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14 year-old stepson wants to learn soldering

#41
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Cool buy a book, watch videos on the Internet, get good tools. Radio shack makes a nice iron, really nice is weller. The red one is what I learned on but the blue one produces much better results in a less frustrating way

Flux is most definitely needed for good work, except in a few minor instances using rosin core or eutectic solder.

Lots of cool robotics stuff around but for learning to solder the cheapest way to build confidence for him will be a board with terminal strips screwed to it. He can solder all sorts of crap on there and practice.
 
#42
This is the radio shack Iron I'm talking about. The one I have is the old style enclosure but same idea. They sell a bunch of piece of craps too. Digital is huge.
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This is the weller I use regularly. He could go on to be an electronics tech for a living and He'd literally never need another soldering iron, unless he broke this. Not vouching for the seller just the product.
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#47
Jammin Johneboy said:
Don't use one of those "gun" type soldering irons. Buy a GOOD "pencil" type soldering iron.
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Wow, I just had flashbacks to my childhood. I learned with an old school weller gun and it was really tough to work with. But in retrospect, the built-in light is pretty spiff and I wonder why they don't put that on pencil irons!

It's easy but takes some practice to understand how the heat flows. My 4c
  • buy good quality multicore solder--I like it pretty thin
  • Don't breathe the flux fumes, they're ... bad
 
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#48
Lots of excellent advice, two things I haven't seen yet in the replies :
1.) Set up a workplace carefully- flammables, elbow room, lighting.Make sure the iron will not move from its rest too easily. A way to know , with a light, that the iron has AC and is hot i.e. power strip with switch and indicator light. Keep the iron turned off when not in use - helps save the tip. Circuit board holder of some sort makes life a lot easier.
2.) Does he read ? "Art of Electronics" Horowitz and Hill . Not much math but explains virtually everything you need to know . 2nd edition is 20+ years old but still very useful, and $35 instead of $80 (3rd ed.) .
 
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#49
Davey28 said:
No shop or votech! That would have been ideal.
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That's a sign of the times, sadly. #1 problem in the world is boredom. Kids not only need but WANT to be
taught real-world skills, and then they stay busy and happy - and not bored. All kids should have that opportunity. Sorry for the Rant!

For me, it was Heathkits and Radio Shack baby! ( yes, they had electronics back then :)
 
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#52
So in my early experimental years, I lived in a small bungalo near Chicago and my
bedroom was a notty-pine dormer. What's a BAD thing to do in such an environment
with absolutely no electronics skills whatsoever?

Start poking around a thrown-out console stereo with a screwdriver and the 110V power on!
Fortunately only sparks, no fire. I was lucky. And very, very dumb at the time.

Great thread - lot's of good advice here.
 
#54
This may have already been covered but I figured I should add it just in case:

Most common solder is made with lead, not sure how much exactly but personally I don't want to be inhaling lead fumes or having them on my skin. If you solder in a well ventilated area and are a bit cautious it probably isn't a big deal at all. But they do make lead free solder, I tried some out and it seems to work just as good. Probably still not good to breathe it in but as I don't have a ventilated workshop I feel better not using lead even with a fan blowing fumes away from me.

Anyways you should be proud and hope your stepson keeps at it! I wish I had got into electronics when I was younger, it is never to late but by the time he is 20 he could have a very interesting and lucrative job building/ fixing and designing pedals and other electronics! Not to mention if he ever gets into music he will have a great head start for the technical/ electrical side of things :thumbsup:

As has been said there are tons of great guides and kits online so if he doesn't have anything specific in mind get him a simple pedal to start with or something.

An electric cigar box guitar or something could be a great project for once he has a bit of experience and wants to try out a bigger project.
 
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#55
Use eutectic solder, 37 63. The Flux is the rosin in the solder. You won't be breathing lead, but the heated rosin gives off halogenated fumes. Use a fume extractor ( basically a fan that sucks the fumes through a carbon filter). Wash hands after, you won't breath lead but you will get it on your hands. Don't use solder as a mechanical bond. Wrap or bend wires to secure, than solder for conductivity. Clean joints last forever. Joints that dont use flux look good and last for a while, but can cause cold solder joints over time.
 
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#57
No votech schools up north? Here in the south, they're everywhere. There are three in the county I live in and kids can start at 14. Could be why so many manufacturing jobs are coming to this area... And I wish I could solder better than I do but my dad was a welding guy!
 
#58
I didn't read the whole thread, but something to look into is a DIY synth or drum machine project. Only requires basic soldering knowledge and they give you the Pcb and the other parts.

Look at the Nebulophone and Bleep Drum DIY kits for starters.
 
#59
A good quality iron (30W to 60W, variable temp and regulated temp helpful but not required).
A solder sponge or wire wool pad to keep the tip clean.
Good rosin-core 60/40 or 63/37 solder by a reputable company (Kester or Multi-Core).
Some wire and some terminal strips to practice on.
Some YouTube videos.
Lots and lots (and lots and lots) of practice.
All of the above will make for a less frustrating experience.
It's really not hard once you get the hang of it, but it is critical to learn correctly to begin with.

oldNewbie said:
"Art of Electronics" Horowitz and Hill . Not much math but explains virtually everything you need to know . 2nd edition is 20+ years old but still very useful, and $35 instead of $80 (3rd ed.) .
Click to expand...
Perhaps a little overkill for someone just starting out, but one of the best college texts on the subject of electronics ever written. Ever! Really.
Something a little more approachable to start with might be any of the armed forces technical manuals on electronics. The department of the navy published Basic Electronics, by Dover, which is pretty simple and complete. Also seek out Electronic Techniques: Shop Practices and Construction by Villanucci/Avtgis/Megow.

Others' suggestions to build some cables or a pedal kit are right on target. Cables, especially, are easy to make and easy to re-do as he gets the hang of it and makes some beginners' mistakes. And who doesn't need extra cables?!?

EDIT: I just looked up Electronic Techniques on Amazon.... $245! Yikes!!! Find an old, used copy for 25 bucks. Mine is 3rd edition - they're up to 7th. Hand soldering hasn't changed much since about 1965. I'm pretty sure an older edition will work just fine! ;)
 
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#60
Started out at the age of 8 helping my Dad build a Knight kit tachometer for my Dad's 1963 pickup.
Yes, fond memories of doing things like this with him. I still have it in my shed somewhere.
Yes, I know pictures. Well you'll have to wait awhile on that, it's buried kind of deep.
 

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