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[[File:Basic Soldering.jpg|thumb|Soldering equipment.]](Note: Our Intro to Electronics Workshop includes learning how to solder a thing! Keep an eye on our calendar for when it is offered.)DISCLAIMER: THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION!  Soldering is the process in which you bind join together two items by melting a conductive metal filler to join themin between. In this case, the metal used is solder and - when cool cooled - creates a sturdy union between materials. In the Intro to Electronics workshop, we will teach you learn the fundamentals of electronics as well as how to safely solder electronic components onto a printed circuit board (PCB). This acts as a subset of that workshop by just giving the tutorial on on to solder. !

[[File:Component.png|thumb|From left to right is the PCB, battery holder, 100 ohm resistor, clear 5V LED, SPST button, and 3V battery.]]You're going to be soldering together the Basic Board (BB), which is blue. In order to solderdo so, you need a few materials!

#Soldering EquipmentBox, which contains:##Soldering Station##Soldering Iron and Cradle##Needlenose Pliers##Side-angle Cutters##Vice

#Electronic Components :##Blue PCB##10 Ohm Resistor##LED##Battery holder##battery The soldering iron and related equipment can be found in DaBL's soldering kits which are located within plastic containers found at the back of the lab under the tool wall. In DaBL, there are two types of solder: leaded and non-leaded. For the purposes of this activity either will do but keep in mind if you use leaded solder, lead is toxic and you should wash your hands after it is used. The electronic components can be found in the left most consumables chest nearest the sink. Ask a Creative and Technical Specialist (CaTS) if you need any help locating materials. ==IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS==Soldering is hot! (PCBSometimes in excess of 600° Fahrenheit.) Solder contains carcinogens! (Specifically, lead.) The following should be kept in mind at all times when soldering: *keep the area around the iron clear of any objects*keep the cable connecting the iron to the base station clear so nothing gets snagged*be aware of your surroundings ==Soldering Guidelines==While soldering, your mantra is: #'''Clean the tip''': vigorously rub the tip of the iron it in the brass shavings.#'''Tin the tip''': add a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron.#'''Heat the leg ''and'' the pad at the same time''': make sure you touch both things you are soldering together so that they both heat up. ===Soldering Guideline 1: Setting up your workstation and parts===Put your iron in its cradle, plug in the soldering station, and make sure the area around both of these devices is clear. Then turn on your station. It may have actual temperature control, or it may just have a knob. Either way, resistorsask your instructor what temperature setting to use. While your iron is heating up, LEDsmake sure you have all the necessary components. Then, other battery holdergrab about 12” of solder from the spool and wrap it gently around your non-dominant thumb, battery)leaving about an inch or two pointing outward from the pad of your thumb.

[[File:Soldering Components'''You’re going to be pushing components in from the top of the PCB and soldering them to the bottom.jpg|thumb|Electronic components''' Secure the PCB in your vise (or both alligator clips of your third hand). Pick up one of the 470Ω resistors and find its corresponding shape on the top of the PCB. Push its legs all the way into the board from the top face so that the resistor is sitting flush with the board. (Remember that they don’t have polarity so it doesn’t matter which way you insert them.]]) Then gently bend the legs so the resistor won’t fall out when you let go!

The ===Soldering Guideline 2: Clean and tin, clean and tin===Soldering depends on proper transference of heat, and heat transference depends on proper metal to metal contact. If there is anything in between, it will hinder the process. '''Oxidation''' will inevitably occur on any metal surface, and is especially likely on the tip the longer the iron remains on. So it is important to remove this oxidation regularly to keep the heat moving! Pick up the soldering iron and related equipment can be found in DaBLhold it as you would hold a pencil. '''Cleaning''' the tip is as easy as simply rotating and dragging it across the brass shavings (or wet sponge). The second part of this equation is to remember to add a very small amount of solder to the tip after you clean it; this is called '''tinning'''s . You do this for the same reason you add oil to a pan when you are cooking: to increase the surface area of the fluid, and therefore more effectively transfer the heat into the two objects you are soldering kits which are located within plastic containers found at together! ===Soldering Guideline 3: Apply that heat!===It’s finally time! '''The goal with all your solder joints today is to use the solder to connect the back leg of the lab under component with the copper pad on the tool wallPCB. ''' In DaBLorder to do this, there are two types you’ll need to heat both the leg and the pad, and then get solder to flow over both of them. The most important point to remember here is that '''solderwill flow toward the source of heat'''. So when you make your solder joints, you want to: leaded  *place the part of the tip with the “tin” you added onto ''both'' the component leg ''and '' the copper pad*apply more solder from the stash in your non-leadeddominant hand on the ''opposite'' side of the leg to where the tip is. For  Notice that the purposes solder joints in the pictures above and below kind of look like Hershey kisses; this activity either will do but keep in mind if you use leaded solder, lead is toxic and what you should wash are aiming for. Take your hands after it time! Figuring out exactly how to do this is tricky at first, since this is usedbasically an exercise in fine motor skills. The electronic components can be found in You may have to add more “tin”, or move the initial application of the left most consumables chest nearest solder to somewhere a little closer to the sinktip. Ask a Creative and Technical Specialist (CaTS) your instructor for help if you need any help locating materialsare unsure. And when you are satisfied that all the component’s legs are secured on the PCB, use the wire cutters to snip off the excess leg. ==PreparationAssembly Process==While solderingEach component is different; therefore, keep in mind each needs to be taken into consideration individually. Make sure to take note of the components which have '''polarity''' (LEDs and the following for a successful battery); you don’t want to solderthem in backward!You’ll find that soldering becomes easier the more you do it.

#Tin The components should be soldered to the Tip:#Heat BB in the Padfollowing order:

==Soldering==In this workshop/tutorial you will be learning the basics on how to solder. Once you gotten your solder iron, solder (leaded or non-leaded), the practice PCB, and components (battery, battery holder, resistor, and LED) you can begin soldering. Soldering itself is a relatively simple task, you place the end solder iron onto the tip of the solder, wait a moment for it to heat up then place the semi-solid solder onto the the PCB where the pin of your component is. Soldering is easy to explain Note that '''polarized''' in written form but in reality it is something difficult to master, it takes a lot of time and experience to solder perfectly. But, before getting onto the solder portion context of the workshop there are some key factors to soldering that allow for it to go smoothly, one (listed above) is the heat the pad, meaning, place the iron onto the area around the pin where you will be placing the solder, the heated area will allow for easier transfer of the solder to these components just means that area. Another simple but key factor to making sure your soldering goes smoothly and your device works is making sure that the pins of your components are orientated correctly. The PCB you they have been given was created '''polarity''' so that specific components have specific placements which will allow for the flow current through each component and allow for them to work properly. The battery holder, LED, and resistors all need to be place direction in there correct spots, and LED specifically needs to placed in the correct spot and in the correct orientation, if which you are unsure of where things should go please do not hesitate to ask a CaTS for assistanceplace them does matter. Other than those two key factors soldering is straightforward, don't be afraid to make a mistake or ask for help, this tutorial was created to help people learn how to solder which can be a difficult thing at first, mistakes are an easy way to learn and improve.