Topic: Let's Write A Soldering Course

[wxtech]

This idea started in another topic.  No replies, so I'll put it here.  Our forum friends may not have soldering experience.  We should share our ideas and the known hazards.
Is anyone interested in helping write a free soldering course?  Writers needed.  Editors needed.  Photographers or Ferrets to find pictures for illustrating.
I started an outline.  I have soldering books for reference.
OUTLINE: 1-Definitions & terminology, 2-MSDS, 3-Prevention & treatment of burns, 4-Soldering tools, 5-Soldering alloys & fluxes, 6-The mechanical bond, 7-The electrical connection, 8-The soldering process, 8a-mechanical cleaning, 8b-flux application, 8c-heat application, 8d-alloy delivery,8e-post cleaning and inspection.  The Ten Commandments of Soldering.
The beginning outline/draft:   http://www.lexingtonwx.com/html/soldering.html  It may benefit some even before it is completed and moved to a more appropriate site.
Al

[belfryboy]

As an ESA (European Space Agency) accredited high reliability solderering technician I would be glad to offer any assistance that I can. I will try and find some resource links, but here is a good start

http://esmat.esa.int/ecss-q-st-70-08c.pdf

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-solder---through-hole-soldering

[Aardvark]

I learned to solder in college when I was bored and bought a Heathkit raidio.  I learned a lot in a short time about heat sinks, not good to roast the resistors,  more watts are not the answer, oh... and direct shorts to the case from dripping solder isn't good.
 

definitely soldering needs to be learned if one is going to have their own home weather station, you will need it one day.

[wxtech]

I'm working just past the outline point.  I write as I think about a topic.  You Editors out there, critique the work and offer advice.  Also I need more pictures for illustration.  Steer me toward pictures or send me your own pictures.  Send pics of products that you recommend.  Send pics of bad methods, bad products and why. 
Let me know if you wish to be quoted by real name or user name, or not.
http://www.lexingtonwx.com/html/soldering.html

[W3DRM]

Al, nice work, so far!

One thing I noticed is missing is the importance of safety while soldering and especially protecting our eyes. Any splash of solder onto the eye will result in major damage to the eye. I would highly suggest that proper eye-protection be one of your topics early in your document. You may want to add a new Section 1 entitled "Soldering Safety" as the first section of the manual. That will ensure that everyone is aware of the hazards of soldering BEFORE they begin reading and experimenting with it.

Here are a couple items that may be helpful in wording used in the manual:

• Section 1 - Definitions...
• "DIY used in this course is..." - should be, "DIY as used in this course is..."
• Section 5 - Soldering alloys...
• "Insure that you are getting a rosin flux..." - should be "Ensure that you are getting a rosin flux..."

[wxtech]

Al, nice work, so far!

One thing I noticed is missing is the importance of safety while soldering and especially protecting our eyes. Any splash of solder onto the eye will result in major damage to the eye. I would highly suggest that proper eye-protection be one of your topics early in your document. You may want to add a new Section 1 entitled "Soldering Safety" as the first section of the manual. That will ensure that everyone is aware of the hazards of soldering BEFORE they begin reading and experimenting with it.

Here are a couple items that may be helpful in wording used in the manual:

• Section 1 - Definitions...
• "DIY used in this course is..." - should be, "DIY as used in this course is..."
• Section 5 - Soldering alloys...
• "Insure that you are getting a rosin flux..." - should be "Ensure that you are getting a rosin flux..."

Thanks.  Safety is up front, first with MSDS & burns.  I don't want to put a safety section that people will skip over.  I'll add eye protection.  I've never heard of a tech getting solder in the eye.  Clipping wires from circuit boards cause wire debris to fly.
I have heard of techs getting fired when they tossed, flung hot solder from an iron to clean the tip.  That is just stupid and not accepted.

[Aardvark]

definitely a safety section.  Never touch the tip and don't walk away from a plugged in unit.   

I once had an electric glue gun. You won't find one in my house or me even walking by the display. For some reason I always got some of that glue on my fingers and it burned so awful. Fortunately we had a sink nearby and I could rush to the cold water.  I swore after the fifth time I burned myself, it was the last time I'd ever use one.   Bleah...

I do have a Weller WPS18MP High-Performance Soldering Iron  and I do like it. It heats quickly.  I got it for 28 from Amazon.

[W3DRM]

Al, nice work, so far!

One thing I noticed is missing is the importance of safety while soldering and especially protecting our eyes. Any splash of solder onto the eye will result in major damage to the eye. I would highly suggest that proper eye-protection be one of your topics early in your document. You may want to add a new Section 1 entitled "Soldering Safety" as the first section of the manual. That will ensure that everyone is aware of the hazards of soldering BEFORE they begin reading and experimenting with it.

Here are a couple items that may be helpful in wording used in the manual:

• Section 1 - Definitions...
• "DIY used in this course is..." - should be, "DIY as used in this course is..."
• Section 5 - Soldering alloys...
• "Insure that you are getting a rosin flux..." - should be "Ensure that you are getting a rosin flux..."

Thanks.  Safety is up front, first with MSDS & burns.  I don't want to put a safety section that people will skip over.  I'll add eye protection.  I've never heard of a tech getting solder in the eye.  Clipping wires from circuit boards cause wire debris to fly.
I have heard of techs getting fired when they tossed, flung hot solder from an iron to clean the tip.  That is just stupid and not accepted.

Back in my old USAF days, I had a SAGE computer technician who worked for me who was tinning some rather large -48V DC power lines. His iron slipped off the wire and the wire sprung upwards towards his face along with some of the molten solder on the wire. Fortunately the solder landed only on his cheek but it was enough that our safety officer ordered safety glasses for the entire crew to prevent future eye injuries. The resulting burn from that flung solder was pretty severe and I am sure he has carried that scar for the rest of his life. One can't be too careful around molten solder.

Your new version of the document has one typo - Section 1, first word is "Solderiing" should be, "Soldering".

[DaleReid]

Al,
A good effort that I hope won't turn into a herculean one for you.

Most people get insure and ensure mixed, so 'make sure you get' is a good alternative.

Eye protection is vital. I have seen too many close calls or had people come in with poor/no vision due to a hammering accident, splashed stuff that goes further than you might think, etc.  One ham with a complete loss of vision due to an exploding lead-acid battery.  Crap does happen and it is unforgiving.  The note about flying wire when one clips it off is especially good.  Not all builders will be wearing 'old fart' glasses which give protection even though we're not thinking of it when we use them.

SAGE computer?  There was one at Madison, WI if I remember correctly.  I haven't found out much about it and haven't thought of it in the last forty years or so. Were there a bunch of installations all over?

[wxtech]

There was a SAGE installation on a hilltop at Hamilton AFB, Ca. 
Thanks for your suggestions.  I added a gray fill to sections that I'm working on or have made changes in.  Now you can find recent changes and not have to read the entire page.  I'll leave the gray fills for a few days.
Everything is Herculean; I'm impatient and expect a project to be completed already - just when I start it.
I'm envious of the pretty pictures in the Sparkfun link that Belfryboy provided.
Al

[wxtech]

You are welcome to add sections/topics in your own words, re-write, and provide pictures.  This can be a Forum effort.  I can copy and paste what you provide.  My email address is in the soldering page.
Thanks for your help,
Al

[DaleReid]

I'm hoping to get the Efield project started and will see if I can't get some shots of soldering.  I hope that they all are good examples, not the scuzy ones you suggested, too.

[JohnN]

I didn't read the whole thing yet, but what I did read sounds good. In section 5.d, sponge is misspelled. "d. Wet cellulose sponge    Soldering stations almost always include a cellulose sponge in a water tight tray.  If your tools don’t have the spounge..."

Personally, when I am soldering, I will ONLY use lead based solder, and I use the thinnest solder I can find. It makes it so much easier.

[W3DRM]

I was a Electronics Tech (30553, if I can remember that far back) who worked on the Central Computer section of the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) computer system at Malmstrom AFB, Montana (1962-1966) and Stewart AFB, Newburgh, NY (1966-1969). It was a huge vacuum-tube based computer and took over 250KW just to run each computer (there were two of them at every site to provide 24/7 Air Defense Command air surveillance and control). They were also used by the FAA as ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) Centers in the 60's.

And yes, the SAGE computers were spread out across the northern States and Nevada (Reno) from the late 50's through the 60's and provided a computerized method of collecting raw radar data from the long range radar system used during the cold-war. It was an enormous undertaking by the USAF and essentially maintained 100% radar coverage of the northern portion of the North American continent during those years. We had both US and Canadian military staffs in resident at all sites across the country.

[wxtech]

People are worried now about drones flying without a pilot on board.  The F-106 Interceptor only needed a pilot to take off.  The SAGE ground computer could control the fighter to the target without a conscious pilot. 
There was the episode of the 'cornfield fighter' when the F-106 landed itself after the pilot ejected.  He thought the plane wasn't recoverable from a spin.  Thanks to your big computers.  Check my recollection with Google.

[DaleReid]

All this with vacuum tubes!

The young 'uns won't have a clue to the amazement we have over these accomplishements from years ago.

Look at the instrumentation ring in the Saturn V or the Titan's (used for nefarious purposes) to see how little of the 1960s era electronics it took to control those beasts.

I remember one story (perhaps apocryphal) about just after the DEW line went into service that scared the crap out of the radar monitor when first one, then more, then hundreds of incomings were detected.  All circuits functioning correctly, they were about to or did alert the commanders. 

Then they realized the moon was coming up.... (or so the story goes).
The ham's holy grail of EarthMoonEarth communication was being realized as the system's megawatt ERP was returning.  The computers were given a brief course in astronomy and how to predict moon rise.

Or so the story goes.  It is good myth if not true.

Finally, before someone complains about OT here, I lived about 90 miles north of Madison, WI where Truax Field was (now the regional airport Dane County).

F104s then F106s would come up and dogfight, really something to see for a country bumpkin seeing their contrails twisting and turning.  Never low level.  And the big thing was when dad would find someone to milk the cows so we could drive down on Civilian Day to get on base to see the heavy metal.  I actually got to walk through a Flying BoxCar.  For a kid still smelling like cows that was amazing.

During the height of the cold war, I vaguely recollect hearing my first sonic boom.  If I am not mistaken, all civilian air traffic was closed on one Sunday, and a massive air game was carried out.  We were watching the contrails again from a hay field when the unmistakable double clap of a sonic boom occurred.  We didn't know the physics of it, and it wasn't until years later that I learned it was supposed to sound like that.  I can't imagine today that the military would have the clout to shut down all commercial traffic and private planes for a few hours to have completely open airspace to exercise in.

[miraculon]

I found an interesting photo that shows just about every type of bad solder joint imaginable.



It is covered by the Creative Commons license, so if there is credit and attribution, I think it can be used if I read this correctly.

https://learn.adafruit.com/assets/1978
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


Since the main impetus for this effort is to build up Blitzortung kits (I believe), guidance on soldering SOIC-8 devices with a soldering iron might be worthwhile to include. I have found tack-soldering pins 8&4 to hold the part, then the rest works pretty well. (although I just bought myself a hot-air rework station that will try soon on the E-Field boards)

Also, some words about if a solder short/bridge occurs (maybe a photo of one?) not to panic. That is what the wick and Soldapullt (solder sucker) are for and that they should remove the solder bridge and re-touch the joint(s).

I like what I see so far, more pictures to aid the good/bad is the only thing I can think of that needs to be added. I'll keep an eye out for more.

Greg

[wxtech]

Thanks Greg.  I'll use the picture and give credit.  The only pictures I have are b/w in books. 
I was going to start surface mount components in the next phase after I finish what is already in progress. 
When I do surface mount chip resistors & capacitors, I tin one of the pads.  Then lay the chip on and heat that pad with pressure on the chip using tweezers. I have needle sharp tweezers and plastic tip tweezers for chip handling.
Wherever this course ends up; it can easily be updated or grown to include what the Forum desires. 
I corrected the soldering spelling in 5d.

[wxtech]

I need help with organizing.  Can't decide how to separate through-hole soldering technique and surface mount technique.  Somehow the different topics will have to be in items 7, 8, or 9.
If you recommend other topics, please add to the outline. 
Moving things around will require some rewriting.  Better to have it organized now and just fill in the blocks.
SOLDERING COURSE   
1.   Safety
2.   Definitions and Terminology
3.   Material Safety Data Sheet
4.   Prevention and Treatment of Burns
5.   Soldering Tools
        a.   Eye Protection
        b.   Soldering Iron
        c.   Soldering Iron Holder
        d.   Wet Cellulose Sponge
        e.   Heat Sink, Anti-wicking Tool
        f.   Static Strap
        g.   Cup or Glass of Cool Water
        h.   Solder Sucker
        i.   Soldering Aids
6.   Soldering Alloys and Fluxes
        a.   Lead Free Solder
        b.   Lead Alloy Solder
        c.   Solder Wick
        d.   Liquid Flux or Flux Pen
7.   The Mechanical Bond
8.   The Electrical Connection
9.   The Soldering Process
        a.   Mechanical Cleaning
        b.   Flux Application
        c.   Heat Application
        d.   Solder Alloy Delivery
        e.   Post Cleaning and Inspection
10.   The Ten Commandments for Soldering
11.   Solderable Materials

Thanks,  Al

[wxtech]

Thanks.  I'll link to this as a reference.  The student manual is a lot bigger than it was in 1977.  The training board is different; rightly so with the SOIC components.  It's a government document so it can't be copyrighted.  I may use some illustrations.

[W3DRM]

I need help with organizing.  Can't decide how to separate through-hole soldering technique and surface mount technique.  Somehow the different topics will have to be in items 7, 8, or 9.
If you recommend other topics, please add to the outline. 
Moving things around will require some rewriting.  Better to have it organized now and just fill in the blocks.
SOLDERING COURSE   
1.   Safety
2.   Definitions and Terminology
3.   Material Safety Data Sheet
4.   Prevention and Treatment of Burns
5.   Soldering Tools
        a.   Eye Protection
        b.   Soldering Iron
        c.   Soldering Iron Holder
        d.   Wet Cellulose Sponge
        e.   Heat Sink, Anti-wicking Tool
        f.   Static Strap
        g.   Cup or Glass of Cool Water
        h.   Solder Sucker
        i.   Soldering Aids
6.   Soldering Alloys and Fluxes
        a.   Lead Free Solder
        b.   Lead Alloy Solder
        c.   Solder Wick
        d.   Liquid Flux or Flux Pen
7.   The Mechanical Bond
8.   The Electrical Connection
9.   The Soldering Process
        a.   Mechanical Cleaning
        b.   Flux Application
        c.   Heat Application
        d.   Solder Alloy Delivery
        e.   Post Cleaning and Inspection
10.   The Ten Commandments for Soldering
11.   Solderable Materials

Thanks,  Al

Al, since there are major differences in how through-hole and SMD components are soldered I would suggest having a separate section for each of them. For example see below:

7.   Through-hole Soldering
   a. The Mechanical Bond
   b. The Electrical Connection
   c. The Soldering Process
      1). Mechanical Cleaning
      2). Flux Application
      3). Heat Application
      4). Solder Alloy Delivery
      5). Post Cleaning and Inspection
8.   SMD Soldering
   a. The Mechanical Bond
   b. The Electrical Connection
   c. The Soldering Process
      1). Mechanical Cleaning
      2). Flux Application
      3). Heat Application
      4). Solder Alloy Delivery
      5). Post Cleaning and Inspection

I used the same sequence of items in both types of soldering just to show an example of the outline. It would probably be modified to apply to each of the different types of soldering being discussed.

[W3DRM]

People are worried now about drones flying without a pilot on board.  The F-106 Interceptor only needed a pilot to take off.  The SAGE ground computer could control the fighter to the target without a conscious pilot. 
There was the episode of the 'cornfield fighter' when the F-106 landed itself after the pilot ejected.  He thought the plane wasn't recoverable from a spin.  Thanks to your big computers.  Check my recollection with Google.

Yep, you are correct. I remember that incident even though I was out of the service by that time. Here is a link to an article about the "cornfield bomber":

• http://www.f-106deltadart.com/580787cornfieldbomber.htm

[wxtech]

Trying the suggestions.  I'll renumber later.  I know that I'm not consistent with style of topics, caps, font, etc. 
Eliminated definitions to get all 3 safety topics together.

[W3DRM]

Trying the suggestions.  I'll renumber later.  I know that I'm not consistent with style of topics, caps, font, etc. 
Eliminated definitions to get all 3 safety topics together.

Looking good! We can worry about the layout details and formatting later. Also, I don't know what you are using to create the document but you can use Microsoft Word or similar products that will automatically do the section and paragraph numbering and formatting for you. Once the content is gathered and semi-finalized, it can be saved it to an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. That will make it easy for anyone to view either on-line or to download and view separately. If you need help with that, I can assist with the final layout and document creation.

NOTE: Using plain text or HTML to create documents can be challenging because the layout can look different depending the web browser being used by the viewer. Thus, using a PDF format as the output, levels the playing field for everyone.

[wxtech]

The grayed work areas have moved on. I hope you'll re-write my mistakes.  This soldering course is my opinion using references listed at the bottom of the soldering course page.
I'm using NetObjects 12 HTML Editor because its easier to format.  Changes are quicker because of the one button publish.  When its finalized, it can be served up in HTML and pdf.
Al