The best way to learn how to solder is just to plough in and start doing it.
One thing that puts people off is the indecision of which tools to get and how much to spend on them. In reality you can start with just a basic soldering iron, a roll of standard solder, a pair of side cutters to trim leads and something to solder together. You can get all those things for less than $15.
Once you've got into soldering you can then expand your tool kit as needed, possibly with a higher power soldering iron and some other basic tools like a basic meter.
There's a lot of tool snobbery on YouTube, with people implying that you need to buy premium expensive tools. But in reality, basic tools are fine. You can evolve to more specialist meters and tools as you get a feel for your chosen electronic direction.
Here are some search links to find the tools I used. They are eBay searches starting at the lowest priced first, so avoid the suspiciously low cost and feedback sellers and scroll through to the ones with high levels of feedback.
The side cutters. I use these routinely:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=side+cutters&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price roughly $3.50
The surprisingly usable USB soldering iron:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=usb+soldering+iron&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $7 inclusive
Generic shady eBay solder. You may be better sourcing this locally or getting a few yards/metres from a friend. You're looking for a 60/40 or 63/37 tin/lead alloy with flux. 0.8mm is a reasonable diameter.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=solder+50g+0.8mm&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $2.50 for 50g
A kit to build or possibly even destroy as part of your learning experience. (I destroyed my first kit.)
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=flashing+led+kit+suite&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price from $2.50 upwards
If you go for the USB soldering iron you'll need a beefy 2.1A output power bank or phone charger to run it, noting that on a plug-in charger there will be stray AC leakage on the iron tip that may damage some delicate components. With a power bank you have a portable soldering station that can be used anywhere.
Here are some other tools you may wish to add to your collection.
The very handy 8-in-1 precision screwdriver:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=8+in+1+precision+screwdriver&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $2
Jewellers pliers. Choose the flat narrow end type with serrated tips:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=jewellers+pliers&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $3.50 to $5
For a meter you can start with a cheap one and upgrade as you get to appreciate specific features.
Watch out for sellers showing a picture of a meter, but just selling the leads!
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=multimeter&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $5 for a basic meter suitable for bench stuff, but NOT suitable for mains/industrial electrical work. Most of these dinky meters are fairly accurate and a very good first-meter.
For those of you in the UK, consider a meter from CPC as it will have extra safety features for the UK market.
Remember the most important things about soldering. The iron tip should be clean and shiny and you mustn't carry solder to the component on the iron tip. It has to be melted fresh into the solder joint so that the flux can do its job before boiling off.
Then it's all down to just getting a feel for it.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
One thing that puts people off is the indecision of which tools to get and how much to spend on them. In reality you can start with just a basic soldering iron, a roll of standard solder, a pair of side cutters to trim leads and something to solder together. You can get all those things for less than $15.
Once you've got into soldering you can then expand your tool kit as needed, possibly with a higher power soldering iron and some other basic tools like a basic meter.
There's a lot of tool snobbery on YouTube, with people implying that you need to buy premium expensive tools. But in reality, basic tools are fine. You can evolve to more specialist meters and tools as you get a feel for your chosen electronic direction.
Here are some search links to find the tools I used. They are eBay searches starting at the lowest priced first, so avoid the suspiciously low cost and feedback sellers and scroll through to the ones with high levels of feedback.
The side cutters. I use these routinely:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=side+cutters&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price roughly $3.50
The surprisingly usable USB soldering iron:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=usb+soldering+iron&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $7 inclusive
Generic shady eBay solder. You may be better sourcing this locally or getting a few yards/metres from a friend. You're looking for a 60/40 or 63/37 tin/lead alloy with flux. 0.8mm is a reasonable diameter.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=solder+50g+0.8mm&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $2.50 for 50g
A kit to build or possibly even destroy as part of your learning experience. (I destroyed my first kit.)
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=flashing+led+kit+suite&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price from $2.50 upwards
If you go for the USB soldering iron you'll need a beefy 2.1A output power bank or phone charger to run it, noting that on a plug-in charger there will be stray AC leakage on the iron tip that may damage some delicate components. With a power bank you have a portable soldering station that can be used anywhere.
Here are some other tools you may wish to add to your collection.
The very handy 8-in-1 precision screwdriver:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=8+in+1+precision+screwdriver&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $2
Jewellers pliers. Choose the flat narrow end type with serrated tips:-
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=jewellers+pliers&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $3.50 to $5
For a meter you can start with a cheap one and upgrade as you get to appreciate specific features.
Watch out for sellers showing a picture of a meter, but just selling the leads!
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=multimeter&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Target price around $5 for a basic meter suitable for bench stuff, but NOT suitable for mains/industrial electrical work. Most of these dinky meters are fairly accurate and a very good first-meter.
For those of you in the UK, consider a meter from CPC as it will have extra safety features for the UK market.
Remember the most important things about soldering. The iron tip should be clean and shiny and you mustn't carry solder to the component on the iron tip. It has to be melted fresh into the solder joint so that the flux can do its job before boiling off.
Then it's all down to just getting a feel for it.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
My friend Clive please help. I can’t get the solder iron heat to transfer to the wires when I’m trying to solder the two wires together. Am I using cheap solder, is my iron defective??? The iron by itself does melt the solder btw.
I luckily started soldering wheni was 13 so i won't have to worry about that.
I own half a dozen irons and I can't keep a single one of them tinned……. just incompetence I assume.
I had the opportunity to test out soldering, I breathed in the flux vapor. I had the smell in my nose for roughly two days. So your tipp to breathe out slowly while soldering is a huge help form me and I can´t understand why didnt came to this idee on my own. Thanks for the video, you reignited my interrest for elektroniks.
I use a uni-t ut55 which i bought a while ago for around 30bucks
Also im 11
That USB soldering iron would be fantastic to take "out in the field" when you don't have access to mains power and just need to do some basic soldering. As someone else mentioned, this kind of content lowers the barriers for those like myself to get their feet wet in soldering, without breaking the bank account.
Amazing video :). Finished my first-ever home soldering job.
Does anybody know why my soldering iron smokes so much when I put the solder on it?
Thank you great video
Pine64 has a pinepower desktop 120w charger with usb-C and usb-A on it that has a true 3-prong grounded power cord coming out the back. I tested it and it has continuity from metal usb shields in front all way to ground pin at the end of the cord. it is only corded power supply I've found that truly has grounded earth cable and usb shield is grounded. the other brands I checked (baseus did not have real ground to usb shields). for sensitive electronics soldering try out the pinepower desktop model 120W one.
thanks for pointing out that the standard 2-pin USB chargers don't have real earth ground – these class II USB chargers are a hit/miss if there will be issues with current leakage or not. sometimes the leakage is so bad in 2- pin usb chargers that it causes some electronic portable Irons to keep rebooting. they may be find for charging a phone battery but not as good for continuous power to heating soldering iron.
thanks for showing me this, i've looked at many tutorials already but none of the ones i found were any good. i guess i just like to listen to you, and it helps me that you go into detail a lot. thanks!
It's probably just crap! That was wonderful. I would subscribe again if I could. Thank you very much sir for all the information. I am just starting out on my journey and I need all the help I can get!
I wanted to say thanks. I just finished my first soldering job! I couldn't have done it without the tips you give out in your videos.
So I actually bought a set and practiced for the first time on one of those “suites” yesterday. It’s safe to say the joints were dreadful, alas, it worked as intended! I count that as a pretty strong start.