Teaching my sister to solder - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 10:38:36 pm
content: I'm not the beginner, but my little 10 year old sister is.. She's been wanting me to teach her to solder for a while, and well, I started last night.When I started soldering 13 years ago, I had no one to teach me, and found online guides hard to follow (before youtube). Now today, I can solder and desolder even SMD parts (I actually desoldered the BIOS chip from a Sony PSone slim, and installed it in the PSX fat (older PlayStation), and it worked).So last night, I started teaching her. So far we made some small stuff, like little wire necklaces out of extra wire I have, even braiding the wire and such, and soldering the ends together after tinning them. She's made two so far, and can't wait to show it off at school. She's soldering far better than I ever did when I first started soldering. Oh, and I had her solder a 32-pin DIP chip, and, it worked first try!I'm glad and happy I get to teach her something.

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 10:55:09 pm
content: Watch out... kids at that age learn quickly, and the teacher may find himself the student before long...I think it's great that you've taught her that. Does she have an interest in electronics, or is it just something "cool" she can do?

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 10:57:45 pm
content: She's starting to have an interest.. She's seem all the electronics stuff I did, and has fallen in love with even playing around with my oscilloscope and a microphone.Me and her plan to build together, a little home made guitar and microphone amplifier. It's a belated b-day present since I don't have a job, but we are going to build that.

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 10:59:41 pm
content: Good! That's exactly what we should be doing -- encouraging younger generations to get involved and start learning this stuff. Plus it sounds like a fun project for you and your sister to get involved in; it's great that you can share that.Here's hoping many others follow your example...

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 11:40:09 pm
content: Yep, I'm also excited that she loves this stuff..Right now I'm planning to have her help me repair my old bedroom TV's tester (an old Sencore color generator, as my bedroom TV isn't quite solid state, lol). She loves the old TV too, woodgrain finish, and the glowing tubes. The TV works, but the testing equipment doesn't.So she wants to help me fix it (it appears it just needs caps).

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 05:18:31 am
content: Inx, it is very nice what you are doing. Good sibling is a gift for life.Get her an electronic kit for Christmas (or whatever holiday your family celebrates).

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 05:40:24 am
content: What is rather neat. My younger brother and I do not share any interests.Odd question, how old are you?

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 06:01:33 am
content: We celebrate Christmas..I'm also 26 years old, she's 10.I really feel it's important for me to teach her these things. Btw, the TV pattern generator I mentioned planning us to fix earlier? Fixed!There's 4 new caps in that last pic, 2 blue nichicons, and 2 brown ones, in which case is bypassing half of the wax cap (which is two caps in one).Next time she's here I'm gonna take a pic of her soldering, because I am so proud we are working together like this..

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 06:22:49 am
content: Is she also interested in computers/programming? Maybe teaching her MCUs is a good next step (and by that, I don't mean buy an Arduino...)

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 06:24:54 am
content: Quotesounds like you should get her supplies/tools for making jewelry

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:07:38 am
content: How much exactly would jewlery normally have with soldering?

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:22:04 am
content: Buy her a safety acrylic goggle as a precaution, young kid tends to make a sudden uncontrollable jerk move on instinct when it hurts like touching hot surface, and when the hand is holding a hot iron, that thing may splash drops of molten solder flying everywhere, just a suggestion.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:24:09 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on November 04, 2013, 07:22:04 amSure thing, will get her the eye protection she needs. In fact, we may even have this already somewhere.

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:35:20 am
content: Quote from: lnx64 on November 04, 2013, 07:07:38 amrandom pickLearn how to solder jump rings to your craft and jewelry projects. In this video you will learn to foil, flux and solder and how to care for your soldering iron. I will show you what not to do (as always) and share the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way. I will share the difference between a soldering gun, iron and torch. Be warned this is not the same technique as you would use for soldering electrical components. This video is for crafters looking to solder items for jewelry, scrapbooking and other crafty pursuits! More on my bloghttp://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com

author: hedgewallace
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:49:48 am
content: I have done a little bit of craft with soldering. Although i'm more keen on using solder on electronics rather than craft!I repaired a shower basket using solder. A small bit of wire broke off one of it's welds, so i decided to try soldering it on, as my welder wouldn't of been suitable.I didn't think it would work, but it did!

author: Alana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 09:47:52 am
content: While i was playing around in pagan community i made few amulets. For me it was just some silver covered wire and solder, for them it was a big thing because rarely anyone could solder.And for nice and electronics related jewelery... I remember making a hairpin with 87c51 MCU [the one with quartz window] soldered to it and few things like that. She may like it but watch out for your parts bin then

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 07:01:16 pm
content: I made this as an apprentice.....Lift modelbySeanB_ZA, on FlickrIt did work.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2013, 08:46:50 pm
content: That is really cool looking