soldering help.

[dakiddk4]

Ok so i got all my stuff for my $50 robot i got the schematic i watched a bunch of soldering videos and i run into a problem, its not as easy as it looks. my solder connections aren't that great, they're pretty bubbly and when i try to solder the headers they sometimes melt together and the pins become slanted. without a question i suck at soldering but im not sure if its just me or if its the iron im using or the solder. i'll try to post some pictures of what i have and my circuit board hope they are clear enough
i have a 30w 120v soldering iron i got from walmart
the rosin core lead free solder i have, also from walmart, takes a while to melt so i decided no to use it so im using a ".50" diameter high tech 63/37 rosin core solder" from radio shack. any help or suggestions would be appreciated or directions to a more detailed soldering video i dont im stuck anything will help. thanks

[newInRobotics]

Hey buddy 

I fully understand what You are experiencing at the moment, I'm new to soldering too, literally 2 days ago I've made my first 2 IR Emitter/Detector circuits (by first I mean FIRST PCBs I've ever done/soldered) and some custom cables for them. Good news, they works as they are supposed to, however they do not look nice at all.
It was an awful headache to start soldering, I had so many problems:

• Solder was not melting well, while board was getting black
• Solder would not stick to the board/component pin
• Soldering component wrong way around
• Difficulties de-soldering that "wrong-way-in" component
• etc...

Causes:

• Dirty soldering iron tip prevents it from heating well enough, hence You have to spend much time trying to heat the
  component/board up.
  Try using some sandpaper to scrub the tip before You switch Your iron on.
• Soldering iron has no temperature control, hence it constantly goes from very hot to not hot enough and back
  Try getting higher wattage Iron, or better - temperature controlled iron. if You fancy DIY challenges check out
  this one
• Try getting some solder that has lower melting temperature, it will make soldering easier, however it is more likely that
  such a solder will contain lead, hence very good ventilation of the workplace is a must.
• Solder might be too thick, therefore requiring more heat to melt it, try using finner one.
• Every time, literally, You pick up soldering iron cover its tip with solder. That might be not possible if the tip is dirty/oxidised. To fix that do what's said in the first bulletpoint.
  

These are my advices, however I am only beginner as Yourself. Hopefully this thread will be updated by more experienced people. I am keen to get some tips myself.

Take care and good luck.

[dakiddk4]

thanks those are some really helpful tips, im actually gonna try an purchase a soldering iron with temperature control, also I've been "tinning" the tip, covering the soldering with solder before use, as its called and it actually smells like the solder is burning and it sort of darkens and then sticks to the iron, not sure if that's a good thing.

[BANE]

Try using some sandpaper to scrub the tip before You switch Your iron on.

arrg , i and most dont recommend using any abrasives for your soldering tip because decreases life and performance.  Use a wet sponge or a brass sponge

Try getting higher wattage Iron,

if you're serious about your robot hobby and have no problem affording a good one, go for it.  However, for a beginner, a $10 fire starter from walmart can do the trick with leaded/thin solder and plenty of flux.

[Soeren]

Hi,

Try using some sandpaper to scrub the tip before You switch Your iron on.[/li][/list]

That will ruin the tip in no time flat.
Solder tips have a very thin iron (sometimes with nickel) coating to keep the copper from deteriorating, so keep the angle grinder and similar abrasive techniques well away fro your tip.

The only place where you should file a tip is when it's eaten through the iron so that it's pitted and you just have to make do with that tip.
Depending on the set temperature, a newly filed copper tip will be pitted in a ay or so, while a good quality (like eg. Weller) iron coated tip will last years if treated well.

For cheap soldering irons where the tip is just a plain round rod held by a screw or two, you can make your own tips from a brass rod of the same diameter - cheaper, lasts longer than copper tips (even those with a bad coating found on cheap irons) and can be filed into whatever shape you prefer.

• Try getting some solder that has lower melting temperature, it will make soldering easier, however it is more likely that
  such a solder will contain lead, hence very good ventilation of the workplace is a must.

Lead is NOT a problem when soldering, as you cannot assimilate it directly (like if you bite it) and there's as good as no lead in the fumes (which you won't be able to assimilate it from either). Some of the flux'es is quite bad (i.e. poisonous) though, but is actually much worse in unleaded solder.
Soldering a small board like the $50 in an average sized room will not produce any harmfull amount of fumes.

The entire lead abandoning (RoHS directive) is to keep lead being washed into the ground when acid rain dissolves it from electronics in the junkyards.
People cannot assimilate heavy metals directly, thy have to be converted to salts etc. like when it end up in eg. a fish (that have eaten something that have eaten something etc.) and you eat that fish - stay away from sea foods and you're pretty safe 

[Soeren]

Hi,

Ok so i got all my stuff for my $50 robot i got the schematic i watched a bunch of soldering videos and i run into a problem, its not as easy as it looks. my solder connections aren't that great, they're pretty bubbly

They're a bit hard to judge from the pics (could you post a sharp close up or a cropped pic that only shows a few soldr spots in the full pic?), but they don't look half bad from the little that I can see. Try using a little less solder though, it seems like they are convex where they should be concave.

and when i try to solder the headers they sometimes melt together and the pins become slanted.

Be careful about how long you hold the iron to a spot.
I usually put a female IDC connector on the pins I am about to solder, this keeps the pins straight.

without a question i suck at soldering but im not sure if its just me

Nah, I bet you didn't walk when newly born either.

It's a good idea to practice both soldering and de-soldering on PCB's from broken discarded equipment.

From the pic however, I think you are doing a pretty good job for a first project and with some practice and a better iron, I'm sure you will do ace work.

You need a "sponge" to wipe the soldering tip before each joint. It quickly becomes a subconscious act to wipe the tip every time you grab the iron from its stand and to coat it slightly with solder when you put it back (to protect the tip from the oxygen of the air).

Don't fall for the BS that's pushed about the relatively new tip cleaners like this:


They're somewhat abrasive, so will eat away on your tip.
The usual BS used about those is that they don't cool the tip and last forever.
Regular cellulose sponges used correctly doesn't cool the tip! And the "scouring pad" types don't last forever (actually shorter than a well treated cellulose sponge, as the curls get soldered together.

Instead use a regular cellulose pad like this:


This one is upside down however, as the more orange side in this picture is the side that helps keep its shape (many people use the wrong side).
The hole helps, by giving an edge to wipe the tip against, but is not strictly necessary.

There are lots of cheaper substitutes (of the same material). Presently I have gone back to a slice of a sponge used for wiping a slate (after nearly a year of testing the crappy scouring pads)
I have some kitchen pads of the same material and given the name on your photos, you may already have some of the somewhat thin round cellulose sponges used for removing make-up.
Cutting a hole or making a slice halfway towards the center makes any of those into the best soldering sponges.

Keep it moist. That's moist! Not wet! Just enough to keep it soft and protect it from being burned.
Use demineralized water if you upgrade to something like a Weller, to keep the tip free of limestone and unwanted minerals and you get a huge lifetime from your tips.


So, Cellulose sponge, moist NOT wet, wipe each time you grab the iron (and in-between if you make a series of connections in one go), thin (like 0.8mm/0.03" max.) leaded solder (the very best have a small amount of silver as well), "too little" is just the right amount. Use an IDC connector to hold pins while soldering, do it in the least possible amount of time and remove any excess solder with the de-solder iron you have and perhaps touch up with solder wick, before re-soldering.

Another good substitute is a small slab or sheath of silicone of around 1..2mm in thickness, with a narrow V-groove to wipe the tip in - no water needed, just a holder that holds/stiffens the sheath.

To solder:
Wipe tip and push it against the pin and the pad to solder with just a very slight tip of the solder in between, to wet the tip and transfer the heat better, then apply the appropriate amount (i.e. a little less than you think) of solder from the opposite side. Keep the tip on the joint for a slight bit longer and remove it.

If the joint appears grey or corny, wait for it to cool down and then reapply heat and a tiny amount of solder (or better, just a dab of flux from a flux pen).
Practice, practice and practice - it's an acquired skill.

Clean the tip on the sponge and over it with solder before turning it off (again to protect it from oxygen).

If the copper on the board or the component wires are a bit oxidized, a "glass brush pen" (not sure what they're called) is a good way to get to clean the material.

[...] im using a ".50" diameter high tech 63/37 rosin core solder" from radio shack.

A bit to thick a solder for my taste - this ain't plumbering work after all.
And... 63/37 have a plasticity range of 0° (i.e. it goes from liquid to solid  in a split second), which is good for some (other) kinds of soldering, but I very much prefer close to 60/40, which has a plasticity range of around 13°F (slightly different with a few percent of silver).

[MikeK]

Go to Radio Shack and get the little tub of flux.  It will improve things dramatically.  You don't need to smother the parts with it, you can apply it with a toothpick.  Apply it to the component lead as well as the circuit soldering pad.  It improves solder flow and heat transfer.

After you turn on the iron and allow it to heat up, apply solder to wet the tip.  Keep the tip like this when not in use.  When you go to use it, wipe the tip off and apply a little more solder.  A little bit of solder on the tip allows the heat to transfer to the component(s).  Apply solder to the joint from the side opposite the iron.

Melting the plastic of a header row is not unusual.  What I do is clamp something metal to the other end to absorb the heat.  I got a kit a long time ago at Radio Shack that contained aluminum spring-loaded heatsinks for soldering.  If they don't still have it you can get a couple of their micro alligator clips...the ones with the flat (not jagged) jaws.