iFixit

Intermediate Guide

Next we will cover a moderately difficult soldering application. In our case, we will be soldering very thin and delicate leads to a circuit board with small solder pads.

Small electronic components, including wires, cannot dissipate heat as quickly as larger components. This makes them very susceptible to overheating. Make sure to heat the connection just long enough to melt the solder.

The leads were removed from the solder pads by heating the joint on the top side of the board, while pulling out the leads with a pair of tweezers.

It is common for solder to cover up some of the holes through solder pads on the board. Opening these holes greatly simplifies soldering.

Open the holes through the solder pads by pressing a straightened staple against the blockage while heating the same pad from the other side of the board.

A "third hand" tool (or a friend) can greatly help in this procedure.