and force the heating element to catch up. I still keep a Weller-style iron handy, but I mostly use it for really tiny stuff, because I've got a really small tip for it that is smaller than anything I can get for the TS-100. I also prefer to use Kester 63/37 solder and add my own flux (I use the Amtech stuff that Louis Rossmann uses), as not only can I pile on the flux like Louis, but having the thinner solder wire is helpful when working with small components. I've always found flux core wire to be rather messy and it's easy to burn out the flux too quickly. Keeping the solder bathed in flux keeps it clean and makes for strong solder joints. I use MG Chemicals Flux Remover with a toothbrush and/or Q-tip to completely clean the area when done. It's very similar to 99% IPA, which can be used in a pinch, but I prefer the flux remover because it's a bit better at loosening up gunk and getting everything clean (it works on a LOT of other stuff, too). For solder braid I like Gootwick (tends to be less messy and better at absorption than others that I've tried). The one thing I don't care to do is use a sponge. I have found that with using a sponge over time, my tips got dirty and stained. The problem with the sponge is that it's a thermal shock to the tip and seems to eventually cause surface imperfections that will prevent the solder from properly adhering to the tip. I found this especially problematic with my Weller irons. Granted, tips are pretty cheap and easy to replace, but I got tired of changing tips and didn't want to have the same problem with the more expensive TS-100 tips. Instead, what I found to work perfectly is to use a tip-tinning compound along with the brass mesh. I just clean the tip with the brass, dip it in the tip tinner, then clean the excess off with the brass mesh again. My tips have stayed perfect since I started doing this and I haven't had to replace one yet. If you have a Weller-style iron and want to use a sponge, I say go ahead, but I wouldn't recommend it with the more expensive tips. Those helping hands... argh! Not so much of a help! I struggled with those things for a while, and they never seem to stay in place. I have found two alternatives, both of which work well but not necessarily for every individual item. The first one is a board holder and is actually really great for medium-sized PCBs, anything from a laptop motherboard down to something like a cartridge PCB. It's cheap and I got mine from Microcenter as I was wandering around buying tools that looked cool. The other alternative is what the helping hands SHOULD be, and it's called Quad Hands. If you've got the space to use it, it's good for lots of different things, but what I found that I REALLY love using them for is tiny PCBs, like doing USB thumb drive repairs. Tiny PCBs can be so annoying as there's little room to clamp onto them, and sitting them on the table and touching them with an iron is an exercise in frustration! But with the quad hands, I can bend them around and get a good grip from either side, keeping it perfectly in place! They're also good for larger boards, of course, but I love using them for small stuff! I apologize for the length of this comment, as I did not intend to write this much, and I was deliberately trying to limit it to things that are useful for basic, first-time soldering like you did in the video. Having said that I'm going to stop here and just leave some links about some of the things I mentioned for anyone that wants to check them out. I'm not affiliated or compensated in any way by the companies involved, I'm merely linking them because these are products that I use and like. Pinecil: pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/?v=0446c16e2e66 Kester: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X4L076/ (I don't know if there's a smaller, cheaper spool available) Amtech Flux: store.rossmanngroup.com/amtech-nc-559-v2-30-cc-16160.html (This is a LOT of flux. I don't use quite as much as Louis does when I repair stuff, so this lasts me well over a year. I believe Amtech also sells it in a smaller size. Beware of fake Amtech flux on Amazon and ebay! I buy directly from Louis but you can buy directly from Amtech instead.) Flux Remover: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T8KKJY/ (This is a big bottle, but I think it's available in smaller sizes.) Gootwick: store.rossmanngroup.com/ab20-gootwick-cp2015-pink.html (comes in different widths, depending on the size of stuff you're working on) Tip Tinner: www.microcenter.com/product/397210/caig-laboratories-deoxit-tip-tinner-cleaner (CAIG is the bomb, I use DeoxIt cleaner all the time!) Circuit Board Holder: www.microcenter.com/product/442720/aven-adjustable-circuit-board-holder (given the cheap price, I think anyone who solders occasionally might want to have one) Quad Hands: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GIKVP5K/ (On sale for $40 right now, that's a bargain!) *Please note: I am not trying to tell anyone what to do or what to use, I'm simply offering some advice from what I've learned over the years. Just trying to pass on the info like much of it was passed on to me, and save the hassle of figuring out what works and what doesn't.
Lol no worries. I’d use a Pinecil...if they were ever in stock! Lol I’ll show another device to hold boards next video...when I find it. Seriously somewhere in my office I lost my board holding stand. So confused!
The basic "helping hands" shown at 7:00 tip over easily because the base is too small and/or not heavy enough (especially if it has a magnifying glass attachment on it). Glue it to a 6" x 6" piece of metal, or even wood, and it'll be far more stable. As for the springy holder for the soldering iron itself, I glued some heavy lead fishing weights into the base so it wouldn't be so tippy.
@@VideoGameEsoterica , making audio cables, for instance, requires holding a heavy metal connector ( 1/4" plug, XLR mic jack, etc) and a thick heavy cable, Therefore it's important that the helping hands have a stable base. Any circuit board of more than a few square inches will also tend to get tippy in your average set of "helping hands". For making audio cables, I actually have a bunch of different male and female plugs and jacks mounted to a block of wood, to hold the connector which I am attaching the cable to. (I used to do a lot of night club sound system installation and repair).
Hi, this was a great video. Do you happen to have any videos that go into trouble shooting? For example identifying faulty components with a multimeter?
A solder sucker and a hot air rework station are not interchangeable, they are different tools for different purposes, but you referred to them as if the hot air rework station is a more advanced alternative to a solder sucker. Hot air rework stations are basically just hot air guns with more precise tips and temperature control so you can remove SMD components and are good to quickly shrink rubber tubing with, etc... Solder suckers are plungers to remove solder. I think you meant to say a desoldering tool in general, sorta like a HAKKO FR301-03/P or something like that, as an alternative to a solder sucker. Additionally, you should upgrade your solder to eutectic solder, even easier to work with, especially because you don't have thermal core style tips (like a Hakko T12 does), will make your life easier due to being able to use much lower temps. Additionally, the advice to change out the tip while it's hot, the tip is still hot so I don't know why you would make your video like that, that's really dangerous potentially.
I refer to a rework station as another way to remove components I believe. Not to suck solder but to heat solder to the point where you can remove the component from the reverse side. Ill show that in a separate video. I show removing the hot tip from the collar with tweezers as that’s how that iron is designed to function. It allows for tip changes without waiting for it to cool down. I mention don’t burn yourself. So people can decide if they want to or not :) for me I don’t wait
Found your video from your Reddit post and I'm glad I've watched your tutorial. I'm planning on soldering my first mechanical keyboard in the next couple of weeks. Just wish I could find leaded solder in Europe but either way I'll definitely be keeping safe distance and plenty of ventilation.
The main thing to be concerned about is the fumes from the flux itself, not the solder in general. Get rosin cored lead-free solder (since you are in Europe), set your soldering iron to about 220 C. With lead free just be a bit quicker to remove the tip, since you are using a hotter tip and it can damage the PCB. I started with lead-free, I don't envy you. Also I would highly suggest you watch the pace tutorial vids, they really go into better detail than any other youtube videos for the fundamentals of soldering. --> ua-cam.com/play/PL926EC0F1F93C1837.html
@@VideoGameEsoterica hahaha! I'm originally from Kentucky but living in Europe has been great. I actually ended up getting Kester 44 solder on Amazon and had no prob with customs or anything. I soldered my first keyboard last week and absolutely loved doing this. I'm completely addicted but will definitely get a fume extractor soon. I ended up with a slight headache from the little bit of fumes I inhaled. So better safe than sorry. I'm not sure if this link will work in the comments, but here's my results and I think my first try went pretty well. I'll be doing my other keyboard this weekend and can't wait. imgur.com/a/LZDaEfx
@@kevincoleman68 thanks mate! I ended up getting leaded solder from Amazon US and had no prob with customs or anything. Kester 44 was highly recommended by the mechanical keyboard community and it was really easy to work with. Only took about 15-20 minutes to do a 60% keyboard and I'll make sure to get a fume extractor fan before I do my next PCB. Really fun hobby :)
Good quality solderwick has powdery rosin flux on it already---- but off-brands may not. Buy quality namebrand solder-wick from a trustworthy source; using the cheap stuff will require more heat applied to the circuit board for a longer period of time, leading to damage of the copper foils and traces on the board. Solderwick may also deteriorate with age and exposure to air or moisture, and the color may start to look like an old penny; be sure yours is fresh! If you have a separate tin of rosin flux it is often helpful to dip the solder wick into the flux before desoldering. Also clean the tip of the iron immediately prior to desoldering anything with solder wick, and put a tiny bit of solder at the junction of the solderwick and the iron tip to ensure quick heating of the solderwick and the connection to be desoldered. PS, some fluxes are formulated for plumbing or sheetmetal work and are too corrosive for electronics work. Unscrupulous online sellers have been known to sell such fluxes to unsuspecting electronics newbies. Read the label carefully!
@@VideoGameEsoterica , my boss ( audio repair shop) had ordered various liquid fluxes from different online suppliers, just to try them out: of the 5 types he had ordered, 3 were marked on the bottle "not for electronics use". The seller's ads and websites either lied or they just didn't care.
Yeah I’m not surprised. Such an issue with purchases online. I order the same products over and over on amazon. Maybe something better exists but I buy what I know will arrive functional and good for the job
Just asking for a sanity check, but wouldn't you want to use a fan to solder with to catch all the fumes from soldering? I thought that was usually preferred over a mask
I mentioned a fan I think? On camera I use a mask because the fan assembly I have gets in the way. When I am just soldering I have a fan that pulls air away from the work and exhausts it out a window
I already knew how to solder but thanks for reminding me to wear a mask, i always knew that it was toxic but since i don't do it that often i didn't gave it much thought. A good option for beginners is to get a Yihua 947-II, it comes with 6 interchangeable tips, you can regulate the heat and it heats up in less than a minute, not near as good as a Weller but leagues better than any fire stick that i have used and it cost the same as those.
Yeah I mean better safe than sorry right? I hate the mask too but the air handling device I built for myself is too bulky on camera so I use a 3M disposable mask that’s rated for solder fumes
Flux fumes from leaded 60-40 electronics solder can be mildly irritating to eyes, nose and throat but aren't really toxic---- lead boils at over 900 degrees F but soldering Temps are generally less than 700 degrees F, so there isn't any gaseous lead in the fumes, and the rosin flux-core (which smells like pine trees) isn't appreciably toxic either. Probably more important to wash your hands after handling solder! Unleaded solder, however, uses organic acid fluxes that are extremely irritating to the eyes and respiratory system, and the melting point and working temperatures for leadfree solder are higher than for leaded solder. Leadfree solder alloys may still contain other toxic metals, and so I advise avoiding breathing the fumes. The rosin flux inside lead solder is generally noncorrosive and nonconconductive; but leadfree fluxes are indeed corrosive and conductive and MUST be removed from the circuit board. Alcohol will remove Rosin flux, but organic-acid fluxes for lead-free solder are usually water-soluble (use distilled water and a toothbrush to remove them). Personally, I hate leadfree solder; Connections made with lead free solder rarely last as long as they would if made with lead solder and therefore many devices end up in the landfill prematurely because the leadfree solder joints break down, disabling the device. Extreme heat, or even extreme cold ( I'm talking to you, NASA!), hastens the deterioration of lead-free solder (look up dendrites, aka tin pest).
They may not be “toxic” but calling them toxic in the video hopefully gets more people to have proper air handling or a mask. Plus who knows what’s really in any solder batch to batch or even brand to brand. And yes lead free solder is the worst
How do you keep your iron tip in such good condition? Mine gets dark and with solder residues real quick, so heat doesn't transfer properly after 2 or 3 jobs
Are you using aftermarket tips? That’s a Weller tip in the video on the iron. When I am done working I clean the tip and tin it with a fine coat of solder. What you are describing sounds like poor quality tips?
100%. Buy good tips. 10x the price ($10) but they last forever. Soldering iron tips are one item where you absolutely get what you pay for. You won’t regret it
Protip: definitely don't make your first soldering project recapping a Sega Game gear. No matter how many UA-cam tutorials tell you how easy it is, nothing prepares you to the smell.
Yes please, do more videos on soldering.
so long as this one does good stats I will :)
Best intro I've seen because it assumes nothing and starts with the real basics. Your explanation is clear and concise too. Excellent. I've had a soldering iron for years and haven't got around to learning how to use it....I need to get a project mat though! :)
Thanks! So glad you like it. Funny...I just shot part two. Through hole soldering for components. The first video everyone seemed to enjoy so I’ll keep the series going.
And yes I assume nothing when it comes to teaching people things. I am a college professor of film production so the only way I KNOW if somebody knows something is by telling them. Then I can be certain they get what I am referring to :)
Nice guide. Simple soldering is not hard and 99% of people learn it without much trouble, and hopefully this video helps some people get started. In the past, I've been involved in large-scale PCB rework and production, and generally used a mix of Hakko and Weller stations for hand-soldering work. Hakko has a decent low-cost soldering station kit in the $100-120 range as well that I own personally-the FX888 I think it is. We generally had better luck with the more expensive, $500-1,000+ Hakko soldering stations lasting longer than the Weller stations in that price range, while the higher-end Weller units tended to work more consistently over their lifetimes-we are talking usage of 18-hours/day generally, so not something most hobbyists are going to have worry about though.
Of course though, you do have the 1% that are in a position like I am. I was engineering lead at the US arm of a large Taiwanese electronics OEM/ODM for almost a decade and used to do quite a lot of soldering a various points...then I was in an accident that resulted in a moderate tremor and finger flexion issues with my right (dominant) hand. Now, half-a-decade on, I very rarely solder and then only simple through-hole jobs or other things where I'm confident my "lay-right-forearm-on-the-table-and-put-pressure-on-my-arm-using-my-torso-and-pray-my-hand-doesn't-shake-too-much"...this doesn't really work most of the time, but I can still do some stuff. If I have someone around that can be a third hand for handling the solder, flux, etc, I can hold my right hand with my left and get a lot more done. However, I'm usually alone when I want to solder something, so anything that requires too much dexterity, I just take to a friend or to former colleagues to get it done (and that way I get access to multiple BGA rework stations, some with x-ray imaging, wave solders, reflow ovens, etc., and people much, much, much better at hand soldering than I ever was to begin with)...it just has to be outside of main production hours-and I have to drive an hour now-a-days...
BTW, if you or anyone is ever in the market for a $50,000++ BGA solder rework station, the ones from Martin GmbH in Germany are by-far the best quality in terms of workmanship that we ever used. They were well worth paying a small premium over one from Fonton, Weller, Pace, etc. The Martin ones were just built so well. When we bought them, they even sent someone over (at no extra cost) to set them up and help us get up and dialed in to match the profiles from our Shanghai, Suzhou, and Chongqing factories (they used Fonton-made equipment generally).
lol I wish I had the need for a rework station that nice. I have had a few chips needing BGA work but yeah...never got done lol
I really like the Weller WE1010NA in the video. I almost bought the Hakko but the lack of buttons would have driven me nuts.
But yeah I want more people to learn how to solder because it seems daunting but it's seriously one of the easiest things to learn. Solder loves copper so it's basically "magic" as to just how easy it is to start learning how to solder.
Sorry to hear about your accident! Weirdly I have ONE issue with soldering...if I get near something irreplaceable I get a bit shaky and can psych myself out. Thankfully a nice 2 oz pour of gin later I am golden lolol
@@VideoGameEsoterica Haha Quite a nice technique lol
Haha I almost put it in the video but maybe for part 2
This was absolutely beyond helpful! Thank you!
Glad it helped!
Make this a weekly thing!!!
Haha oh no you don’t. I already release five videos a week. I am NOT adding a sixth 🤣
But I will do more of these. Seems popular
Great video! Soldering is indeed very easy! It just takes a little knowledge and a bit of practice. I would like to leave some suggestions of my own (I do solder repairs on all kinds of devices including board-level repairs on Macbooks and occasionally Windows laptops). I will leave a few links at the end of this comment.
Right now, I think there isn't a soldering iron out there that can beat the Pinecil, at least when it comes to price. For $25 you get an open-source microprocessor-controlled soldering iron that uses TS-100 style tips. I personally have a TS-100, and while that iron is great, it's a lot more expensive than the Pinecil and doesn't include a USB-C port for power. Both have a barrel connector meaning they can be powered by a standard Toshiba-style laptop power supply.
The biggest reason I like these irons, aside from the price, is that the tips have the heating element inside them (you can also change these tips while hot, as the area beneath the heating element in the tip stays cool). This makes them heat up faster and stay more consistently hot than the older Weller-style tips. This can make a pretty big difference when you're soldering something with a large ground plane. With the older style tips, it's easy to suck too much heat out of the tip and force the heating element to catch up. I still keep a Weller-style iron handy, but I mostly use it for really tiny stuff, because I've got a really small tip for it that is smaller than anything I can get for the TS-100.
I also prefer to use Kester 63/37 solder and add my own flux (I use the Amtech stuff that Louis Rossmann uses), as not only can I pile on the flux like Louis, but having the thinner solder wire is helpful when working with small components. I've always found flux core wire to be rather messy and it's easy to burn out the flux too quickly. Keeping the solder bathed in flux keeps it clean and makes for strong solder joints. I use MG Chemicals Flux Remover with a toothbrush and/or Q-tip to completely clean the area when done. It's very similar to 99% IPA, which can be used in a pinch, but I prefer the flux remover because it's a bit better at loosening up gunk and getting everything clean (it works on a LOT of other stuff, too). For solder braid I like Gootwick (tends to be less messy and better at absorption than others that I've tried).
The one thing I don't care to do is use a sponge. I have found that with using a sponge over time, my tips got dirty and stained. The problem with the sponge is that it's a thermal shock to the tip and seems to eventually cause surface imperfections that will prevent the solder from properly adhering to the tip. I found this especially problematic with my Weller irons. Granted, tips are pretty cheap and easy to replace, but I got tired of changing tips and didn't want to have the same problem with the more expensive TS-100 tips. Instead, what I found to work perfectly is to use a tip-tinning compound along with the brass mesh. I just clean the tip with the brass, dip it in the tip tinner, then clean the excess off with the brass mesh again. My tips have stayed perfect since I started doing this and I haven't had to replace one yet. If you have a Weller-style iron and want to use a sponge, I say go ahead, but I wouldn't recommend it with the more expensive tips.
Those helping hands... argh! Not so much of a help! I struggled with those things for a while, and they never seem to stay in place. I have found two alternatives, both of which work well but not necessarily for every individual item. The first one is a board holder and is actually really great for medium-sized PCBs, anything from a laptop motherboard down to something like a cartridge PCB. It's cheap and I got mine from Microcenter as I was wandering around buying tools that looked cool. The other alternative is what the helping hands SHOULD be, and it's called Quad Hands. If you've got the space to use it, it's good for lots of different things, but what I found that I REALLY love using them for is tiny PCBs, like doing USB thumb drive repairs. Tiny PCBs can be so annoying as there's little room to clamp onto them, and sitting them on the table and touching them with an iron is an exercise in frustration! But with the quad hands, I can bend them around and get a good grip from either side, keeping it perfectly in place! They're also good for larger boards, of course, but I love using them for small stuff!
I apologize for the length of this comment, as I did not intend to write this much, and I was deliberately trying to limit it to things that are useful for basic, first-time soldering like you did in the video. Having said that I'm going to stop here and just leave some links about some of the things I mentioned for anyone that wants to check them out. I'm not affiliated or compensated in any way by the companies involved, I'm merely linking them because these are products that I use and like.
Pinecil: pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/?v=0446c16e2e66
Kester: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X4L076/ (I don't know if there's a smaller, cheaper spool available)
Amtech Flux: store.rossmanngroup.com/amtech-nc-559-v2-30-cc-16160.html (This is a LOT of flux. I don't use quite as much as Louis does when I repair stuff, so this lasts me well over a year. I believe Amtech also sells it in a smaller size. Beware of fake Amtech flux on Amazon and ebay! I buy directly from Louis but you can buy directly from Amtech instead.)
Flux Remover: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T8KKJY/ (This is a big bottle, but I think it's available in smaller sizes.)
Gootwick: store.rossmanngroup.com/ab20-gootwick-cp2015-pink.html (comes in different widths, depending on the size of stuff you're working on)
Tip Tinner: www.microcenter.com/product/397210/caig-laboratories-deoxit-tip-tinner-cleaner (CAIG is the bomb, I use DeoxIt cleaner all the time!)
Circuit Board Holder: www.microcenter.com/product/442720/aven-adjustable-circuit-board-holder (given the cheap price, I think anyone who solders occasionally might want to have one)
Quad Hands: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GIKVP5K/ (On sale for $40 right now, that's a bargain!)
*Please note: I am not trying to tell anyone what to do or what to use, I'm simply offering some advice from what I've learned over the years. Just trying to pass on the info like much of it was passed on to me, and save the hassle of figuring out what works and what doesn't.
Lol no worries. I’d use a Pinecil...if they were ever in stock! Lol
I’ll show another device to hold boards next video...when I find it. Seriously somewhere in my office I lost my board holding stand. So confused!
This is an extremely useful video. Thanks!
Thanks! Happy to make them if they help people!
Well done sir! Keep them coming.
Thanks. I’ll make another maybe for next month or month after. More intermediate techniques
Nice video! Thanks for sharing!
Happy to! Hope it helps people
Great video! Really informative. First time I soldered was putting better pickups on a cheap guitar, wasn't difficult at all.
Yes it’s very easy except it seems hard. It’s really surprising
@@VideoGameEsoterica I definitely thought I was going to blow up the earth the first time I soldered. 😂
Haha I get that. Melting metal at home? That doesn’t seem safe! But it totally is
The basic "helping hands" shown at 7:00 tip over easily because the base is too small and/or not heavy enough (especially if it has a magnifying glass attachment on it). Glue it to a 6" x 6" piece of metal, or even wood, and it'll be far more stable. As for the springy holder for the soldering iron itself, I glued some heavy lead fishing weights into the base so it wouldn't be so tippy.
I haven't had any issues with the helping hands tipping over but generally I only use them for very light items myself
@@VideoGameEsoterica , making audio cables, for instance, requires holding a heavy metal connector ( 1/4" plug, XLR mic jack, etc) and a thick heavy cable, Therefore it's important that the helping hands have a stable base. Any circuit board of more than a few square inches will also tend to get tippy in your average set of "helping hands". For making audio cables, I actually have a bunch of different male and female plugs and jacks mounted to a block of wood, to hold the connector which I am attaching the cable to. (I used to do a lot of night club sound system installation and repair).
Makes sense for that use case
Hi, this was a great video. Do you happen to have any videos that go into trouble shooting? For example identifying faulty components with a multimeter?
Currently I do not. Maybe in the future
A solder sucker and a hot air rework station are not interchangeable, they are different tools for different purposes, but you referred to them as if the hot air rework station is a more advanced alternative to a solder sucker. Hot air rework stations are basically just hot air guns with more precise tips and temperature control so you can remove SMD components and are good to quickly shrink rubber tubing with, etc... Solder suckers are plungers to remove solder. I think you meant to say a desoldering tool in general, sorta like a HAKKO FR301-03/P or something like that, as an alternative to a solder sucker.
Additionally, you should upgrade your solder to eutectic solder, even easier to work with, especially because you don't have thermal core style tips (like a Hakko T12 does), will make your life easier due to being able to use much lower temps.
Additionally, the advice to change out the tip while it's hot, the tip is still hot so I don't know why you would make your video like that, that's really dangerous potentially.
I refer to a rework station as another way to remove components I believe. Not to suck solder but to heat solder to the point where you can remove the component from the reverse side. Ill show that in a separate video.
I show removing the hot tip from the collar with tweezers as that’s how that iron is designed to function. It allows for tip changes without waiting for it to cool down. I mention don’t burn yourself. So people can decide if they want to or not :) for me I don’t wait
Found your video from your Reddit post and I'm glad I've watched your tutorial. I'm planning on soldering my first mechanical keyboard in the next couple of weeks. Just wish I could find leaded solder in Europe but either way I'll definitely be keeping safe distance and plenty of ventilation.
No leader solder in Europe? Didn’t know that. Just take your time with unleaded...acts a bit different
The main thing to be concerned about is the fumes from the flux itself, not the solder in general. Get rosin cored lead-free solder (since you are in Europe), set your soldering iron to about 220 C. With lead free just be a bit quicker to remove the tip, since you are using a hotter tip and it can damage the PCB. I started with lead-free, I don't envy you. Also I would highly suggest you watch the pace tutorial vids, they really go into better detail than any other youtube videos for the fundamentals of soldering. --> ua-cam.com/play/PL926EC0F1F93C1837.html
Yeah but lead sounds more dangerous lol. I play with the narrative to convince people to be safe lol
@@VideoGameEsoterica hahaha! I'm originally from Kentucky but living in Europe has been great. I actually ended up getting Kester 44 solder on Amazon and had no prob with customs or anything. I soldered my first keyboard last week and absolutely loved doing this. I'm completely addicted but will definitely get a fume extractor soon. I ended up with a slight headache from the little bit of fumes I inhaled. So better safe than sorry. I'm not sure if this link will work in the comments, but here's my results and I think my first try went pretty well. I'll be doing my other keyboard this weekend and can't wait.
imgur.com/a/LZDaEfx
@@kevincoleman68 thanks mate! I ended up getting leaded solder from Amazon US and had no prob with customs or anything. Kester 44 was highly recommended by the mechanical keyboard community and it was really easy to work with. Only took about 15-20 minutes to do a 60% keyboard and I'll make sure to get a fume extractor fan before I do my next PCB. Really fun hobby :)
Good quality solderwick has powdery rosin flux on it already---- but off-brands may not. Buy quality namebrand solder-wick from a trustworthy source; using the cheap stuff will require more heat applied to the circuit board for a longer period of time, leading to damage of the copper foils and traces on the board. Solderwick may also deteriorate with age and exposure to air or moisture, and the color may start to look like an old penny; be sure yours is fresh! If you have a separate tin of rosin flux it is often helpful to dip the solder wick into the flux before desoldering. Also clean the tip of the iron immediately prior to desoldering anything with solder wick, and put a tiny bit of solder at the junction of the solderwick and the iron tip to ensure quick heating of the solderwick and the connection to be desoldered.
PS, some fluxes are formulated for plumbing or sheetmetal work and are too corrosive for electronics work. Unscrupulous online sellers have been known to sell such fluxes to unsuspecting electronics newbies. Read the label carefully!
Yes Amazon is a bit of a minefield for soldering supplies. Fake listings, things passed off for things they aren’t, etc etc
@@VideoGameEsoterica , my boss ( audio repair shop) had ordered various liquid fluxes from different online suppliers, just to try them out: of the 5 types he had ordered, 3 were marked on the bottle "not for electronics use". The seller's ads and websites either lied or they just didn't care.
Yeah I’m not surprised. Such an issue with purchases online. I order the same products over and over on amazon. Maybe something better exists but I buy what I know will arrive functional and good for the job
@@VideoGameEsoterica , I've bought soldering-iron tips from Ace/Panda, and they worked fine. Panda seems to have hundreds of styles of tips available.
Oh crap! Was looking up soldering tips and see my homie already made a vid
Aboot it !
I was hoping the soldering videos would do better than they did but glad it’s helping!
@@VideoGameEsoterica I want to attempt the GC pico boot mod!
I’ve seen those. I should do one myself
@@VideoGameEsoterica looks simple enough.. will report back later today if successful..
Let me know how it goes for sure
is it ok if i use lead free solder or no?
Yep. It’s harder to work with but it’s fine
Just asking for a sanity check, but wouldn't you want to use a fan to solder with to catch all the fumes from soldering? I thought that was usually preferred over a mask
I mentioned a fan I think? On camera I use a mask because the fan assembly I have gets in the way. When I am just soldering I have a fan that pulls air away from the work and exhausts it out a window
I remember soldering for the first time I picked you up like a pencil.... Yeah 😂😂😂
lol you only pick the iron up wrong ONCE.
I already knew how to solder but thanks for reminding me to wear a mask, i always knew that it was toxic but since i don't do it that often i didn't gave it much thought. A good option for beginners is to get a Yihua 947-II, it comes with 6 interchangeable tips, you can regulate the heat and it heats up in less than a minute, not near as good as a Weller but leagues better than any fire stick that i have used and it cost the same as those.
Yeah I mean better safe than sorry right? I hate the mask too but the air handling device I built for myself is too bulky on camera so I use a 3M disposable mask that’s rated for solder fumes
Flux fumes from leaded 60-40 electronics solder can be mildly irritating to eyes, nose and throat but aren't really toxic---- lead boils at over 900 degrees F but soldering Temps are generally less than 700 degrees F, so there isn't any gaseous lead in the fumes, and the rosin flux-core (which smells like pine trees) isn't appreciably toxic either. Probably more important to wash your hands after handling solder!
Unleaded solder, however, uses organic acid fluxes that are extremely irritating to the eyes and respiratory system, and the melting point and working temperatures for leadfree solder are higher than for leaded solder. Leadfree solder alloys may still contain other toxic metals, and so I advise avoiding breathing the fumes.
The rosin flux inside lead solder is generally noncorrosive and nonconconductive; but leadfree fluxes are indeed corrosive and conductive and MUST be removed from the circuit board. Alcohol will remove Rosin flux, but organic-acid fluxes for lead-free solder are usually water-soluble (use distilled water and a toothbrush to remove them).
Personally, I hate leadfree solder; Connections made with lead free solder rarely last as long as they would if made with lead solder and therefore many devices end up in the landfill prematurely because the leadfree solder joints break down, disabling the device. Extreme heat, or even extreme cold ( I'm talking to you, NASA!), hastens the deterioration of lead-free solder (look up dendrites, aka tin pest).
They may not be “toxic” but calling them toxic in the video hopefully gets more people to have proper air handling or a mask. Plus who knows what’s really in any solder batch to batch or even brand to brand.
And yes lead free solder is the worst
How do you keep your iron tip in such good condition? Mine gets dark and with solder residues real quick, so heat doesn't transfer properly after 2 or 3 jobs
Are you using aftermarket tips? That’s a Weller tip in the video on the iron. When I am done working I clean the tip and tin it with a fine coat of solder. What you are describing sounds like poor quality tips?
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yes, I'm using cheap aftermarket tips that are $1 USD each, I guess that's the issue
100%. Buy good tips. 10x the price ($10) but they last forever. Soldering iron tips are one item where you absolutely get what you pay for. You won’t regret it
Those tips are basically made of “slag” metal. Whatever random scrap metal they have in the factory
@@VideoGameEsoterica hmm never thought of that. I'll look into that!
❤️
:)
Protip: definitely don't make your first soldering project recapping a Sega Game gear. No matter how many UA-cam tutorials tell you how easy it is, nothing prepares you to the smell.
Ugh cap smell. Yeah that’s def not a first time project lol
when i was a kid i used to destroy things with one of these
haha well it is easy to destroy things with a soldering iron...even if you weren't intending on it!
human pork chop yumm
The most forbidden of meats 😂
I believe pigs used to be humans, that’s why burned human flesh smells like roasted pork.
Makes sense lol
This doesn't look easy at all. Then again I'm terrible with my hands and have zero experience with anything DIY-related.
It’s really not as hard as it seems. I promise :)