How did you learn to solder?

[Zziggy00]

I've always seen the system mods and modchips and how they almost always require soldering, so i've always just frowned and moved on, or waited until a plug mod/no solder mod came out. But now i think its time to learn...

Does anyone have any tips? Or places to go online, etc.. to help the less fortunate like myself that have never melted anything besides something under a magnifying glass?

 

[Sinbios]

well, i'm too good myself, but basically you touch the hot iron to the solder and wait till it sticks to the tip, touch the two parts you want to solder together, then touch the solder to the part where they connect and wait for it to stick... remove the soldering iron and hope the solder sticks to the parts instead of the iron

 

[Mysticales]

I just did it.. I didnt study to be a tech.. seems I just know it.. Hot stick on that metal, melt it down, then trim with solvent...

 

[Cecilia Chen]

Well, I think in general most people know how to solder. Its just those who have the most experience who do a quality job. Doing a cold solder is really bad, which is why wires flake off so easily, and cause problems. I think most people here do cold solders, which is why so many posts are about wires coming off, ect. If the solder job was done well, it should be very difficult to manualy remove a wire, without first using a brade and removing it.

 

[Raijin Z]

Self taught, but electronics class helped a little. Heat the compnent contact with the iron, not the solder!

 

[sizone]

find someone who's good at it and have them show you how. it's not difficult but there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. also don't waste your time trying to solder components that solder won't stick to. jsut becasue it's metal doesn't mean it'll work. it's also possible to destroy components by over heating them, this is where doing things the right way becomes important. it's also possible to destroy components by fusing all the contacts with sloppy work, see above coment

 

[ExeterIsLame]

Cheapest way to learn to solder is to buy a breadboard and some resistors from radioshack and just start soldering the lil bastiches in place. Practice truly makes perfect. Breadboard should be only a couple of bucks and you should be able to get a multipack of resistors for a couple of bucks also. Cheap way to learn how to solder and will prolly save you more expensive fuckups later in life when you try your skills on a system.

 

[Zziggy00]

Thank you everyone, I like the idea about picking up the things from radio shack, I was going to try and learn by doing something like that or on some OLD computer parts that are either damaged or too outdated to be used ever again.

find someone who's good at it and have them show you how.

I wish it was that easy, there isn't a single person i'm even aqquainted with that knows how to solder, one of my friends has a cousin that does, but he is located about half way across the country from me. ??? That's why I'm asking on this board, I've never seen a more helpful community of people on a message board than here.

So I figure I'll have to teach myself, and do A LOT of practice on junk and spare parts before I go and jump into a console.

But I'm a little confused, some have said heat the solder and apply it to the 2 contacts you want fused together, others have said heat the 2 contacts and not the solder?? And while going around i've seen posts about irons with different wattages and make sure you don't fry anything, and testing all the solder points to make sure they are still good? Is there any place on the web that can explain this in any further detail, anything that involves chipping or modding i've found skips over all the installation details except for what points to solder together ???

Thank you again...

 

[mal]

You definately heat the component and apply the solder to it, rather than directly to the soldering iron. It does help to have a little solder on the iron's tip to transfer heat to the component though.

 

[sizone]

25 watts is all you need (i think they're 23 watts just to be difficult)

if you're soldering a compent into a board then you put the wire leg of the component through the designated hole then you melt a tiny little bit of solder on to the tip of the iron then gracefully get the solder from the tip off the iron off the tip of the iron into filling the hole. if you're soldering a wire onto something the you melt some solder onto the tip off the iron then rub the melted solder onto the wire then you put the wire where it's going and heat it up to remelt the solder. this works o.k with fine gauge wire for multi strand and thick stuff i usually end up putting the wire onto whatever it's going to be contacting with put the tip of the iron next to it and start melting away until i've got a nice puddle going. use a wet sponge to clean your tip frequently (like after every bond)

and yes

practice for an hour or two before you tackle any project

no point in ruining a mod chip, much less your console

 

[antime]

Oh yeah, and don't forget the no. 1 tip when it comes to soldering: grow a third arm. It will save you lots of grief in the future.

 

[Zziggy00]

Haha, well thanks to everyone, I'll be going through much practice! I also found a website that will aid me as well...

www.starbase74.com/mame/solder.htm

wish me luck!

 

[Mike G]

Blu-Tack (tm) is the solution to the Third Arm problem. I don't know how anyone manages without it...

Mike

 

[Arakon]

also, invest in a GOOD soldering iron or station. a bad iron or tip is the death of any system.

0.2-1 mm pen tip (the kind that is stuck onto a metal rod, NOT the ones you stick into the iron and tighten a screw). 15W.