Soldering on Bald Engineerhttps://www.baldengineer.com/category/tutorials/solderingRecent content in Soldering on Bald EngineerHugoen-USThu, 04 Aug 2022 18:10:33 +0000Difference between flux (for soldering)https://www.baldengineer.com/difference-between-flux.htmlWed, 17 Aug 2022 13:17:00 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?p=8686Often I hear this question: “how can I get better solder joints?” Without looking at anything they are doing, I already know that they could be using more flux. Or, as I point out in this video, perhaps the correct type of flux! Flux removes oxide layers, gets contaminants out of the way, and makes for better solder joints. But there are so many different types of flux and even more ways to apply it.

Difference between flux (for soldering)

Health and Solder Fumes | Workbench Wednesdayshttps://www.baldengineer.com/health-and-solder-fumes-workbench-wednesdays.htmlThu, 09 May 2019 13:18:20 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=link&p=7781An overlooked danger of electronics soldering is the fumes. While the smell and smoke may not be pleasant, the chemicals in the fumes can be harmful. Is solder made with lead(Pb) your only concern? Learn about where lead-free solder came from, what different flux types mean, and two ways to keep your air (and your lungs clean.) In the video, I show a cheap “smoke eater” and a professional fume extractor. There is a cost difference of $50 and $700 between the two. However, either is better than having nothing.

Health and Solder Fumes | Workbench Wednesdays

Soldering Tool Upgrade Paths | Workbench Wednesdayshttps://www.baldengineer.com/soldering-tool-upgrade-paths.htmlSat, 09 Feb 2019 01:45:15 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=link&p=7687Right after the digital multimeter, or DMM, a soldering iron is a must-have tool for electronics work. Like most tools, there is a vast variety of options available. In this episode of element14’s Workbench Wednesdays, I look at a range of instruments from Weller. They offer everything from a cheap $10 “fire starter” (sorry, it is what we call them!) all the way up to a full-blown surface mount rework station. Whether you don’t have a soldering iron or you have a $100 station, this video will show you options to consider when thinking about an upgrade.

Soldering Tool Upgrade Paths | Workbench Wednesdays

Standalone Arduino Turn-On and Debughttps://www.baldengineer.com/standalone-arduino-turn-on-and-debug.htmlMon, 09 Jul 2018 13:00:54 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=video&p=7489This AddOhms episode is part 3 of the “design your own Arduino” series. In this one I populate a bare PCB, reflow solder it, debug a few issues, and load the Uno bootloader. Originally, I designed 2 versions of the board. One version contained an error that I planned to fix in the episode. Well, turns out, the “correct” board had two issues which were more interesting. Check out the #27 show notes for links to a bunch of stuff in the episode, including the design files.

Standalone Arduino Turn-On and Debug

My Modular Soldering Station for the Space Limitedhttps://www.baldengineer.com/my-modular-soldering-station-overview.htmlWed, 30 Sep 2015 13:00:06 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?p=5423Solder is the glue of electronic circuits. In addition to a permanent mechanical connection, solder provides an electrical connection. Not too much unlike glue solder combines two separate metal pieces with a bonding material. In this case, the bonding material is a metal or allow with a relatively low melting point. When soldering together a circuit, the quality of the solder joint is crucial. Most people probably recognize the need for a high-quality soldering iron, like the FX-888D from Hakko, but about the other tools?

My Modular Soldering Station for the Space Limited

[App Note] Extending Soldering Iron Tip Life from OKI/Metcalhttps://www.baldengineer.com/app-note-extending-soldering-iron-tip-life.htmlThu, 01 Jan 2015 15:20:16 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=link&p=3229After mentioning how much I like using a brass sponge when soldering, I came across this App Note from OK International. This is a great note to read through. It discusses what is inside of a soldering iron tip, why they fail, and how to keep them in good shape. Image from OK International’s Tech Note The note actually makes me realize two of my own mistakes.Brass Sponge over Wet Spongehttps://www.baldengineer.com/brass-sponge-over-wet-sponge.htmlTue, 30 Dec 2014 15:12:10 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=tip&p=3225Keep your soldering iron tip from oxidizing. As it gets dull and gray, it’ll be harder to make good solder joints. My favorite tool to clean a tip is a Brass Sponge. The other option is a damp cellulose sponge, but I’m not a fan of those. I have just never found a sponge gets the tip as clean as a light dabbing from the brass sponge. Just be careful not to “scrub” too hard, you don’t want to scratch the tip. When you done soldering, make sure you clean it with the sponge then coat the tip with fresh solder. Leave that solder on the tip until the next time you use it. The layer of solder will prevent oxidation from building up while the iron sits unused.