I've had several soldering irons over my life time. I was never very good at it. Always something I didn't have or had the wrong kind. I could never weld, although I was several times given the task of hiring welders, especially aluminum welders for a certain plant. I arranged for a company who did lots of aluminum welderinng to test welders for me. I was most always a paper shuffle. I've always been that way in my personal live. I couldn't do anything so had to hire it done.
Bill, by the number of messages and likes tagged to your name you are getting a host of things done right.
I have done soldering, although I haven't had a reason to lately. Back when I was building computers and repairing my own computers, I sometimes had the need to solder something. I don't remember it being particularly hard to pick up. But then, I've never soldered anything for an employer or customer, so I don't know how good it was, but it worked for me.
Rosin core, acid core, solid with flux, silver solder, etc. Mostly 60/40, some 70/30 using a Weller dual watt gun and I still have three of different wattages. I sold off all the soldering irons I inherited (over 20) after I burned my arm on a 150-watt big tip.
@Faye Fox Reminds me of an experience under-car on jackstands, gas welding exhaust pipe, easily disoriented holding a too-large torch in one hand and coat-hanger in the other, "swiked" that incredibly hot blue flame across my forearm! It was quick, at least, didn't burn through muscle, but never happened a second time! Frank
I used to buy Electronic Test Instruments in kit form, (Oscilloscopes, Signal Generators, etc.), and assemble them, using my Soldering Iron as a Surgeon would use his Scalpel. Hal
I worked for a company that installed and monitored security & access control systems in office buildings in DC. Every suite and every door in the entire building got a sensor. Every plate that a control key was mounted on got a tamper switch. And they were all solder joints...at least 2 per sensor. I found out how much the company was paying a contractor, offered them a discount, and would sit at home during the evenings and solder my a$$ off. I set up a Workmate, clamped my Weller in it, and held the trigger down with a tie-wrap so I could hold the equipment in one hand and the spool of solder in the other. I got no idea how many of those thing I did. Cash on the barrel head, baby!
I worked in the defense industry for a number of years as a quality engineer. One company set me to school at Fort Monmouth to learn High reliability soldering which is required when your building military equipment. This not only covered hand soldering but also flow soldering, and the specs (specifications) that govern acceptable solder connection. Soldering is easy for the general public and even for commercial equipment but 4 the military these connections Must Pass qualification test which means to have to hold under very difficult condition sometimes.
The main goal of military quality solder joints was solid contact. The joints had to have a solid electrical contact before soldering. Connecting two wires required twisting together. Terminal strips had to have 2-3 tight wraps of a correcting wire before soldering and they had to have a very shiny result indicating that the solder was heated enough to flow in and around the wire and not a cold joint just on top. The advent of the circuit board required accomplishing this same standard of soldering but without heating the copper clad boards so much you lifted the circuit print or destroyed sensitive diodes or transistors and later chips. Temperature-controlled irons and higher tin smaller gauge solder came into play.
I use a soldering iron on a daily bases. While I am sitting by the computer also working on different projects. Here is the box that sits by my computer table with electric drill, hot glue gun, dremel tool,soldering gun also a soldering iron. .
Thanks for that. I did a cursory look to see what standards there might be for MIL Spec soldering but couldn't find anything detailed. It makes sense that you want your connection/joint to have physical attachment integrity, and not rely on the solder to hold the two components together. I wouldn't ever consider using a solder joint as a connector.
My first soldering project was when I was about 12 years old I built an EICO VTVM (vacuum tube voltmeter) kit. In HS built radio & tv. Later went to work for Lambda soldered Power Supplies then worked for Harman Kardon hand-wired the citation l & ll amplifier, preamplifier, & tuner. This was the start of my career in electronic.