Soldering is one of the activities that have been in practice as an art form for many years now. It also adds a certain aesthetic appeal to surfaces by coating the gaps between them with a smooth metal layer.
In India, a range of soldering stations of varying prices is available. Good Soldering machines are priced anywhere between Rs. 3000 and Rs 45,000 depending on the type, quality, brand and function. Soldering can be a profitable and fun activity, but needs to be done with a certain degree of precaution to ensure that it is performed safely.
Here are some useful steps which help individuals to use a soldering station properly and safely:
- Have a base work place so that any soldering drip falls there without risk of injury
- Solder system can be either electric or run on butane. Before beginning, it is important to warm the soldering iron in the correct manner. With electric solders, warming them in their stand is sufficient. On the other hand, butane-run solders the gas needs to be filled by holding the solder with the nozzle pointed upwards until full.
- Using a frame to ensure that the items you are soldering are secured in position is a good idea to ensure accuracy and avoid accidents. This also ensures fewer chances of bumps in the solder.
- Regular cleaning of the soldering machine is important. The iron of the solder machine gets hot very quickly leading to a possibility of quick rusting. Brushing it with a wet sponge regularly keeps the tip from rusting, leaving room for a smooth soldering activity.
- Since soldering iron oxidises so quickly, it might be a good idea to invest in something called the flux. The flux is designed to keep the iron from oxidizing. Flux needs to be melted at a lower temperature than the solder to keep the iron from oxidizing.
- Tinning is another important thing to keep in mind while soldering. Tinning or the creation of a thin layer on the solder iron’s tip needs to be repeated throughout the soldering process to give the solder a supporting basis from which it can flow.
- Once these steps have been performed, the actual soldering begins. The soldering iron should be held like a pen while soldering.
- Before feeding the solder, it is important to ensure that both the tip of the solder and the joint for soldering are of the same temperature. Once the temperatures are the same, the solder can be fed to the joint.
- Before letting the soldered joint cool, it is important to ensure that it remains stationary so that the solder is not disturbed r distorted.
- If the end result is not smooth and shiny, then the soldering process needs to be restarted until the perfect coating is achieved.
- Finally, before completing the soldering process, clean the tip of the soldering machine with a flux.