Anyone know any resources on how to solder?

[anonymousyamParticipant 4605]

I got a SNES a long time ago at the flee market for 2 bucks (probably about 2 to 3 years ago i forget) and ever since i got it the power port is broken so while it works any movement of the console at all once it is on turns it off (i know the part ill need for it).

Why i mention it is that i have to solder a part on it if i fix it and i want to know what is the cheapest tool to do it with? Something not too pricey as i don’t have too much of a use yet in soldering (meaning ill likely buy it for a one time event and might not use it again).

Videos or amazon links will do.

Just an east coast asshole who likes to curse, If you get offended by words like fuck, cunt, shit, piss, bitch or any racial slurs then you just scroll down.

[MGTOW_MikeParticipant 6253]

I am assuming you are talking about the power jack inside and at the back of the snes?

I would recommend a cheap soldering iron like this one (approx $10):

You need to buy a small reel of solder as well (looks and feels like “soft wire” which contains lead and tin, which is why it melts so easily). Use a damp foam pad (or a dish washing foam pad) to clean the soldering iron tip. If you are de-soldering the old power jack, you may need to suck out the existing solder with a “solder sucker” tool.

There is one easy shortcut way to solve this problem. You can hard wire the DC power cable directly onto the motherboard DC power input. Make sure you get the polarities correct.

A tranquil mind is neither happy nor sad, it is uninfluenced by external conditions.

[anonymousyamParticipant 4605]

MGTOW_Mike wrote:

I am assuming you are talking about the power jack inside and at the back of the snes?

Yep it has to do with the plastic that holds the power connector into it (i cannot establish a tight connection with the console).

Just an east coast asshole who likes to curse, If you get offended by words like fuck, cunt, shit, piss, bitch or any racial slurs then you just scroll down.

[DarkRyuParticipant 2354]

My question is, why are you bothering? Get an SNES emulator and play all the games for free on PC. You can hook up the original SNES controller with a $5 USB adapter and play away. I haven’t touched my actual SNES console in over a decade because emulation is so much better.

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

MGTOW_Mike wrote:

I would recommend a cheap soldering iron like this one (approx $10):

I recommend spending a little more and getting a cheap soldering station that comes with an iron holder so you don’t accidentally burn your table top, a tip cleaning sponge, and heat control. Velleman makes one for about $25. Buying the iron ($10), holder ($10), and sponge ($5) separately costs about the same, but you don’t get heat control and might not be able to replace your iron tips on the cheap iron.

Use a damp foam pad (or a dish washing foam pad) to clean the soldering iron tip.

I’ve had bad luck with this. Some dish washing sponges work fine, but some are made of a plastic or rubber or whatever that will melt and burn onto your iron’s tip even when damp, making it very hard to get a clean tip for good solder joints. I don’t know of any way to tell which sponges are the bad ones until it’s too late. It’s better to just get a proper soldering sponge and be sure before you ruin your tip. Or use dry brass “wool” to clean the tip.

Also the video you posted is pretty good, but claims that solders have a flux core. This is not always true, especially with solders bought at hardware stores. Always check if your solder is flux cored or solid cored. If it’s solid, pre-flux your joints with a flux pen or the like before soldering.

While we’re on the subject, when reworking or repairing a board, it helps a lot to remove as much of the old solder on the joint as possible before cleaning the connections and re-tinning if necessary. You want to start with the pads on the PCB as close to pristine condition as possible. I remove most of the solder with a solder sucker before removing the component. However before placing the new component I flux the pad, give the pad a quick scrub with hot solder wick so the pad is nice and shiny, and then re-flux before making the new connection. It’s a few extra steps, but it makes a much cleaner, more reliable connection.

DarkRyu wrote:

Get an SNES emulator and play all the games for free on PC.

Not all games can be played properly on emulators. I understand the light gun games are especially troublesome. Also soldering is a useful skill for anyone to learn.

[Anonymous 42]

On the CHEAP CHEAP use a nail and a touch to heat it, and acid to clean it. Heat, dip in acid, reheat while adding ball of solder, I did this in Vermont for an emergency fix.

Grind an angled flat spot on the head of the nail (spike) and it works exactly the same as an iron. If you’re trying to attach anything to plastic and it’s thermal plastic use scrap thermal plastic and melt the plastic using the scrap plastic the same way you use solder. I saw a guy use plastic bottle tops to seal twisted wire connections from pulling apart, the wire will tear in two before the plastic ever gives out!

Just my 2 cents…

P.S. use 50/50 lead/tin solder, the lead free melts at a higher temperature increasing the risk of heat damage on electronics, it’s for pluming anyway.

[Anonymous 1]

I would say fix it. It will be a great learning experience for you. When s~~~ breaks I’ll take it apart and see if it’s fixable.

[MonkeyMindParticipant 5340]

Most soldering irons do the same thing so just buy a cheap one if it’s a one off job. You’ll also need a solder extractor to get the old solder off the board.

It’s fairly easy to do. I’ve fixed a dodgy batch of Monitors in work by replacing the capacitors on the power board, and a couple to LCD TVs for a couple of quid each.

[anonymousyamParticipant 4605]

DarkRyu wrote:

My question is, why are you bothering? Get an SNES emulator and play all the games for free on PC. You can hook up the original SNES controller with a $5 USB adapter and play away. I haven’t touched my actual SNES console in over a decade because emulation is so much better.

Because i enjoy playing games on their original hardware if i can afford it or already have it.

I emulate games that i cannot afford or that are foreign releases (like s~~~ you cannot find in the states).

Just an east coast asshole who likes to curse, If you get offended by words like fuck, cunt, shit, piss, bitch or any racial slurs then you just scroll down.

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

Anonymous wrote:

On the CHEAP CHEAP use a nail and a touch to heat it, and acid to clean it. Heat, dip in acid, reheat while adding ball of solder, I did this in Vermont for an emergency fix.

I once used a cast iron pan filled with sand to reflow an ECM board that died in the middle of nowhere. Only cooked it a little. It was a hail mary repair, but it worked and got us back to civilization.

[rightturnclydeParticipant 705]

Also don’t use acid core solder/flux on electronics.

[SuperPranxParticipant 25]

I’d highly recommend looking into Antex soldering irons. My parents are both electronics engineers and I also went through 4 years of electronics high school and I can say that Antex has the best quality.

http://www.antex.co.uk/home/

[GregB0Participant]

Always wear safety goggles when soldering (rosin core solder will pop) or grinding (the metal fillings fly off the grinding wheel). Remember that your soldering iron will be hot and you will need a location to rest it on while working with the damaged parts, as well as when it cools down after use. Do not dip it into water after use to cool it down.

​"​My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.​" - Clarence Buddinton Kelland

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