Instruction Manual

What Good Soldering Looks Like
A good solder connection should be bright, shiny,
smooth, and uniformly flowed over all surfaces.
Soldering a PC board
1. Solder all components from the copper foil side only.
Push the soldering iron tip against both the lead and
the circuit board foil.
2. Apply a small amount of solder to the iron tip. This
allows the heat to leave the iron and onto the foil.
Immediately apply solder to the opposite side of the
connection, away from the iron. Allow the heated
component and the circuit foil to melt the solder.
3. Allow the solder to flow around the connection. Then,
remove the solder and the iron and let the connection
cool. The solder should have flowed smoothly and not
lump around the wire lead.
4.
Here is what a good solder connection looks like.
Types of Poor Soldering Connections
1. Insufficient heat - the solder will not flow onto the
lead as shown.
2. Insufficient solder - let the solder flow over the
connection until it is covered. Use just enough solder
to cover the connection.
3. Excessive solder - could make connections that you
did not intend to between adjacent foil areas or
terminals.
Heat Sinking
Electronic components such as transistors, IC’s, and
diodes can be damaged by the heat during soldering. Heat
sinking is a way of reducing the heat on the components
while soldering. Dissipating the heat can be achieved by
using long nose pliers, an alligator clip, or a special heat
dissipating clip. The heat sink should be held on the
component lead between the part and the solder joint.
Solder
Soldering Iron
Foil
Solder Soldering Iron
Foil
Component Lead
Soldering Iron
Circuit Board
Foil
Rosin
Soldering iron positioned
incorrectly.
Solder
Gap
Component Lead
Solder
Heat Sink
(this can be ordered as part of Elenco’s
Solder Ease Kit Model SE-1).
Soldering Iron
Solder
Heat Sensitive
Component (Diode)
PC Board
SOLDERING COMPONENTS TO THE PC BOARD
A poorly soldered joint can greatly affect small current flow in circuits and can cause equipment failure. You can damage
a PC board or a component with too much heat or cause a cold solder joint with insufficient heat. Sloppy soldering can
cause bridges between two adjacent foils preventing the circuit from functioning.
Safety Procedures
• Wear eye protection when soldering.
• Locate soldering iron in an area where you do not have to go around it or reach over it.
• Do not hold solder in your mouth. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling solder.
• Be sure that there is adequate ventilation present.
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