geekhack

geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: Melvang on Mon, 04 March 2013, 15:30:59

Title: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: Melvang on Mon, 04 March 2013, 15:30:59
Hey guys was just wondering if you could rate how I did running my soldering iron.  Iron used is a Weller soldering station with a wedge type tip set a touch over 3.  The stated range on the box is listed as 5 to 40 watts.  The project was a small DIY electronic piano/keyboard with a few keys.  Everything does work just wanting a little feed back on the solder joints themself.  If I need to post a pic from some different angles let me know.

Melvang

[attach=1]
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: WhiteFireDragon on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:01:17
You fishing for compliments? Because that looks... not bad haha. There are 2-3 joints that needs more solder or reflow.
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: ducatisteve on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:23:41
Haven't tried soldering a keyboard, but that looks 10x cleaner than the soldering jobs I've done on my guitars!
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: SmallFry on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:27:15
Looks decent for your first run. Looks like a few of the larger joints could be reflowed, as WFD stated.
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: whiskytango on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:27:49
First time? I call BS

  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:36:28
First time I soldered was to fix some broken switches. I couldn't tell mine from the original and I only have piece of crap radioshck one.
I agree it looks like a good job. You are ready for custom keyboards.
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: mistakemistake on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:37:07
Quote from: WhiteFireDragon on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:01:17
You fishing for compliments? Because that looks... not bad haha. There are 2-3 joints that needs more solder or reflow.

^what he said and you can hit it with some flux remover to clean it up a bit.. 

edit: but it looks good, keep it up!
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: Melvang on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:41:46
I was fishing more for critiques more than compliments.  By reflow do you just mean to get it hot and remelt the solder?  I know the one on that 8 pack could use a little more solder.  I didn't see the hole in the joint until after i took the pic. 
And this really was my first time using a soldering iron on electrical joints.  The only other time I have used one was to solder some thin sheet metal joints in 9th grade industrial tech class and that was about 15 years ago.
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: whiskytango on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:43:35
seriously that does look good. I know you can do good work with cheap irons, but I have found using a decent iron to be a much more enjoyable experience. I got an XYtronnic adjustable wattage iron several years ago. It is by no means top of the line, but it is so much nicer to use than the RS irons I was using. The adjustable feature is so nice.
Title: Re: First time with a soldering iron
Post by: mkawa on Mon, 04 March 2013, 16:49:39
not bad at all! you can scrub that rosin off with some alcohol and a toothbrush or other detail type of dealy.

quick guide to soldering joints:

1. does it physically bridge the two conductors? naturally
2. is it globular? when molten, the forces that shape the metal should be basically isometric, giving you a sphere of metal after cooling
3. is it shiny? if the solder cools without being disturbed, the surface of the metal will be highly reflective. if it's not, then there are probably lots of little micro-fractures in the joint which developed as it cooled