Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Clean the pieces that will be soldered. Solder won't stick to metal that is at all dirty or greasy, so do not skip this step. You can clean dirty pieces with dish soap and water; use an abrasive emery cloth to clean the joint. Do not touch the cleaned metal with your bare hands to keep it free of oils.
2

Clamp the pieces to hold them in place if necessary. Apply a small amount of flux, or soldering paste, to the joint with a small paintbrush.
3

Heat your soldering iron or light the torch as directed.
4

Apply heat to the flux using the tip of the soldering iron or the flame. The solder should start to turn translucent.
5

Hold the solder in the hand that you write with, with the end just over the fluxed area. Move the heated tip or flame to the solder. It will melt very quickly. Allow one or two drops to fall on the flux, then pull the heat away.
6

Adjust the piece with tweezers while the solder is melted if necessary. Solder cools quickly, so this must be done as soon as the solder drips. When the solder cools, the metal will be bonded.
7

Clean the flux from the cooled joint with a damp cloth.