Always thought a soldering iron was overkill for this hobby

Three years ago, I built my first board in my apartment's tiny kitchen, using only hot-swap sockets because I was scared of the iron. Last month, a buddy in Chicago let me try his custom 60% with hand-wired vintage switches he'd fixed himself. The feel was so much more solid than anything I've ever typed on. I'm buying a Hakko FX-888D next week. Anyone have tips for a first-time solderer on a budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairepark10d ago

Yeah, I totally get what sage52 means about it being a whole new hobby. I used to think the same way, that hot-swap was the only way to go. But after trying a friend's properly soldered board, that solid feel is just different. It's a bit of a learning curve, but a good iron like the Hakko and some cheap practice kits make a huge difference.

sage5210d ago

Hand-wired vintage switches" sounds like a lot of work for a keyboard lol. I get wanting a solid feel, but that's a whole new hobby on its own. Good luck with the soldering, hope it's worth the hassle.