FAQ · Wattage, temperature & technique

What is the golden rule of soldering?

Last verified 2026-08-09

Heat the joint, not the solder. Touch the iron tip to the pad and component lead together until they're hot enough to melt solder on contact, then feed solder into the heated joint — not directly onto the iron tip. Solder that's melted by touching the iron rather than the joint tends to sit on top without properly bonding, producing a weak or "cold" joint that looks fine but fails under stress or vibration.

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