Solder Preparation

Remove the outer plastic insulation jacket of the wires if you are soldering any. Set the wire strippers jaws 1 inch in from the end of the wire. Apply even pressure onto the handles of the wire strippers, then in one even motion, pull the plastic coating off of the end of the wire to expose the copper core beneath it.

Clean off any remaining debris or residue with isopropyl alcohol. Wet a microfiber cloth with the isopropyl alcohol and wipe down the circuit board, wires or electrical components.

Apply an even layer of soldering flux onto the wires, circuit board and components. Soldering flux removes the oxides that collect on the surface of the metal component, which allows the solder and the metal to melt, or dissolve into each other and harden when cooled. This makes an even surface for a printed circuit board or wire to another component to allow for effective electric conduction.

Tin the tip of the soldering iron and the two components or wires that are to be soldered together. Begin by heating up your soldering iron, then touching the tip of it with the soldering wire. Once the soldering wire melts, run a small layer of it over the very end of the tip of the iron. Touch the melted soldering wire to the components to apply a thin layer of the soldering wire. Tinning prevents chemical contamination, oxidation or corrosion from occurring in the metal. It also increases the surface area that you are working with, allowing for a larger percentage of heat transfer, which makes the soldering wire melt faster and flow evenly onto the components you are soldering.