How do you improve your soldering and desoldering skills and learn from your mistakes?

1 Choose the right tools and materials

One of the first steps to improve your soldering and desoldering skills is to choose the right tools and materials for the job. You need a good quality soldering iron with a suitable tip size and shape, a solder sucker or a desoldering braid for removing solder, a soldering station or a stand for holding your iron, a sponge or a brass wool for cleaning your tip, and a flux pen or a paste for improving the solder flow. You also need to select the appropriate type and diameter of solder for the components you are working with, and avoid using lead-free solder if possible, as it requires higher temperatures and can damage your board or your iron.

2 Prepare your work area and your board

Before you start soldering or desoldering, you need to prepare your work area and your board. You should work in a well-ventilated and well-lit space, and use a heat-resistant mat or a tray to protect your surface. You should also wear safety glasses and gloves, and avoid touching any live wires or components. To prepare your board, you should inspect it for any damage or dirt, and clean it with isopropyl alcohol or a PCB cleaner. You should also identify the polarity and the orientation of the components you are soldering or desoldering, and mark them with a pen or a tape if necessary.

3 Follow the best practices for soldering and desoldering

When you are ready to solder or desolder, you should follow some best practices to ensure a good result. For soldering, you should heat up your iron to the optimal temperature (usually between 300°C and 400°C), and tin your tip with a thin layer of solder. You should also apply some flux to the pads and the leads of the components you are soldering, and hold your iron at a 45-degree angle to the joint. You should then touch the tip of your iron to both the pad and the lead, and feed a small amount of solder to the joint, until it forms a shiny and smooth cone. You should then remove your iron and let the joint cool down, without moving or shaking it. For desoldering, you should heat up your iron to a slightly higher temperature than soldering, and clean your tip. You should then apply some flux to the joint you are desoldering, and touch your iron to the solder until it melts. You should then use your solder sucker or your desoldering braid to remove the solder from the joint, while keeping your iron on the joint. You should then lift your iron and your sucker or braid at the same time, and inspect the joint for any remaining solder. You may need to repeat this process several times until the joint is clean.

4 Inspect and test your work

After you finish soldering or desoldering, you should inspect and test your work. You should check your joints for any defects, such as cold solder, bridges, shorts, cracks, or blobs. You should also look for any damage or overheating on your board or your components, such as burns, lifted pads, broken traces, or warped parts. You should use a magnifying glass or a microscope to examine your work closely, and use a multimeter or a continuity tester to check for any electrical problems. If you find any errors, you should fix them as soon as possible, by re-soldering or re-desoldering the joints, or replacing the components.

5 Practice and learn from your mistakes

The final step to improve your soldering and desoldering skills is to practice and learn from your mistakes. You should practice on some scrap boards or components, and try different techniques and methods. You should also learn from your mistakes, and analyze what went wrong and how to avoid it in the future. You should also seek feedback and advice from other experienced solderers, and watch some tutorials or videos online. By practicing and learning from your mistakes, you will improve your confidence and your competence in soldering and desoldering.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?