Soldering 101 – How To Get Started In Soldering

Learn about the new RYOBI ONE+ 18V soldering station and how you can get started in soldering with simple projects that are a ton of fun to put together.

I suppose you could say that I’ve been living under a rock, but I honestly never really knew that soldering was a hobby or that it was so much fun! I’m partnering with The Home Depot today to share about the new RYOBI 18-volt ONE+ Hybrid Soldering Station as well as share a quick crash course in how to get started in soldering.

What is soldering?

Soldering is the act of joining two metals together with another metal filler, which has a low melting point. It’s most often used in electrical components. Think circuit boards.

I knew that soldering was a skill that was worth knowing and that it can be useful to repair wiring on circuit boards, etc., but I didn’t know that there were so many cool projects that could be done with it. A quick Google search will yield all sorts of soldering projects ranging from beginner to advanced skill levels. It’s a great hobby for older kids to pick up as it teaches them not only a valuable skill, but also how electrical components and circuits work.

RYOBI 18-volt ONE+ Hybrid Soldering Station

The RYOBI 18-volt ONE+ Hybrid Soldering Station is a really great soldering kit for a soldering novice. The hybrid station allows you to use any of the ONE+ 18V batteries or you can also grab an extension cord and plug it in. I found that one 3ah battery allowed me to put together a project that took approximately 2 hours to assemble, and I still had battery life left over.

The controls on this soldering station are super simple. Push the knob to turn the soldering iron on. Turn the knob to adjust the temperature from 400 degrees to 900 degrees. The soldering station comes with two different tips, a sponge to keep your iron clean, and a holster to hold the soldering iron when not in use.

Building A Soldering Project

There are dozens of different types of soldering project kits online, ranging in both price and complexity. I found a smart car project kit online that I knew my kids would love, so I purchased it for about $10. All of the pieces on the table felt a bit daunting, but the instructions that were sent with the kit helped break it all down.

The soldering station comes with several feet of solder to get you started and we used this on the kit. We found that the solder melted best when the temperature was set somewhere around 600-700 degrees. When the light turns green, you know it’s heated up and ready to go.

Soldering is fairly simple. Melt a bit of solder onto the board where you want to make a connection between the board and the metal wire. When the temperature is at the proper setting the solder sort of does all of the work itself, forming a nice weld around the wire and to the board.

By this time, my oldest son, who is 13, had made his way out of his room and away from his video games and discovered what we were doing. He found it completely fascinating and with a crash course from my husband, was assembling the remainder of the kit himself. These types of projects are great for teens, as they not only learn a new skill, but also learn how circuits work as well as how to pay attention to detail. You can’t cut any corners when it comes to circuits. If anything is put in incorrectly, the whole thing won’t work.

He worked on the project for about 2 hours and was so proud of himself when he finished. Full disclosure, the project didn’t work. We figured we had gotten a dud, so I ordered another one. It turns out that the lesson on attention to detail starts even before the project begins. We had mixed up some of the resistors and it caused the whole thing to not work. No surprise there. Once we realized our mistake, the second one went together perfectly.

This little car is so much fun to play with! Between the flashing lights and the custom tracks you can make with electrical tape, it kept my boys busy for quite a while. Knowing the mistake we made with the first one, we are going to fix the other one so they can have two to play with.

With our new RYOBI 18-volt ONE+ Hybrid Soldering Station, we found a new activity we can do as a family and my kids can’t wait to see what else we can build with the different project kits available. I think I may even include a kit or two in their stockings this Christmas.

If you’re looking for a soldering station for wiring repairs, or you’re looking to take up the hobby of soldering, head over to The Home Depot website or in stores to check it out. You can even order online and have it waiting for you when you get to the store!

DISCLOSURE:  I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the promotional program described above (the “Program”).  As part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot.  All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words.  My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.