Soldering Basics: Headers, Wires and Clean Joints
Solder your first header pins safely and recognize a good joint versus a cold one.
Drones, wearables and Pi Zero builds need soldering. With a temperature-controlled iron and a little practice, you will make shiny, reliable joints in an afternoon.
The tip reaches over 300 °C. Wash your hands after handling solder, and keep kids supervised.
Video tutorial
Video by Adafruit Industries, embedded from YouTube. The written steps below are our own and match the parts list.
Mission steps
Set up safely
Work in a ventilated area, wear safety glasses and keep the iron in its stand. Set it around 330–350 °C for leaded solder or 350–380 °C for lead-free.
Tin the tip
Melt a little solder on a clean tip. A shiny tip transfers heat fast.
Heat pad and pin together
Touch the tip to both the pad and the pin for 1–2 seconds, then feed solder into the joint — not onto the iron.
Remove and inspect
A good joint looks like a small shiny volcano. Dull, balled joints are 'cold' — reheat them.
Practice on a header
Solder a 40-pin header onto a Pi Zero 2 W or a practice board. Solder one pin at each end first to keep it straight.
Questions
Leaded or lead-free solder?
Leaded (63/37) is easier for beginners; lead-free is safer for the environment but needs more heat. Either works with good technique.