Recommended Tools for Soldering and De-Soldering

Soldering is an essential skill when working with electronics. But, it is important to use the right tools so that your circuit will work reliably.
(A properly designed and soldered circuit can last for decades).

I understand that investing in tools can get expensive.
So, I’ve assembled a list of items that are reasonably priced for students and hobbyists, while still being reliable.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

“Bare-Minimum” Tools

		Soldering Iron – Click to order from Amazon You will want a pencil style soldering iron with a power rating of at least 25 watts. Never use a soldering gun on circuit boards! I recommend a soldering iron station that allows you to adjust the temperature. Your soldering iron tip should be a point or a very thin screwdriver tip. I recommend the YIHUA 928D soldering iron shown here. Notes: Never rest your iron on a table. Always use holder or bracket designed for soldering irons. I recommend using the brass sponge (as opposed to a wet sponge) to clean the tip of your iron. This kit comes with lead free rosin core solder. It can be used for electronics projects but it requires a slightly higher temperature than leaded rosin core solder.
		No Clean Leaded Solder – Click to order from Amazon I recommend using leaded rosin core solder. It is usually a combination of tin and lead (often 60/40 or 63/37). Leaded solder has a lower melting point which is useful for beginners. Rosin is a substance that helps clean the soldered connections and helps the melted solder to flow more easily. ‘No-clean’ rosin flux minimizes residue and does not need to be removed from the circuit board after soldering. Note: Always wash your hands with soap and water after working with 60/40 solder.
		Holder Option 1: Four Hands, Basic Set, Helping Hands – Click to order from Amazon Never use your hands to hold a circuit board or parts while you solder. The burn risk is just too high! When using this tool, you can use two “hands” to hold the circuit board, and the other two “hands” to hold parts in place. Note: Some FutureVision Research kits, such as “The Randomizer” come with clothes pins, which serve as the circuit board holder for small projects. Therefore no separate helping hands or circuit board holders are needed. Check kit description for details.
		Holder Option 2: Circuit Board Holder – Click to order from Amazon This tool holds the circuit board for you. You can insert your parts and then rotate to the other side to solder your connections. However, it does not provide a way to hold parts while you solder them.
		Holder Option 3: All Metal Helping Hands – Click to order from Amazon These all metal helping hands are your best choice for splicing wires or soldering connectors. These hands lock in place and don’t “spring back” after you position them (as with the four hands set above). The magnifying glass is useful for inspecting solder connections. If you use these to hold circuit boards, be sure to put masking or electrician’s tape between the board and the alligator clips so the board isn’t scratched.
		Wire cutters – Click to order from Amazon You’ll need diagonal wire cutters to trim the leads of your parts once they are soldered. I recommend flush cutters such as the ones shown on the left.
		Long-Nose / Flat Nose Pliers – Click to order from Amazon Pliers such as these are useful for forming parts and during the de-soldering process. I recommend long-nose / flat-nose pliers with serrated jaws such as the ones shown on the left.

Additional Useful Tools

		Fume Extractor – Click to order from Amazon This fume extractor removes solder smoke so you don’t breath it into your lungs. This device is a must if you plan to do a good amount of soldering.
		Liquid Flux – Click to order from Amazon Liquid flux helps ensure clean solder connections. It is particularly useful when soldering two wires together or when soldering connectors.
		Brass sponge – Click to order from Amazon When it comes to keeping the tip of your iron clean, a brass sponge, such as the one shown on the left, is a better alternative to the wet sponge. Brass sponges do a better job of removing material and they don’t cause dramatic temperature drops like wet sponges do.
		Tip tinner – Click to order from Amazon Tip tinner helps remove baked on residue from your tip and it helps prevent oxidation from accumulating.
		De-Soldering Option 1: De-Soldering pump – Click to order from Amazon De-soldering pumps are used to “vacuum” molten solder. They come in handy for removing excess solder from a connection or for removing a soldered part from a circuit board. The de-soldering pump I recommend has a larger plunger for a stronger “vacuum” effect. I find that this pump is more effective than de-soldering wick.
		De-Soldering Option 2: De-Soldering wick – Click to order from Amazon De-soldering wick (also known as de-soldering braid) is another method for removing solder from circuit boards.
		Heat Gun – Click to order from Amazon This heat gun provides a stream of hot air that is perfect for heat shrink tubing. Proper solder connections on connectors and wire splices should be covered in heat shrink tubing.
		Soldering Mat – Click to order from Amazon This heat resistant 13.8″ x 9.8″ silicone mat helps project your work surface from burns, scratches, and moisture. It also has built in trays to hold small parts. Using a soldering mat isn’t mandatory, but it is handy!