My fave soldering station now is the Yihua 982. I bought it with the C210 handle and then bought the c245 handle and tips set for both. I use the c 245. It is very fast at heating up and goes to 200c when the handle placed in the rest. I have a few T12 kits and plenty of tips, few different displays for the T12 tips, Parkside soldering station which I bought off ebay for next to nothing as it didnt have a tip and a Draper soldering station too. I have the cheap 5w USB iron and also the TS101 portable with extra tiups and dont use it. I tinned it and made a case storage for it but never used it..
I've seen the 982. It looks pretty good. Ill be the first to admit I'm a bit of a Yihua fan. Everything I've had of theirs has worked really well, apart from issues with the iron which has been down to the generic tips I bought for it. I think for the price, they do some great stuff. But then again, I don't have any expensive stuff to compare with. That said, they do the job 😊
@@RetroComputingReboot Those type of irens you have are veery slow at heating up. Thge Yihua 982 with the JBC style tips heat up around 5 - 6 seconds and ready to start soldering. I found hte cheap T12 irons are quick heaters and plenty of styles of tips. I have made a few of the kits and 3d printed cases for them instead of buying them. They are cheap, reliable and good to use. But, the Yihua 982 has to be my fave now. I had 3 of the T12's set up on a shelf and always had my goto one and didnt use the others at all. I taught myself to solder as I couldnt if it meant it would save my life before. I found out by error how to make sure a tip was clean, tin it before putting the tip to a piece then applying the wire. I could solder printed boards, but I couldnt tin wire. I was doing it wrong or not manage at all. Now with the 982, I am finding it easy. I have a tube of flux but hardly use it. I have a lot of soldering wire that I bought from China, supposed ot be flux cored, but haedly any flux in it, and I have my goto wire which is silverline. Cheap, but has good flux core and leaded.
@ianallen2 I do fancy a 982. I think in reality though it would wipe out my budget for these vids for some time. But who knows, I love new stuff 😂 There's a certain joy to soldering when it goes well. It's one of them things that seems incredibly simple, which it sort of is, but there is a real skill to it that I'm still learning to master 😊
On the second leg of the transistor you got too fast on the third leg moving the second leg while it was solidifying, making the second solderjoint brittle. Also try to work faster, adding a little more solder the first time. To not overheat the component, apply a 4 second rule max. of soldering the joint. You can, for example, place multiple components and switch between every leg soldered to give the component time to cool. Furthermore, 360 degree celcius is way too hot. Check the specs of the solder and look at the size of the pads/tracks. You might need a little higher temperature only when the groundplane is very large.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, a lot of my soldering is work in progress. I'm trying out new stuff and seeing how it works for me. I have previously soldered the majority of stuff at 340C. I might try turning it down a bit from 360 with the new solder I'm using. I really appreciate the support though. Thank you
You could try the cheap solder on the hotter temperature and see how it flows, because a lot of cheap solder acts like lead free solder where a hotter iron is needed to get a good solder joint. On the iron itself measure the heating elements outer diameter and get tips with the inner diameter is nearest to the diameter of the heating elements outer diameter.
I went for upping the temperature and it literally obliterated the tips in a relatively short period of time. Wasn't a good feeling either. As for the tips, it's not that simple. Getting that sort of info isn't that easy and I doubt the manufacturing tolerances would be as tight as perhaps a Hakko. I don't know though as I've never had a Hakko or similar, but I'd expect so
The problem with the cheap solder on ebay & amazon is that you can never know if it's what it says it is! I have seen solder advertised on amazon as "60/40 lead free" - which is an oxymoron! I use the loctite multicore crystal 400 (60/40 3% 'no clean' flux) stuff available from CPC/Farnell in the UK as well as Mouser and the like for reasonable price, and can't remember the last time I used external flux during soldering! I had the same epiphany as you coming from a cheap lead free reel. It really is night & day both in terms of ease and the nice shiny result. Welcome to soldering nirvana :)
The trick is to NOT NOT NOT put the solder onto the tip, ...put it on the pad and wire at the same time (mostly, with some ever so SLIGHTLY and SHORTLY touching the tip to start the melt & heat transfer cycle).
Something to bear in mind regarding the soft drink can shims: They are coated on both sides - outside with paint/print, and inside with a thin coating of plastic to act as a barrier between the often acidic drink and the metal of the can. If you can't source any un-coated metal to use as a shim, give both sides a brush with a wire wheel in a Dremel to get rid of a source of fumes and potential damage to the iron's heating element.
I never gave the solder I use a second thought, mainly because I got it well over 20 years ago - probably from Maplin. When the reel finally runs out you can be sure I'll follow your advice - something so core ('scuse the pun!) to working on electronics deserves to be an investment 👍🏻⭐
Honestly James, it blew me away the difference. I've always gone super cheap with the solder and as such never appreciated the benefits of the good stuff. I'm not even adding flux now! The irony is there's loads of comments on the web stating to use good solder, I just chose to muddle on. When you work to a budget, there's always compromises to be made, but for me from now on this isn't one of them. I'll get myself a big reel of this at some point. I just don't know what to do with this big reel of cheap stuff 😂 I found it interesting too on all the advice out there on temperature to use for the iron. I'm going to run at 360 C for a while and see how that works. The shim seems to be doing well at keeping the heat in the iron but I can see issues with that longer term, but it's nothing I can't manage, it's just going to make tip swapping more awkward. But that said, I very very rarely change the tip anyway 😊
Just getting caught up as i have been away but yes cheap solder is utterly useless, it maybe worth going over a few of the previous soldering if you’re not happy. Practice makes perfect with anything and you’re getting buddy. Looking forward to the finished result. Thanks
@@RetroComputingReboot I recommended Plato because they're cheap. But looking at them today they're not as cheap as they used to be. Back in the day a pair just cost a few dollars. They're the ubiquitous model of flush cutters. Plato 170s. What they cost now I might consider other brands? With Platos you just clip boards with them. Although some people have a pair they abuse. Do all the things you want to do with them but shouldn't.
@1pcfred I looked them up. They don't seem bad price wise. On eBay for around £5 which seems reasonable. I like the idea of the narrow jaws too. The cutters I use can be a pain to get in between legs
@@RetroComputingReboot ebay they're all counterfeit from China. Plato 170s are heavily knocked off. When a tool is that popular there's no getting around it. The manufacturer is aware of it. But they're not making it easy for anyone to buy the real deal. They only sell in packs of 10 minimum and you sure don't need 10 pairs. So I can't tell you to just go there and get them. If I was you I'd contact them and see what they can do for you. They might just send you a pair for free? If you give them a good enough sob story. Because I tried to find an authorized retailer for you and I got the runaround on their website. I kept going back to the same location page. So that's a problem. Or maybe they can divulge the great secret of who this distributor is? But if you can't be bothered with any of this you can get fakes real cheap on aliexpress. Everything on the Internet is going to be fake. Amazon, ebay, ali, all of that is fake. £5 it's definitely a fake. Too much for a fake too. It should be more like £2 Real ones if you can get them are going to be at least £10 is my guess. Because real ones are $7.75 USD You got VAT and what have you. You're going to pay more there.
Thanks Brian. I really appreciate the sub and comment. I had to Google what those tips were 😂. I haven't used a BC2 tip. Is the idea there it sits nicely around the component leg? I've definitely used the BC3 tips. They have worked quite well for me when I have but for reasons I can't really explain, I've gravitated to a preference of the chisel tip 😂
Yes, exactly. I find you can get closer to the joint because of the sharper angle. I prefer a BC3 because it's thicker, offering more thermal mass, and doesn't lose it's temperature to the board as quickly. As you are probably aware, ground plane joints can be troublesome in this regard.
@brianparr988 I have tried the BC3's for stuff on ground planes and I totally agree they work much better for that. Its just a pain swapping over the tips as it's just usually one or two joints I need to to so being lazy I usually just struggle with a chisel tip 😂. However, that might change as one of my subscribers reached out and is very kindly sending me a T12 setup 😊
What is the story with the NON-STANDARD value 16pf caps. Just put a STANDARD 15pf & 1pf caps in parallel, it will work FINE, ...PROMISE! :) Depending on the circuit, just the 15pF on their own might be fine.
REMEMBER, all parts have a tolerance! If the cap are 5%, that is +/- 0.8pF, i.e. 15.2pF to 16.8pF range! If it's 10% double that range! VERY FEW circuits require caps in high precision, so again, I suspect that regular 15pF could be fine.
In most cases I'd agree. However, the specs were for 16pf on a 5% tolerance. Using a 15 pf would be outside this. Especially bearing in mind the tolerance is plus or minus, so with the 15, that could pull the value even lower
@@RetroComputingReboot I get your point, so what is the circuit, because I bet 999 to 1 odds 15pf at -5% would be just fine. I would love to see the circuit, because I bet 999:1 odds 15pf would be fine, maybe even at -10% down. It's two caps, so maybe as part of a xtal oscillator, in which case 15pf would absolutely be fine.
@stevenbliss989 I did think of winging it with a 15pf but apparently it's part of the clock circuit so it's quite fussy. I can't confirm this but didn't seem worth the risk
You can get quite good cheap solder but it's definitely hit and miss, you need to test it to make sure it's good, you can usually tell by the amount of flux residue it leaves behind and the melting point. Also directly heated soldering irons like JBC T245 clones are miles better, no need to muck around trying to get good heater to tip contact it just works, you get near instant heating and can easily swap tips in seconds.
Thanks for the comment. Yes I'm sure there is some good cheap solder out there, but I've just never come across any. At least buying some branded stuff should give consistent quality. I do like the look of the direct heating irons. I have had a look at them. I might get one at some point once my budget allows, but for now this iron I have seems to be doing pretty well 😁
Cheap solder is like cheap tires on a car. Don't do it. I only use good 60/40 solder from Mouser or DigiKey. Also, I never use lead free. Only use leaded with a fan to suck the fumes. The piece of aluminum you use, sand the paint off so that the heat transfers better. Great improvement on your work!!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Rudy. I think the combination of the solder and the shim has been a game changer. It's brought back that joy of soldering. I'll take the tip on sanding off the paint too. I hadn't thought of that!
You should be drowning it in flux. Forget expensive flux formulations, simple rosin dissolved in IPA is fine. Drown it in flux. Heat component legs and feed in solder. Clean it all in an IPA bath.
The cheap solder out had barely had any flux which meant I always had to add loads of flux. The new solder I got is really good, there's loads of flux in it. It seems to be making good joints and flowing well so I'm going to see how it goes without adding more
What I'm seeing is you're feeding the solder to the iron tip. That's not good. The iron is just there to heat up the joint. You're soldering the joint. So you feed the solder to the joint. Solder goes to heat. Just what it does. You have the iron on one side of the joint and you apply solder to the other side of the joint. Try it. Really if you're practicing heat control you really don't even put the solder tip on the part lead. You heat the pad and let the solder wick the joint. Just don't feed the tip. If you do the solder will just ball up on the tip. You want the solder on the joint. So that's where you have to put the solder. Sometimes you have to feed the tip a little to wet it for heat conduction. But mostly you're going to be feeding the joint.
Thanks Paul. I appreciate the advice. It's all a learning curve 😊. I'm trying to heat the pad and the leg simultaneously but yes I'm drawn to touch the solder onto the iron 😁. Old habits and all that. I'm working on it though, I'm seeing much better joints now which is great 😃
@@RetroComputingReboot I made the comment after watching you solder the first joint but then watching the rest of the video you were getting it. Maybe not every time but some good technique. Soldering is pretty simple but there's a bit to it. And yeah throw that cheap roll of solder you have away. Those dark dull joints it makes are not right. They made that stuff out of old used tire weights or something. 63/37 is the best solder. That's the eutectic solder. 60/40 is garden variety. But good 60/40 is better than that other stuff you got. Get rid of it. The new stuff flows way better and you're getting shiny joints. Good solder is worth the price. China strikes again!
@1pcfred Thanks Paul. I do try. I think the thing with soldering is that it does seem very simple, but there's actually quite a bit to it. Any ideas on what to do with the old solder? I can't bring myself to just chuck it out 😂
@@RetroComputingReboot I was thinking about that and the only thing I've ever used solder for other than soldering is tying up test leads. But it being solder I may use those little bits of solder to solder with. You can't take the chance of taking any of that solder off the roll. You must never use that to try to solder with ever again. It's that bad. Really you should enase it in plastic and leave it on your shelf as an object lesson. That roll is a teachable moment. It showed me something I've never seen before. The dark side of soldering. I will never buy solder from China, ever. I don't care if the good stuff is $50 a roll I'll pay it. I guess you could make fishing weights out of the stuff. If you don't mind poisoning the environment. Because God knows what that solder actually is. It can't just be tin and lead I can tell you that. Take it somewhere where they can analyze it. Gift it to someone you hate. That stuff is evil though.
@1pcfred 'Gift it to someone you hate' 😂 that really made me laugh. For the moment it will sit on a shelf. I've a nasty habit of getting rid of stuff and then finding a really good use for it and wishing I hadn't 😂. It won't be used for soldering though, that's for sure 😁
Quality of flux and solder makes a huge difference.
Great job! Great advice!
Thanks Dripcode. I hope sharing my issues helps someone out there 😊
My fave soldering station now is the Yihua 982. I bought it with the C210 handle and then bought the c245 handle and tips set for both. I use the c 245. It is very fast at heating up and goes to 200c when the handle placed in the rest. I have a few T12 kits and plenty of tips, few different displays for the T12 tips, Parkside soldering station which I bought off ebay for next to nothing as it didnt have a tip and a Draper soldering station too. I have the cheap 5w USB iron and also the TS101 portable with extra tiups and dont use it. I tinned it and made a case storage for it but never used it..
I've seen the 982. It looks pretty good. Ill be the first to admit I'm a bit of a Yihua fan. Everything I've had of theirs has worked really well, apart from issues with the iron which has been down to the generic tips I bought for it. I think for the price, they do some great stuff. But then again, I don't have any expensive stuff to compare with. That said, they do the job 😊
@@RetroComputingReboot Those type of irens you have are veery slow at heating up. Thge Yihua 982 with the JBC style tips heat up around 5 - 6 seconds and ready to start soldering. I found hte cheap T12 irons are quick heaters and plenty of styles of tips. I have made a few of the kits and 3d printed cases for them instead of buying them. They are cheap, reliable and good to use. But, the Yihua 982 has to be my fave now. I had 3 of the T12's set up on a shelf and always had my goto one and didnt use the others at all. I taught myself to solder as I couldnt if it meant it would save my life before. I found out by error how to make sure a tip was clean, tin it before putting the tip to a piece then applying the wire. I could solder printed boards, but I couldnt tin wire. I was doing it wrong or not manage at all. Now with the 982, I am finding it easy. I have a tube of flux but hardly use it. I have a lot of soldering wire that I bought from China, supposed ot be flux cored, but haedly any flux in it, and I have my goto wire which is silverline. Cheap, but has good flux core and leaded.
@ianallen2 I do fancy a 982. I think in reality though it would wipe out my budget for these vids for some time. But who knows, I love new stuff 😂
There's a certain joy to soldering when it goes well. It's one of them things that seems incredibly simple, which it sort of is, but there is a real skill to it that I'm still learning to master 😊
On the second leg of the transistor you got too fast on the third leg moving the second leg while it was solidifying, making the second solderjoint brittle.
Also try to work faster, adding a little more solder the first time.
To not overheat the component, apply a 4 second rule max. of soldering the joint. You can, for example, place multiple components and switch between every leg soldered to give the component time to cool.
Furthermore, 360 degree celcius is way too hot. Check the specs of the solder and look at the size of the pads/tracks. You might need a little higher temperature only when the groundplane is very large.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, a lot of my soldering is work in progress. I'm trying out new stuff and seeing how it works for me.
I have previously soldered the majority of stuff at 340C. I might try turning it down a bit from 360 with the new solder I'm using. I really appreciate the support though. Thank you
"Multicore" brand solder is great, try it!
You could try the cheap solder on the hotter temperature and see how it flows, because a lot of cheap solder acts like lead free solder where a hotter iron is needed to get a good solder joint.
On the iron itself measure the heating elements outer diameter and get tips with the inner diameter is nearest to the diameter of the heating elements outer diameter.
I went for upping the temperature and it literally obliterated the tips in a relatively short period of time. Wasn't a good feeling either.
As for the tips, it's not that simple. Getting that sort of info isn't that easy and I doubt the manufacturing tolerances would be as tight as perhaps a Hakko. I don't know though as I've never had a Hakko or similar, but I'd expect so
The problem with the cheap solder on ebay & amazon is that you can never know if it's what it says it is! I have seen solder advertised on amazon as "60/40 lead free" - which is an oxymoron! I use the loctite multicore crystal 400 (60/40 3% 'no clean' flux) stuff available from CPC/Farnell in the UK as well as Mouser and the like for reasonable price, and can't remember the last time I used external flux during soldering! I had the same epiphany as you coming from a cheap lead free reel. It really is night & day both in terms of ease and the nice shiny result. Welcome to soldering nirvana :)
It was mind blowing the difference with the solder. I think a few other factors helped me as well but that was the Biggie
The trick is to NOT NOT NOT put the solder onto the tip,
...put it on the pad and wire at the same time (mostly, with some ever so SLIGHTLY and SHORTLY touching the tip to start the melt & heat transfer cycle).
Something to bear in mind regarding the soft drink can shims: They are coated on both sides - outside with paint/print, and inside with a thin coating of plastic to act as a barrier between the often acidic drink and the metal of the can. If you can't source any un-coated metal to use as a shim, give both sides a brush with a wire wheel in a Dremel to get rid of a source of fumes and potential damage to the iron's heating element.
Great tip, thank you! You're the second one to mention that. I'll definitely be following that advice!
I never gave the solder I use a second thought, mainly because I got it well over 20 years ago - probably from Maplin. When the reel finally runs out you can be sure I'll follow your advice - something so core ('scuse the pun!) to working on electronics deserves to be an investment 👍🏻⭐
Honestly James, it blew me away the difference. I've always gone super cheap with the solder and as such never appreciated the benefits of the good stuff. I'm not even adding flux now!
The irony is there's loads of comments on the web stating to use good solder, I just chose to muddle on.
When you work to a budget, there's always compromises to be made, but for me from now on this isn't one of them. I'll get myself a big reel of this at some point. I just don't know what to do with this big reel of cheap stuff 😂
I found it interesting too on all the advice out there on temperature to use for the iron. I'm going to run at 360 C for a while and see how that works. The shim seems to be doing well at keeping the heat in the iron but I can see issues with that longer term, but it's nothing I can't manage, it's just going to make tip swapping more awkward. But that said, I very very rarely change the tip anyway 😊
Just getting caught up as i have been away but yes cheap solder is utterly useless, it maybe worth going over a few of the previous soldering if you’re not happy. Practice makes perfect with anything and you’re getting buddy. Looking forward to the finished result. Thanks
Yes I was considering redoing the previous joints 😁
great work- like 8
Get some Plato flush cutters. They're pretty cheap. They're what you use to clippie boards. As the Chinese girls used to say.
It's funny you should say that. I was just thinking I'm not a particular fan of the cutters I'm using
@@RetroComputingReboot I recommended Plato because they're cheap. But looking at them today they're not as cheap as they used to be. Back in the day a pair just cost a few dollars. They're the ubiquitous model of flush cutters. Plato 170s. What they cost now I might consider other brands? With Platos you just clip boards with them. Although some people have a pair they abuse. Do all the things you want to do with them but shouldn't.
@1pcfred I looked them up. They don't seem bad price wise. On eBay for around £5 which seems reasonable. I like the idea of the narrow jaws too. The cutters I use can be a pain to get in between legs
@@RetroComputingReboot ebay they're all counterfeit from China. Plato 170s are heavily knocked off. When a tool is that popular there's no getting around it. The manufacturer is aware of it. But they're not making it easy for anyone to buy the real deal. They only sell in packs of 10 minimum and you sure don't need 10 pairs. So I can't tell you to just go there and get them. If I was you I'd contact them and see what they can do for you. They might just send you a pair for free? If you give them a good enough sob story. Because I tried to find an authorized retailer for you and I got the runaround on their website. I kept going back to the same location page. So that's a problem. Or maybe they can divulge the great secret of who this distributor is? But if you can't be bothered with any of this you can get fakes real cheap on aliexpress. Everything on the Internet is going to be fake. Amazon, ebay, ali, all of that is fake. £5 it's definitely a fake. Too much for a fake too. It should be more like £2 Real ones if you can get them are going to be at least £10 is my guess. Because real ones are $7.75 USD You got VAT and what have you. You're going to pay more there.
Looking much nicer. 👍🏻
Have you tried using a BC2 or BC3 tip?
Sub'd. Keep up the good work. 👍🏻
Thanks Brian. I really appreciate the sub and comment.
I had to Google what those tips were 😂. I haven't used a BC2 tip. Is the idea there it sits nicely around the component leg?
I've definitely used the BC3 tips. They have worked quite well for me when I have but for reasons I can't really explain, I've gravitated to a preference of the chisel tip 😂
Yes, exactly. I find you can get closer to the joint because of the sharper angle. I prefer a BC3 because it's thicker, offering more thermal mass, and doesn't lose it's temperature to the board as quickly. As you are probably aware, ground plane joints can be troublesome in this regard.
@brianparr988 I have tried the BC3's for stuff on ground planes and I totally agree they work much better for that. Its just a pain swapping over the tips as it's just usually one or two joints I need to to so being lazy I usually just struggle with a chisel tip 😂.
However, that might change as one of my subscribers reached out and is very kindly sending me a T12 setup 😊
T12s are awesome! They cool down really quick, so easily swappable. You'll fall for it in a heartbeat. 😃
@brianparr988 I'm looking forward to trying one 😊
I wont use lead free solder. I always use flux cored leaded solder. Soldering station at 360c and around 400 for desoldering.
360 seems to work well for me. No damage whatsoever (yet) 😂
What is the story with the NON-STANDARD value 16pf caps. Just put a STANDARD 15pf & 1pf caps in parallel, it will work FINE, ...PROMISE! :)
Depending on the circuit, just the 15pF on their own might be fine.
REMEMBER, all parts have a tolerance! If the cap are 5%, that is +/- 0.8pF, i.e. 15.2pF to 16.8pF range! If it's 10% double that range!
VERY FEW circuits require caps in high precision, so again, I suspect that regular 15pF could be fine.
In most cases I'd agree. However, the specs were for 16pf on a 5% tolerance. Using a 15 pf would be outside this. Especially bearing in mind the tolerance is plus or minus, so with the 15, that could pull the value even lower
@@RetroComputingReboot I get your point, so what is the circuit, because I bet 999 to 1 odds 15pf at -5% would be just fine.
I would love to see the circuit, because I bet 999:1 odds 15pf would be fine, maybe even at -10% down.
It's two caps, so maybe as part of a xtal oscillator, in which case 15pf would absolutely be fine.
@stevenbliss989 I did think of winging it with a 15pf but apparently it's part of the clock circuit so it's quite fussy. I can't confirm this but didn't seem worth the risk
@@RetroComputingReboot What kind of "clock". If CPU clock with a ceramic resonator or quartz crystal, then 15pF would be fine.
do yourself a favor and get a T12 soldering station. saying this as someone who owns a yihua. its been quickly relevated to hot air only
Thanks for the comment. Yes, the T12 is on my list of things to try 😊
You can get quite good cheap solder but it's definitely hit and miss, you need to test it to make sure it's good, you can usually tell by the amount of flux residue it leaves behind and the melting point.
Also directly heated soldering irons like JBC T245 clones are miles better, no need to muck around trying to get good heater to tip contact it just works, you get near instant heating and can easily swap tips in seconds.
Thanks for the comment. Yes I'm sure there is some good cheap solder out there, but I've just never come across any. At least buying some branded stuff should give consistent quality.
I do like the look of the direct heating irons. I have had a look at them. I might get one at some point once my budget allows, but for now this iron I have seems to be doing pretty well 😁
Cheap solder is like cheap tires on a car. Don't do it. I only use good 60/40 solder from Mouser or DigiKey. Also, I never use lead free. Only use leaded with a fan to suck the fumes. The piece of aluminum you use, sand the paint off so that the heat transfers better. Great improvement on your work!!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Rudy. I think the combination of the solder and the shim has been a game changer. It's brought back that joy of soldering. I'll take the tip on sanding off the paint too. I hadn't thought of that!
You should be drowning it in flux.
Forget expensive flux formulations, simple rosin dissolved in IPA is fine.
Drown it in flux.
Heat component legs and feed in solder.
Clean it all in an IPA bath.
The cheap solder out had barely had any flux which meant I always had to add loads of flux. The new solder I got is really good, there's loads of flux in it. It seems to be making good joints and flowing well so I'm going to see how it goes without adding more
I have just sent you an email and also the same on FB. :)
What I'm seeing is you're feeding the solder to the iron tip. That's not good. The iron is just there to heat up the joint. You're soldering the joint. So you feed the solder to the joint. Solder goes to heat. Just what it does. You have the iron on one side of the joint and you apply solder to the other side of the joint. Try it. Really if you're practicing heat control you really don't even put the solder tip on the part lead. You heat the pad and let the solder wick the joint. Just don't feed the tip. If you do the solder will just ball up on the tip. You want the solder on the joint. So that's where you have to put the solder. Sometimes you have to feed the tip a little to wet it for heat conduction. But mostly you're going to be feeding the joint.
Thanks Paul. I appreciate the advice. It's all a learning curve 😊. I'm trying to heat the pad and the leg simultaneously but yes I'm drawn to touch the solder onto the iron 😁. Old habits and all that. I'm working on it though, I'm seeing much better joints now which is great 😃
@@RetroComputingReboot I made the comment after watching you solder the first joint but then watching the rest of the video you were getting it. Maybe not every time but some good technique. Soldering is pretty simple but there's a bit to it. And yeah throw that cheap roll of solder you have away. Those dark dull joints it makes are not right. They made that stuff out of old used tire weights or something. 63/37 is the best solder. That's the eutectic solder. 60/40 is garden variety. But good 60/40 is better than that other stuff you got. Get rid of it. The new stuff flows way better and you're getting shiny joints. Good solder is worth the price. China strikes again!
@1pcfred Thanks Paul. I do try. I think the thing with soldering is that it does seem very simple, but there's actually quite a bit to it.
Any ideas on what to do with the old solder? I can't bring myself to just chuck it out 😂
@@RetroComputingReboot I was thinking about that and the only thing I've ever used solder for other than soldering is tying up test leads. But it being solder I may use those little bits of solder to solder with. You can't take the chance of taking any of that solder off the roll. You must never use that to try to solder with ever again. It's that bad. Really you should enase it in plastic and leave it on your shelf as an object lesson. That roll is a teachable moment. It showed me something I've never seen before. The dark side of soldering. I will never buy solder from China, ever. I don't care if the good stuff is $50 a roll I'll pay it. I guess you could make fishing weights out of the stuff. If you don't mind poisoning the environment. Because God knows what that solder actually is. It can't just be tin and lead I can tell you that. Take it somewhere where they can analyze it. Gift it to someone you hate. That stuff is evil though.
@1pcfred 'Gift it to someone you hate' 😂 that really made me laugh. For the moment it will sit on a shelf. I've a nasty habit of getting rid of stuff and then finding a really good use for it and wishing I hadn't 😂. It won't be used for soldering though, that's for sure 😁
Noob to Pro? Whom is this question even for? Why is it a question?
It was sarcasm. If you watch my videos I don't take myself that seriously 😊
@@RetroComputingReboot thank goodness, there I thought we lost another one to the stupid trends!
I've never been trendy 😂
@@RetroComputingReboot stylish over trendy always wins!
a
a - for effort? 😁
@@RetroComputingReboot TYPO ...sort of.
But this video is indeed A for effort AND A- for results! :)
@stevenbliss989 Thanks Steven. I always wonder if I'm going.to get a panning in the comments. I appreciate your support more than you realise