Recommend a Noob Soldering Kit

[Dogma]

I'll throw in my 1/50th of a dollar and I'm quite sure there are those that won't like it. Put some solder in an alligator clip with the other end of it clipped to the positive terminal of your battery. Clip another one to somewhere down the line in the piece you're trying to solder and clip that one to the negative side of the battery. Use it like an arc welder, touch the solder to what you want joined. It works, been doing it for years.

My 'gator clips might have more resistance than the solder's contact point. Tiny little wires. I still want to try it though...

[Gorminrider]

Yes that's cute tip. But I'd probably just use a western union wire slice or twist in a nice eye to any place I needed an emrg wiring. Maybe just wrapping the solder around a piece of wire would work where clips weren't available?

off the subject but..I met a guy haywire welding with car batteries 2x12+6 (30vdc) was his "perfect" combo he said. I never tried it but someday...

[JTGS850GL]

The one thing that nobody has addressed so far is your expected purpose/use of the soldering iron. If doing fine work on printed circuits you need a very different iron than if you're purpose is large diameter wire or areas that have a large mass like ground planes. Can you give us a basic idea of what you purpose is and were you intend to use it. I use a Metcal SP-200 for most of my interior work. Expensive but simply one of the best. For outside work and large wire I use a Butane driven soldering iron. Can be used anywhere since no electricity is required and generates enough heat to solder most anything large. You can pick them up at your local big box store like HD and Lowes. Here's the one I have from HD.

Bernzomatic Soldering Iron

As for solder, it's a no brainer. The best electronics solder is simply old school 60/40 rosin core. As for the size of the solder, again, that depends on it's purpose. Very fine pitch surface mount components or larger components. Thinner solder for fine pitch items and thicker for larger items.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Specifically relative to the bike, so that’s my main focus. PCBs would be a secondary use, if ever. Thank you for your input.

[JTGS850GL]

When I'm working on the bike it's usually for soldering wires so the butane unit I posted a link to world best for me. Easy to use, no electrical needs and heats well for larger diameter wires and mechanical connections.

[JTGS850GL]

You can pick up solder at a lot of locations but the ole tried and true is Radio Shack. For most work on a bike you should go for either the 0.05" or 0.062" as apposed to 0.032" or smaller.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

We used to have 2 RS stores w/in 20 minutes drive. No more. Now the closest is 1-1/2 hrs away! Used to love going in those stores. Didn't even know they were still in operation. On-line is easier shopping these days anyway.

[JTGS850GL]

The Radio Shack link I posted is to their online solder.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Got that. Thanks JT.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I bought the Benzomatic that JT linked above. I think the portability is a big plus. And at the price, if I’m disappointed with how it performs, I’m out less than $30 + butane. I didn’t play with it except to fill It up and turn it on.

Then I went on amazon and got 2 different sizes of 60/40 Rosin solder, a liquid flux pen, cheap set of heat sink clamps, and a nifty magnetic based twisty helping hand alligator clip thingy that I thought would come in handy.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and info. I’ll post questions as things come up.

[Shred Astaire]

I bought the Benzomatic that JT linked above. I think the portability is a big plus. And at the price, if I’m disappointed with how it performs, I’m out less than $30 + butane. I didn’t play with it except to fill It up and turn it on.

Then I went on amazon and got 2 different sizes of 60/40 Rosin solder, a liquid flux pen, cheap set of heat sink clamps, and a nifty magnetic based twisty helping hand alligator clip thingy that I thought would come in handy.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and info. I’ll post questions as things come up.

Great thread. I just viewed the review on youtube and if you take the tip off, you can use it as a heat gun to shrink your wire cover too!

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Yep. I’ve only just played with it once. But that feature was one of the selling points for me. But, after about 2 solid months of stripping, cleaning, painting, and rebuilding my bike during every waking minute that I wasn’t at work, my wife is insisting that I put my toys away and actually contribute to the upkeep of the house and family. I’m now in the middle of a bathroom renovation. So teaching myself how to solder wires will have to wait a bit. I’m kind of OK at soldering pipes, but glad I don’t have to anymore since the invention of Shark Bite fittings.

[JTGS850GL]

Great thread. I just viewed the review on youtube and if you take the tip off, you can use it as a heat gun to shrink your wire cover too!

You don't even need to remove the tip for that. There's a vent hole near the tip and works just fine for shrinking.