Soldering Equipment Essentials to Solder Like a Pro

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Soldering is used in the electronics industry to fuse types of metals together with melted solder, which is a tin and lead alloy. During the process, the solder is melted with a hot iron, applied in small areas, then left to cool. This creates an electrical bond. 

To do the job right, one must have the right tools and materials on hand. In this article, we’ve put together a list of commonly used tools for electrical soldering projects. 

Solder

This is an essential material. When melted, it can be applied and manipulated into a position to join together two other materials. 

Soldering Iron

There are many soldering irons available on the market. Choose the one best situated for your project and consider the shape of the tips, maximum heat and wattage. A fine-point tip is more appropriate for precision and detail work. 

Soldering Wick

Mistakes happen. In the soldering world, this is your eraser. When heated, the soldering wick allows you to make corrections and adjustments to the areas already soldered. 

Helping Hands Tool

Just about every project can use a pair of extra hands. These helping hands tools are great to have on hand for precision projects like micro-electronic soldering. The spring-loaded clips securely hold wires in place, so you can concentrate on the precise solder positioning. 

Magnifying Glass or Magnifier

For microelectronics and other super precise and small-scale projects, a magnifier is a must and a big help when working. Excel Blades offers a solution with fully positionable clips and a large round magnifying glass that can also be positioned and adjusted just right.  

Magnavisor

Another nifty and very helpful tool is a wearable magnifier. Wear throughout the project so you can always see at the magnification necessary for the project at hand. Excel’s Deluxe Magnavisor features an adjustable headband and a mounted magnifier: 1.8x, 2.3x, 3.7x and 4.8x. 

Tweezers

Pick up tiny parts with ease. Stainless steel tweezers come in several tip shapes and it’s good to have a few on hand depending on what the project may call for. Self-closing tweezers are great as a helping hand when working on complex projects. 

Wire Cutters and Pliers

For cutting, bending and shaping, wire cutters and a pair of pliers are one of those multi-industry, multi-purpose tools that are always good to have around. 

Soldering How-to Books and Manuals

To learn and perfect the hobby, check out the local library or a bookseller for books on how to solder. Or take a class!