2 - Soldering methods, solder joint design

Hand soldering requires two main things: a soldering iron and solder. Soldering irons are the heat sources used to melt solder nearby the components. Irons of the 15W to 60W range are good for most electronics/printed circuit board work. Anything higher in wattage and you risk damaging either the component or the board.

A temperature controlled soldering iron includes an elongated heater assembly with a hollow soldering tip at one end, containing a heating element and a temperature sensing element, which is responsive to the temperature of the tip.

The tip should be small enough so that the joint being soldered can be easily seen, but large enough to quickly transfer the heat required to raise the joint temperature to the solder melting point.

The hand soldering is discussed in details in Section 7.