Soldering Iron
Soldering irons can be used to form a permanent connection between two workpieces by melting solder. This is mostly used when building permanent electrical circuits.
The kit consists of the soldering iron itself, a metal rod that can be heated electrically and held by its insulated handle, a stand to rest the iron on between uses with a sponge for cleaning the tip, 'Stannol' 0.5mm solder, soldering fat (Lötfett) and desoldering wick (Entlötlitze).
Safe Use
Equipment & Location
- Wear eye protection, solder can 'spit'.
- Work in a well ventilated environment to get rid of fumes.
- Don't work on easily flammable surfaces.
Preparation
1. Make sure the tip is attached properly to the iron.
2. Wet the soldering sponge, put the soldering iron on the stand to let it heat up.
The iron gets very hot (ca. 400°C). So, don't touch it and always rest it on the stand when not in use, never on the table.
3. Once the iron is hot, use the wet sponge to clean the tip, let it heat up again for a few seconds afterwards.
Always keep the sponge wet, otherwise it can catch fire during this step.
4. Apply a thin layer of solder to the tip itself, to protect it from wearing out too quickly.
Soldering
1. Heat up both connection points for a few seconds.
2. Keep the soldering iron on the joint and apply solder. But do not apply it directly to the soldering iron, the connection points should be hot enough to melt the solder themselves. That way a good connection is guaranteed.
3. Remove the iron and let the joint cool down naturally. Don't blow on it, this leads to a bad joint.
4. Once the solder has cooled down, you can snip off any extra wires.
Desoldering
You can use the desoldering wick to remove solder.
1. Hold the wick on the soldered joint.
2. Heat the wick with the soldering iron. It will then absorb the melting solder.