I'd like someone experienced (preferably professional) to watch me solder and give me notes. Obviously I'm prepared to pay. If in person, NYC metro (Hoboken/JC/5 boros). If remote, I have enough webcams to make it work.

I believe the conversations feature is equivalent to DM here, just contact me that way if interested. If that doesn't work just leave contact info in the responses.

Thanks so much

Joe

 

hi Joe,
Check this link.
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https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=soldering+tuition

 

I appreciate the suggestion. I'm here because I'm not really interested in doing this without "adult supervision" for a wide variety of reasons.

Thanks again

Joe

 

Joe- Confidence comes from doing. Failure is expected. Mitigate your risks. Reward yourself by jumping in with excitement & doing!

Air ventilation to keep you safe
Cardboard as a working surface
Solder flux to help the solder be clean & flow well
copper sponge to wipe iron on
Rosin-core solder for tinning
Smaller diameter solder for the actual soldering
Various 'holding hands' types of jigs/tools to hold your work
Figuring out your workspace for what works best for you (ie: iron on right or left, plier left or right, components left or right or front; where is the jig, tinning solder, a lamp to provide light, etc)

Good luck! Wish I were there, I'd come help.

 

If remote, I have enough webcams to make it work.

Post some pictures of some of your work. We can diagnose issues from them (for free).

You can post videos that are hosted on a site like YouTube.

 

The last person I helped develop soldering skills was a friend who had already been trained in welding, (as in joining ferrous metals using intense heat, both gas and arc.) So the training was in providing an understanding in exactly what is happening in soldering and what is required to make it happen. So while developing an advanced finesse for soldering can require direct coaching, learning how to be prepared for the "Practice Makes Perfect" phase can mostly be acquired from reading and understanding fully what is read.
If I can locate in the computer archives that two page document I will be happy to share the file, without any compensation except knowing I have done a bit to reduce the number of poor solder connections.

I certainly believe that knowledge and insights are gifts to be shared.

 

Post some pictures of some of your work. We can diagnose issues from them (for free).

You can post videos that are hosted on a site like YouTube.

providing an understanding in exactly what is happening in soldering and what is required to make it happen.

I'm not concerned about understanding the "chemistry". I'm concerned about picking up bad habits.

Esp. with YouTube.

 

Post some pictures of some of your work. We can diagnose issues from them (for free).

You can post videos that are hosted on a site like YouTube.

The other concern I have with "free" offers here, although I will def. start this way, is it's not entirely out of the question that I will want to do this for a living someday. But, right now, any "formal" education simply isn't in the budget. So if I pay someone with a professional track record I will have better confidence that my work will be at a professional level.

Thanks again

Joe

 

Welcome to AAC.

I have a some suggestions:

1. Watch the several excellent training videos available on YouTube. There are offerings from the military, NASA, Pace (equipment manufacturer), and possibly others. Many of them are “vintage” and so they won’t cover things like SMT or modern soldering stations, but, they do better at covering theory (important to good work) and fundamentals of practice than other more current sources I have seen.
   
   
2. Find a local makerspace and take advantage of the networking and generous mentoring you‘ll find there. In MYC and environs, you will find many, so take a bit of time and visit more than one until you find the one you feel is most simpatico with your personal style.
   
   
3. Look at local community colleges. Many specialize in work-ready training, and focus on technology. They are cheap to free, and a great resource for this and more. If you enroll, you will also get access to tools and materials.

 

The other concern I have with "free" offers here, although I will def. start this way, is it's not entirely out of the question that I will want to do this for a living someday. But, right now, any "formal" education simply isn't in the budget. So if I pay someone with a professional track record I will have better confidence that my work will be at a professional level.

When I started as a technician at HP, they gave me a 1-hour class on soldering. Most of the emphasis was on the direction that we should wind jumper wires and how many times they should be glued.

I did some soldering while I was getting my ASEET degree, but don't remember having any instruction. I probably asked one of my classmates who was an electronic tech in the Navy for help.

 

Joe it's like this. Compared to soldering, learning to tie your shoe takes an absolute Genius. Buy a simple kit, soldering iron (not a gun type), some small diameter rosin core solder, have a small piece of wet sponge handy to wipe a dirty tip on to clean it, and just do it! Put the component through the hole and bend it's leg to keep it in place when the board is turned over for soldering and go at it. simple as that. Every thing else comes with experience. I started soldering at age 11 with a huge wen soldering gun and a small spool of far too large rosin solder and now at age 72 I've learned a few things along the way and still at it. Go for it!

 

I'm not concerned about understanding the "chemistry". I'm concerned about picking up bad habits.

Esp. with YouTube.

Understanding what you are doing and what you need to be doing will tend to remove any bad habits because they do not produce the correct results.