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Intro to Soldering

PCC Maker Lab

Updated: April 2025

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Overview:

This guide will cover the following topics:

Safety practices
Soldering benchtop space and tools
How to solder: Soldering 101
Your first soldering project: Blink LED Soldering Kit

Soldering involves working with high temperature tools and materials: please be sure to observe all safety precautions

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Introduction: Welcome to your Benchtop!

Every benchtop desk has a checklist with set-up and clean-up activities

!! Please review checklist before proceeding !!

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Please wear your PPE

Please always wear safety glasses while working on the benchtop space in the electronics room
Can’t find a pair of safety glasses? Ask a lab tech for assistance!

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Soldering Tools

solder wand

vent/fan

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Set-up: Vent/Fan

vent/fan

solder wand switch

vent/fan switch

Step 1: locate the switches on the back of the vent/fan unit and flip them ON

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Set-up: Solder Wand

solder wand

sponge

brass wool

wand

solder wire

Step 2: wet the solder sponge

!! Solder wand is hot !!

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Set-up: Solder Wand

After the solder wand is switched ON, follow these steps:

Step 3: clean the solder off the wand tip by dipping the tip of the solder iron into the brass wool
Step 4: clean the excess solder off with the damp sponge

tinned tip

dip the solder tip into the brass wool, clean with damp sponge

clean tip

!! Solder wand is hot !!

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Soldering 101

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Orientation

Soldering is the process by which we create a soldered (molten metal) joint to hold electrical components in place on a breadboard
Each component is soldered onto the board from below so the breadboard will be upside down during this process

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Soldering Joints

Good solder joints:

Shiny
Cover entire pad
Shaped like a Hershey’s kiss

Too little solder:

Too little solder applied; parts of pad may be showing
Solder wand may not be hot enough

Too much solder:

Blobby
Uneven
“Spilling over” into other pads

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Soldering Project: Blink LED Soldering Kit

What you’ll need:

Blink LED Soldering Kit
Solder wand
Vent/fan

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Introduction: What’s in the Blink LED Kit?

Step 5: take inventory -

Breadboard
Li-ion battery
Screwdriver
Battery clamp
Nut & bolt
3 resistors
3 switches
3 LEDs

breadboard

li-ion battery

3 switches

3 LEDs

3 resistors

screwdriver

battery clamp

nut & bolt

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Theory: Blink LED Circuit Diagram

Battery: 3V
Three 200Ω resistors in parallel
Three LED lights in series with resistors
Three switches in series with resistors and LED lights

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Soldering: Resistors

Step 1: thread the resistors through the pads indicated by “R1”, “R2”, and “R3” on the breadboard

Step 2: solder each pad

quick tip!!

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Soldering: LED Light Bulbs

Step 3: find the +/- leads on each LED component (see the graphic for more information on proper orientation)
Step 4: thread the resistors through the pads indicated by “L1”, “L2”, “L3”, on the breadboard
Step 5: solder each pad

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Soldering: Switches

Step 6: snap the switches into place on the pads indicated by “S1”, “S2”, and “S3” on the breadboard

Step 7: solder each pad

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Soldering: Battery Clamp

Step 8: place the battery clamp onto the breadboard, thread the leads through the pads
Step 9: solder each pad
Step 10: once the breadboard has cooled, place the battery into the clamp and screw the nut and screw into the breadboard to hold the battery in place.