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Like the idea of secure, reliable, inexpensive and versatile soldering for the connections in your electronics projects? But getting frustrated with your soldering iron's inconsistent performance and tendency to melt insulation and damage components by the time it actually works? The problem isn't (just) you...a soldering station can make a novice competent, and a hobbyist very efficient at all kinds of small soldering tasks.

A soldering "station?" Sounds complicated--and expensive. But it's not. It's just a soldering iron with a built-in thermometer and a big external power supply to keep it at a constant, hot-but-not-too-hot temperature as it melts solder on demand. And now they're available for under $50. In contrast, a basic soldering iron uses a low constant power to build up a reserve of heat in a relatively bulky tip, which can start out too hot but rapidly lose temperature and effectiveness (but still eventually damage components as you struggle) if initial contact to the task at hand isn't perfect or the assembly is bigger than usual.


  1. 1
    Set up the soldering station. Clear and fire-proof the immediate work area, assemble the components, dampen the sponge, plug in the unit, and put on your safety glasses.
  2. 2
    Choose a tip. Most soldering stations have interchangeable tips (which are also replaceable, but by avoiding overheating, the station's temperature control minimizes corrosion). The tip should be broad enough to cover the width of the joint, but no wider to avoid heating the wrong thing. A small round tip will do well for general use. Assemble and secure it onto the iron (handheld assembly).
  3. 3
    Select a temperature. The temperature should be as high as needed to heat the work rapidly - within a second or so - to the point where it can melt additional solder onto itself, but not much hotter. Too cool, and still intense heat will have time to work itself up leads into delicate components; too hot, and, similarly, excess heat will work its way into components as your dexterity, rather than iron temperature, limits the speed at which you can remove the iron. 600 degrees F is a starting point for "surface mount" components that sit in little blobs of solder in circuit boards; 700 degrees for smallish components and thin wires; and 800 or so for largish components and lamp-cord-size wires.
  4. 4
    "Tin" the soldering tip. Before you start, and every several minutes afterward (especially as the soldering iron seems to become less effective), apply a small amount of fresh (and flux-cored, as usual) solder to the tip where it will contact the work, sufficient to coat the end with fresh, soft, silvery metal. Wipe off any excess that hangs down against the damp sponge in the iron rest. Before soldering each joint that doesn't have some solder on it already, apply just a little solder to the iron to provide a wider, squishy contact to dump heat into the joint. The purpose is not to add much of the solder from the iron to the work--a recipe for unreliable, unwetted "cold soldered" joints--but simply to efficiently heat the work by a sizable surface rather than a point so that it can accept solder well itself.
  5. 5
    Solder as usual. But better!

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      • To unsolder a joint or drip here and there, melt the solder with the soldering iron, then suck it up with a vacuum tool or absorb it with a copper desoldering braid. For extensive disassembly, special vacuum-suction "desoldering stations" are available.
      • A fine tip on a soldering station (or even a tiny regular soldering iron) can handle the occasional surface-mount circuit board job. Try melting solder blobs onto the board contacts, then remelting them to let the component leads settle in and "wet". But the proper tool is a "hot air rework station", which uses a tiny soldering-iron-like heat gun to melt solder paste into which the components are gently pressed beforehand. These are relatively costly and specialized.
      • Most of the usual principles of electronics soldering apply. For instance, arrange and hold components to be soldered carefully beforehand - a little adjustable jig called a "helping hands"...helps...handily, and protect sensitive components with little clip-on heatsinks between them and the joint.

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      • Most solder contains lead, which is toxic especially as it reacts and dissipates in the environment over time. Collect solder bearing scraps to throw away as hazardous waste.
      • Wear safety glasses to keep from poking your eyes out with a hot iron or burning them with molten lead.
      • Work in a well ventilated area to reduce inhalation of unhealthy fumes.

      About This Article

      20 votes - 75%
      Co-authors: 5
      Updated: March 29, 2019
      Views: 15,621
      Categories: Soldering and Brazing
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 15,621 times.

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