# Guide: The Art of Soldering



## -Thrilla- (Sep 11, 2006)

*The guide is back! Hosted on WebNG, only the soldering component of the site works btw.*

































12 Sections, 78 Pictures, 5 Flash Clips, 10 Hours of work, Enjoy and solder safe!


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## drade (Sep 11, 2006)

Thank you!!! Iv'e been needing stuff like that to read, I suck at soldering.


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## i_am_mustang_man (Sep 11, 2006)

ridiculous! simply ridiculous!

i think i now feel good enough to voldmod my x800gto2


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## beachbum86 (Sep 29, 2006)

Nice tutuorial.


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## Alec§taar (Sep 29, 2006)

drade said:


> Thank you!!! Iv'e been needing stuff like that to read, I suck at soldering.



Same here, & welding too: 

(Looks like massive "scar tissue" when I try to do either one... seriously UGLY!)

* Seems that I can't do a good "bead" if my life depended on it (lack of practice probably, to get 'the touch' & all that).

APK


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## Protius (Sep 29, 2006)

thanks mate


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## Jon G (Nov 12, 2006)

Thanks that helped my alot.


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## Grings (Nov 22, 2006)

nice one, i think im finally gonna get round to replacing the duff caps on an old leadtek nforce2 now (had some jap caps for it for months, never got round to lookin for a decent soldering guide) though i think ill have a trial run on some real old gear first though!


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## Jon G (Nov 23, 2006)

-Thrilla- said:


> 12 Sections, 78 Pictures, 5 Flash Clips, 10 Hours of work, Enjoy and solder safe!



I have a question I have a sunbeam 8 channel fan speed controller it hooks up to a 12v supply and a usb if the usb is not plugged in it looks like it only gets half the power led lite up but fans don't turn do you know eany I can change that? and I would really like to put the card on a switch so I can turn it off and on if you can help my I would appreciate it


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## JC316 (Nov 23, 2006)

Alec§taar said:


> Same here, & welding too:
> 
> (Looks like massive "scar tissue" when I try to do either one... seriously UGLY!)
> 
> ...


I am the same way Alec, but I am better at soldering than welding. Nice tut!


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## Taz100420 (Nov 23, 2006)

glad im a auto tech cause soldering and welding is a basic class! But I still learned alot from this! I never stop learning new ways about the stuff I know how to do


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## PuMA (Dec 15, 2006)

theres no way u can damage a transistor or a capacitor with heat. unless u press the solder right thru its case ( the plastic black thing) matter of fact u have to heat the pins to perform a good connection: If u leave the pins intact u perform a so called cold solder, wich dosent last that long. so when soldering components, make sure u heat the pin, and add solder in to the pin.


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## SqueezeR (Dec 29, 2006)

PuMA said:


> theres no way u can damage a transistor or a capacitor with heat. unless u press the solder right thru its case ( the plastic black thing) matter of fact u have to heat the pins to perform a good connection: If u leave the pins intact u perform a so called cold solder, wich dosent last that long. so when soldering components, make sure u heat the pin, and add solder in to the pin.



Well, that can be true for bigger transistors, resistors and wires, but capacitors and most electronic components (not to mention the PCB itself) will be damaged if they get too hot. That's why "timings" are very important: average quality solder melts at about 182° C, so we need to keep the soldering iron at about 250-260° C to melt the solder in no more than 3 to 5 seconds; fast enough to avoid overheating the components but long enough to heat the surfaces we are going to joint.
Most important, keep the soldering iron clean and wet with solder for faster melting.


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## PuMA (Feb 9, 2007)

sorry, my mistake on that one: the average heat time for a IC for example seem to be about 10 seconds before they get hot, and probly get damaged. But on the other hand I've yet to kill a IC or CAP or PCB with overheating the pins, so I quess that 5-10 second rule is a "safety" rule.


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## PaladinLord (Mar 4, 2007)

thank you  so much


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## -Thrilla- (Sep 9, 2007)

*Just a heads up:
I'm canceling my web hosting service with yahoo small business since the site is pretty much dead (but still cost me $14 a month). I will redo the links ASAP and move it to a free web host. Sorry about the downtime.*


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## -Thrilla- (Sep 22, 2007)

It's back!
Thanks for your patience and sorry about the down time, took me a while to find a nice and free web host.


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## TechnicalFreak (Dec 5, 2007)

Hey -Thrilla- A question:
I have 5 "superbright" LED's and I want to create a "light" to use for my system. The "light" I have right now is a Flat-LED (flat superbright LED). But it's blue. The other's are white. What do I need to connect it to 12V from the computer's PSU? I have a switch, I have cables long enough. The problem is , I don't know "how" to connect them and what each "leg" is (negative or positive)?

Thanks.


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## erocker (Dec 21, 2007)

I just put this guide to work for the first time... everything is working out great!  Thank you!


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## Eclecticos (Apr 28, 2008)

Well. . I just learned some new aspects of soldering. Fantastic Tutorial!


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## HydroIT (Jun 10, 2008)

That was great.

A quick question however. Do I need to take special care when soldering to a button cell?
Thank you.


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## E_Net_Rider (Jun 22, 2008)

Pretty good guide, but a couple of extra points.
Alcohol & a stiff bristle brush to remove flux, especially at the finish.
Never pry with soldering tip for safety and it will cut through the cladding and tip goes bad quickly.
An alternative to the solder sucking bulb and desoldering iron is the sucking plunger. With any of these the appropriate size tip is necessary. The plunger is easier to control since you cock it before use. And hit the release button when the joint is ready, giving a very rapid pull on the melted solder.
Also, when working with small spaces or needing to remove thick films of solder, solder wick is a must. It looks like copper braid and when the piece you are working with gets full of solder, cut off the end of the roll giveing a fresh piece to work with. Also solder is drawn to heat so once the wick starts drawing the solder work the iron tip onto the wick.

If you expect to do much soldering, you might invest in a variable temp with interchangeable tips. That way you will have the proper tip, big or small, and temperature to handle the job. A wiser investment than a desoldering iron in my opinion.
And putting a blob on the iron is not proper technique. Always put iron to both parts of the joint and solder to the joint, not iron. (I cheat sometimes by putting the tiniest amount of solder on tip to speed heat transfer.)
BEWARE THAT TOO MUCH HEAT WILL LIFT TRACE FROM PCB!
I thought I'd mention that here because it can be avoided to some degree by making first contact of the tip to the lead which is usually much heavier guage metal than the runs on the PCB. Thus it takes a greater quantity of heat to bring the lead to soldering temperature than the very thin lead on the PCB. Don't forget the heat sinking the author mentioned, if it is necessary.
PCB where you have ruined a run by applying to much heat can be fixed, if it is on the surface. If it is one of the internal in a multi-layer board, chances of repair get smaller. In either case, if the run is not repairable, locate a nearby point that has the same electrical connection and use a length of hook-up wire. 
Rosin should not be breathed indeed, but also lead fumes. And washing hands before eating or smoking should be done.
If working through the board, start soldering at point farthest from component.
And when working with heat producing components such as resistors and transistors, if possible create a strain relief in the connecting lead if possible. The stiffer the lead, the more necessary if the component gets quite hot. The strain of heating and cooling can break the internal connection.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 11, 2008)

TechnicalFreak said:


> Hey -Thrilla- A question:
> I have 5 "superbright" LED's and I want to create a "light" to use for my system. The "light" I have right now is a Flat-LED (flat superbright LED). But it's blue. The other's are white. What do I need to connect it to 12V from the computer's PSU? I have a switch, I have cables long enough. The problem is , I don't know "how" to connect them and what each "leg" is (negative or positive)?
> 
> Thanks.



Hey I'm doin some stuff similiar to that... if you would let me know of any pointers that you pick up ( or have picked up, I just noticed how old this post is) I'd appreciate it!

also, check this website out. 
http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html


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## Thrackan (Dec 11, 2008)

I was wondering if anyone has any (good or bad) experience with this:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/69d3/
The ColdHeat soldering tool.


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## E_Net_Rider (Dec 11, 2008)

No Experience, but nice to know that it has three tips available to help with the job.
Of note is the size of solder and wire limitation, meaning it is for smaller jobs also.
But, it still has no temperature control and not damaging components from overheat becomes a matter of guessing the time allowed to complete job.
I also have different shaped tips for my Haiko including one that is a very thin cylindrical point. Perfect for very small work such as under magnification. Of note is that this tip would not be good for medium to small because it would be overloaded on its heat transfer capabilities at the very tip. That is if it gets hot enough, it takes too long, subjecting components to the heat longer. Heat sinks help, but they are still best when you can heat to needed temperature quickly but not beyond.
Even with its sensitivity for small work, I've soldered with one of the larger tips 8 guage wire at under 800 degrees.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 14, 2008)

Thrackan said:


> I was wondering if anyone has any (good or bad) experience with this:
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/69d3/
> The ColdHeat soldering tool.



I had one.. They are nice, but mine didnt last very long.
 While soldering, the solder on the small power switch melted, causing the wires to come loose and shorting out the unit. 
Kinda ironic, i think.


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## Lazzer408 (Dec 20, 2008)

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103191311

That is the bare minimum to do any sort of board work. Radioshack irons are worthless. I have the wes51 and I've had the same tip on it for 3 years. It'll reach operating temp in about 30 seconds and maintain tip temp as long as it's on. The Radioshack type irons are not stable. Any tech is only as good as his/her tools. If you can't solder with a Radioshack iron, and do things like burn the flux off before the solder flows the joint or even fry traces right off the pcb, it could be because your pos Radioshack iron is 800+ deg.

EDIT - Coldheat is worthless btw.


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## Thrackan (Dec 21, 2008)

Lazzer408 said:


> http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103191311
> 
> That is the bare minimum to do any sort of board work. Radioshack irons are worthless. I have the wes51 and I've had the same tip on it for 3 years. It'll reach operating temp in about 30 seconds and maintain tip temp as long as it's on. The Radioshack type irons are not stable. Any tech is only as good as his/her tools. If you can't solder with a Radioshack iron, and do things like burn the flux off before the solder flows the joint or even fry traces right off the pcb, it could be because your pos Radioshack iron is 800+ deg.
> 
> EDIT - Coldheat is worthless btw.



Good to hear. I'm planning on getting soldering stuff sometime and I know that the one you linked is simply quality stuff. I was just wondering whether that Coldheat tool was any good.


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## t77snapshot (Feb 9, 2009)

*Help???*

Hi, I need some advice in soldering leds into a flex circuit from a Thermaltake case fan.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





I am replacing all my fan leds with a different color. I have already soldered my fans with the regular +- wires. But this fan (above pic) uses a flex circuit board and I don't have any experience with this.








Q: How do I go about replacing these leds? ( I don't want to guess and end up melting through the belt).


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 9, 2009)

The repair should be done quickly to avoid melting the tape. Reflow the joint by heating and adding fresh solder. The new flux from the solder will help it flow more quickly. Do that to all of them first then go back and desolder the LEDs. Personally I fold desoldering wick over the tip of my iron and work it around the joint. This way you can almost tap it around the terminal removing all the solder without having to apply too much heat. This is one situation where that Radioshack iron can do some damage.

$.02


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## KH0UJ (Jul 25, 2009)

Dont forget to use a soldering paste all the time if you`re soldering, I used soldering paste all the time, from testing if the soldering tip is hot enough (I dip it to see if its hot enough) if the tip is hot enough (I dip again) before and after the soldering (I dip it)  Now you can compare it to the manufacturer soldered points, You`re soldering joints will be shinier and sexier than the factory solderjoints (more durable and not easily cracked)


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## Lazzer408 (Aug 28, 2009)

I NEVER use soldering paste unless I'm soldering copper pipe or a radiator and even then the paste I use is acid core which should NEVER be used on electronics. Rosin flux is the paste you would use for electronics.

Flux core solder has more then enough flux to make a quality joint. I've been working with electronics for 25 years and there's no need for paste. I think I used it back when I was 5 years old and didn't learn to solder yet. =)


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## Deleted member 67555 (Aug 28, 2009)

VERY NICE GUIDE
Thanks


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## KH0UJ (Aug 29, 2009)

Lazzer408 said:


> I NEVER use soldering paste unless I'm soldering copper pipe or a radiator and even then the paste I use is acid core which should NEVER be used on electronics. Rosin flux is the paste you would use for electronics.
> 
> Flux core solder has more then enough flux to make a quality joint. I've been working with electronics for 25 years and there's no need for paste. I think I used it back when I was 5 years old and didn't learn to solder yet. =)



I have a longer experience too on electronics, since high school up to now ived used soldering paste since day one sir, from simple circuit projects to radars and communication equipments


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## Lazzer408 (Sep 1, 2009)

KH0UJ said:


> I have a longer experience too on electronics, since high school up to now ived used soldering paste since day one sir, from simple circuit projects to radars and communication equipments



Then I'm sorry you havent learned to solder by now.


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## KH0UJ (Sep 2, 2009)

Lazzer408 said:


> Then I'm sorry you havent learned to solder by now.




maybe for me i always aim for perfection specially in soldering as much as possible nicer than the manufacturer`s solder joints, and you cant beat the manufacturer`s solder joints if you dont use soldering paste IMO


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## SkyKast (Sep 4, 2009)

thanks man, hit it home here...good tut


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## Lazzer408 (Sep 4, 2009)

KH0UJ said:


> maybe for me i always aim for perfection specially in soldering as much as possible nicer than the manufacturer`s solder joints, and you cant beat the manufacturer`s solder joints if you dont use soldering paste IMO



What brand of solder are you using? It makes a huge difference. The other reason I like to stay away from paste is it can cause trapped pockets of paste to boil leaving cavities in the joints. I work with boards that carry 1000a loads. Any poor connections like to pop like fuses. Fun to watch when load testing.


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## KH0UJ (Sep 5, 2009)

Lazzer408 said:


> What brand of solder are you using? It makes a huge difference. The other reason I like to stay away from paste is it can cause trapped pockets of paste to boil leaving cavities in the joints. I work with boards that carry 1000a loads. Any poor connections like to pop like fuses. Fun to watch when load testing.



Im using an ordinary 80 Watt soldering iron with a long life tip on all my soldering jobs, and im using hot air soldering station on all my surface mount IC remove and install, I can even install an LED backlight on a cellphone using the 80 watt iron back in the days where cellphones are still black & white, speaking of precise estimate of the melting point of the soldered joints, its really impossible for me to do it without the paste, I use soldering paste to have an idea on how hot my tip is and estimate the tip`s hotness depending on what im soldering at the same time polished solder joints without overmelting the parts or damaging the parts i soldered and improving heat transfer from the tip to the solder joints, even manufacturers use paste in assembling their circuit products

Note: you need to have a long life tip to have a better soldering jobs, 
         ordinary tips tends to overburn thus building carbon deposits on
         the tip itself, then poor heat transfer, my soldering iron only cost
          $8 and the long life tip cost $20 but the finished soldered
          joints are more nicer, looks shinnier, I know how manufactrurers
          soldered thier circuits a 3 second job for the entire circuit, that`s
          why i can say that soldering with paste makes more quality and
          more durable than the manufacturers


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## Lazzer408 (Sep 6, 2009)

KH0UJ said:


> Im using an ordinary 80 Watt soldering iron with a long life tip on all my soldering jobs, and im using hot air soldering station on all my surface mount IC remove and install, I can even install an LED backlight on a cellphone using the 80 watt iron back in the days where cellphones are still black & white, speaking of precise estimate of the melting point of the soldered joints, its really impossible for me to do it without the paste, I use soldering paste to have an idea on how hot my tip is and estimate the tip`s hotness depending on what im soldering at the same time polished solder joints without overmelting the parts or damaging the parts i soldered and improving heat transfer from the tip to the solder joints, even manufacturers use paste in assembling their circuit products
> 
> Note: you need to have a long life tip to have a better soldering jobs,
> ordinary tips tends to overburn thus building carbon deposits on
> ...




80w?  maybe thats why. You can solder radiators with that. I do most my PCB work with 15-20w. 650deg tip thermally controlled. 80w will vaporise the flux in flux-core before it has any time to work. That's probably the issue. A thermally controlled soldering iron/station typically run $99 and up. My tips are $8 and I've used the same one for about 7 years now. lol I don't know what their made of or plated with but they last a hell of a long time.


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## jasbone123 (Sep 12, 2009)

Hi,
   I new to electronics world.I do soldering perfect for my circuit.But I get it here and it helps me to improve my technique.I have faced problem with overheating of circuit of monitor.Problem caused removal of soldering.


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## Gobi Jerboa (Jan 8, 2014)

-Thrilla- said:


> *The guide is back! Hosted on WebNG, only the soldering component of the site works btw.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Are the links broken now?


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## MT Alex (Jan 8, 2014)

Gobi Jerboa said:


> Are the links broken now?



They work perfectly fine for me using IE 11.


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## Gobi Jerboa (Jan 8, 2014)

MT Alex said:


> They work perfectly fine for me using IE 11.


Must be Chrome.


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## SaiZo (Jan 11, 2014)

And if I want to solder/desolder SMD components, would a hot air station be the best solution?


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## larrymoencurly (Jan 12, 2014)

80W can easily damage circuit boards and destroy components, unless that iron is temperature controlled, in which case it should be suitable for everything, even lead-free solder and 6-layer boards.  Apparently Radio Shack is closing out a 70W temperature-controlled soldering station for just $40, making it a great bargain, but it can be hard to find.

Hot air irons and rework stations are great for surface mount soldering.and even through-hole soldering.


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## SaiZo (Jan 13, 2014)

How about the use of a "tip activator"? Never tested one. Going to get one at the end of this month.


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## Ferrum Master (Jan 13, 2014)

Well my five cents... 80W are tooo much... and if you are planing to solder something on motherboards etc... you will need a preheater owen from below, otherwise it is quite of failure of a task.

And... hot air gun also is good option... especially for transistor soldering etc...

Third... always use Pb containing solder for repair works, as it has a lower melting point temperature.

And use some proper soldering flux!!


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## Jhelms (Aug 27, 2014)

*Great writeup! Having to solder thousands of components a week- Just wanted to offer up a few recommendations that are affordable and can help with this thread*
- I have owned a LOT of soldering stations, this unit combined with an LF-16D tip (tip good for most all basic TH work) is the best station I have found for most applications. Unit heats up in about 10 seconds to solder. Tips are quick change and handle to tip end is nice and tight offering better control. If cleaned properly, and with good solder, tips last tens of thousands of solder joints. And tons of tips to choose from
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/soldering-system-bk3000lf.html 

I also have this unit as a backup which is cheaper and performs identicle / uses the same tips
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/lead-free-soldering-station.html 
Some will question the lead free designation - that just means it is certified for it can be used either way

- For solder, once again I have tried so many, many types from exotic to rat shack. A basic no clean .031 like MG chemicals works for most applications and flux is not terribly bad for normal colored PCB's. Also does not turn acidic over time. However what I recommend if you like clean work is Kester 331 .031. Flux is water soluble which means you can use distilled water and a scrub brush to clean. Your joints will turn out like fine chrome and they will stay that way period. Also in high temp applications, I have not noticed any degradation or solder rot even after years of use. Last, for SMD, I use kester R500 which is just a paste version of 331 / can buy in a handy tube and again cleanup is a snap.  I personally cannot stand any lead-free that I have ever tried so cannot recommend any for the DIY crowd.


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## Reefa_Madness (May 10, 2017)

Are the links broken for anyone else? I'm using Firefox as my browser.


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## dorsetknob (May 10, 2017)

Last post before yours was nearly 3 years ago
Time and the Vageritys of the internet can make links vanish


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## sneekypeet (May 10, 2017)

Maybe someone should make a new soldering thread with images. Yes the links are broken, and have been since 2014 it seems by post #42. I am going to close this for now, but leave the sticky in place until a replacement shows up


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