Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

Not quite the focus for this group, but it's an easy answer...

Your iron should be clean and tinned, meaning it should have some
solder on it already - not a big blob, but some.

The tip should be large enough to transfer heat quickly enough,
without overheating. Something about the same width as the copper pad
you're soldering to is about right.

Place the tip of the iron on one side of the pad so that it touches
both the copper pad and the wire lead. Touch the wire solder to the
OTHER side, so it does NOT touch the tip of the iron. When the pad
and wire get hot enough to melt the solder, melt in enough solder to
get an even fillet, then remove the solder wire and iron.

That technique gives you enough heat to do the job, without too much
heat or heating for too long.

Note: do not assume that solder is a substitute for a mechanical
joint. When soldering large wire-lead components, bend the leads over
to hold the part in place before soldering. When soldering wires
together, the splice in the wire should be strong enough to hold the
wires together ∗before∗ you solder them.