Just don't order any of the TTONE kits off Amazon (yet). They're super tempting because of the cost (under $25 for most), but they don't always come with instructions or a schematic so they're useless to a beginner and only slightly less useless to a novice. BYOC is cool and they're having a deal where you buy any pedal and get the confidence booster for free. Mind you the confidence booster does not come with a pedal case, but those can be found cheap anywhere.
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14 year-old stepson wants to learn soldering
- Thread starter Davey28
- Start date
Some useful Seymour Duncan links if he wants to learn to solder guitar/bass stuff:
How To Solder
Guitar Wiring Diploma Course
How To Solder
Guitar Wiring Diploma Course
- Jul 7, 2010
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- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
I know he is young but if he really enjoys doing those kits and such there is a school that certifies you. When he is older in a couple of yrs.
http://www.eptac.com
Invalid Link Removed
Just an FYI
http://www.eptac.com
Invalid Link Removed
Just an FYI
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Don't use one of those "gun" type soldering irons. Buy a GOOD "pencil" type soldering iron. It should be 35 to 40 watts if not temperature controlled. With a temperature controlled iron about 50 or 60 watts would be nice. Bigger connections (terminals) need higher wattage due to heat absorption. Too much heat will cause the traces on a circuit board to come unglued and lift off the board, then you need to repair the circuit board. Cheap tools do a lousy job and are frustrating . Good tools pay for themselves over time in the money you save repairing and making things. Junky tools make everything harder, are a waste of money, will discourage him and he'll likely get frustrated and quit. Use only ROSIN core solder made for electronics NOT ACID core or solid solder. Acid core solder is for plumbing, the acid can eat away connections . Tips need to be kept clean. Soldering is really fussy about things being clean. Buy a soldering iron with iron clad tips. Iron clad tips do not corrode like cheap tips. Corrosion makes the solder resist the surface and ball up . Also too little heat to the connection will cause solder to ball up. Heat the connection FIRST then apply the solder. A little solder on the tip while heating helps transfer the heat to the connection then apply enough solder to complete the job. If it balls up the connection is not hot enough. Keep tips clean by heating up the tip and wiping on a damp sponge then do the soldering . When done apply solder to the tip and let cool and solidify on the tip to help protect the tip from corrosion while in storage. Buy some de-soldering braid to undo or clean up connections . Just apply the de-soldering braid to the connection, place the soldering tip on top of the braid and heat it up . Try to make lots of contact with the braid and soldering iron tip. When it gets hot enough it will soak up the solder like a sponge . Copper based de-soldering braid has worked best for me . There are other de-soldering braids that are silver coloured rather than copper coloured that did not work well for me. If the braid is not soaking up the solder then you are not getting it hot enough. If the soldering iron is too low in wattage it may not be able to heat the braid enough. If the store is selling really old de-soldering braid it may not work properly. When you are done soaking up the solder from the connection the solder will be hardened in the copper braid . Just cut off the solder soaked copper braid with wire cutters or scissors to use the remaining clean braid for the next job.
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This is lovely! My father was an EE and he taught me how to solder and then gave me a Heathkit AM/FM receiver kit to assemble and gave me a deadline (3 months) to finish it ... and finish it well. And then he stepped away.
I got it done, and it worked great, and I learned so much about him, myself and how to think and work. I still regard those times and lessons with great fondness and gratitude. Powerful learning that informs my life even today. Good luck.
I got it done, and it worked great, and I learned so much about him, myself and how to think and work. I still regard those times and lessons with great fondness and gratitude. Powerful learning that informs my life even today. Good luck.
Agree with:
Spend a little extra on a temp-controlled station. `Cause son, there ain't nothin' more expensive than a cheap tool.
Additional thoughts:
Get a solder-sucker, $3 well spent that is like an eraser for mistakes.
Have him wear jeans or have a towel (or something) in his lap when just starting out. I have a nice scar from a drop of solder from when I was 12 or so.
Spend a little extra on a temp-controlled station. `Cause son, there ain't nothin' more expensive than a cheap tool.
Additional thoughts:
Get a solder-sucker, $3 well spent that is like an eraser for mistakes.
Have him wear jeans or have a towel (or something) in his lap when just starting out. I have a nice scar from a drop of solder from when I was 12 or so.
Initially, keep him well away from any sort of amperage 
But, he'll have himself a nice little business in no time if he focuses on making patch cables and guitar / bass / instrument / mic leads etc.. This may very well become a lucrative little hobby and will help him to hone his skills, in relative safety, at the same time.
But, he'll have himself a nice little business in no time if he focuses on making patch cables and guitar / bass / instrument / mic leads etc.. This may very well become a lucrative little hobby and will help him to hone his skills, in relative safety, at the same time.
Buy A spool of premium cable, and a bunch of nice ends, and Have him build you a bunch of cables.
When I think of the many hundreds of hours of soldering work I've done building and repairing all manner of music-related electronics over the decades, I really should have taken this advice and gotten a decent soldering station. Somehow, I've just managed to get it all done with the cheap RS soldering irons. I think I'm only on the second one, though I've gone thru dozens of tips, I'm sure.
Otto
Check with these guys and see if there's an electronics enthusiast club in your area. I know there's a hobbyist group in Ann Arbor. Or maybe somebody at the shop would be willing to tutor your kid?
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Fantastic, it's always great when kids become interested in learning something on their own.
I will echo the many comments above about getting a good rig from the start. I would not go with anything under 40W. After struggling through many frustrating hours with POS irons from RadioShack, I finally went out and got myself a decent Weller iron that actually gets hot enough to melt the solder. The time and money spent on the cheaper irons was wasted. If he's just learning it would be better to spend a little more up front to avoid frustration.
I will echo the many comments above about getting a good rig from the start. I would not go with anything under 40W. After struggling through many frustrating hours with POS irons from RadioShack, I finally went out and got myself a decent Weller iron that actually gets hot enough to melt the solder. The time and money spent on the cheaper irons was wasted. If he's just learning it would be better to spend a little more up front to avoid frustration.
I would think there are tons of videos on YouTube about it, some are even musical instrument related. I myself learned about it from my Dad, as he was both an electronics engineer (he designed circuitry and systems for Vertol-Boeing during the 60's and 70's) and hobbyist as well.
Read up on safety before you start. At minimum things like not leaning directly over the work, always wearing appropriate clothing and using a fan to blow any gasses produced in the process away from where he's breathing.
Get a good Weller brand fixed temp iron, a roll of proper solder with the flux in the core and have hm practice on some broken circuit boards. Learn to tin wires one handed will show people he knows what he's doing, and also learn to clean the connections with isopropyl alcohol and pipe cleaners. These are good skills for anyone.
Alkali Ike
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Start off with rosin-core leaded solder. It flows much more cleanly than the ROHS lead-free stuff. Radio Shack 6400013 62/36/2 is very easy to work with.
I was hoping someone would bring up ventilation.
I was interested in electronics growing up and my parents built a work bench where I could safely work on and solder things with the express rule that it would be the only place I was allowed to use that equipment. They also made sure that there was safety glasses, ventilation and a fire extinguisher at that bench. I still managed to get into trouble, but that was because I had a bad habit of fixing things that weren't broken. At least they weren't at first. I'm pretty sure I still owe my mom a TV! All these years later I still love to mess around and create stuff. My daughter gave me a shirt for my birthday years ago:
Yeah, I'm 20 and we never had that stuff in my schools. Good that he wants to learn a skill like that! Too many people now can't fix or work on things on their own. They have to call a repairman to install a lightswitch
Give him a high five for me, a fellow DIYer
We have a vocational school that also doubled as the high school for kids that had been expelled from everywhere else. I at least got some decent education in that class, but it sucked as an adult to have these jackasses asking if we were going to learn how to build a bomb and other such nonsense.
My dad taught me how to solder at a young age. Really grateful for it. Great skill to have. Kids today are taught to buy stuff not build it so props to you for wanting to help teach him how to make stuff with his hands.
