When I worked in the computer-building and laser making industry, I'd go into Production (aka Manufacturing) and see printer circuit boards being made (PCBA's) and other things that required a person to use a soldering gun/iron. I was always fascinated watching this being done. I didn't work in Production/Manufacturing, but did work in the Stockroom, Shipping and Receiving and had to go into Production/Manufacturing often to deliver parts. Most everything I carried in the Stockroom dealt with electronics. Well, talked my wife into us buying me a nice Soldering Iron last year for Christmas. I figured if a wire broke on the PCBA (circuit board) that runs the lights on my Darth Vader Chest Box (costume), I could solder it back. Well, that's exactly what happened! Had the Box on and was trying to adjust the straps holding it onto me and all of a sudden the lights stopped working. I decided to open the Box and look at the PCBA (circuit board). I indeed found a broke wire. It had broke off of where it was soldered. With the batteries in the Box, I touched the wire to the solder where the wire went and "moola", the Box lights worked. Put the Box back together and it was fine. Just found out that I have a broke wire on the sound PCBA on the bottom of my Lightsaber. This "sound" circuit board has the humming sound of a Lightsaber when it is on. Time to solder again! I did learn to wrap some solder around the soldering tip and let it melt, so the tip won't corrode/go bad. Do you do any soldering?
Yes, when I took jewelry crafts in high school. I've seen my husband solder. Very early on he worked at Zenith and was manager over the dept that did the circuit boards. It was mostly women that were doing it. I think I could do one of those if I had to. Now that I think about it my husband always had a soldering iron in his workshop.
Right now I have a pointed soldering tip coming to me in the mail. The iron came with a chisel tip and boy was that hard to use to solder that Chest Box wire, but I did it. The pointed soldering tip is made especially for soldering on a PCB/circuit board. Last weekend, we bought me a thing called a Helping Third Hand for soldering. It has two alligator clips at each end of a bar and a nice magnifying glass w/three LED lights. My wife wanted me to solder something on an ear ring of hers, but without this Helping Third Hand, just couldn't do it. Haven't done it yet, but it's on my "Honey Do List". Soldering is fun, but the person has to have a very calm hand. Don't want to drop solder in the wrong place. I also have a pack of small sponges and some Brass Wire Cleaning Balls for cleaning the solder tip. Actually, I think those Production/Manufacturing workers that done soldering on PCB's, made a much better wage than I did.
I don't remember what they were paid but there were about 40 women that my husband supervised. I remember it was a small plant in Evanston, Illinois and it closed after awhile and that was the only time my hubby didn't have a job for a few months. I was a good checkbook juggler. Never bounced a check, yet I knew when I wrote it at the supermarket the funds weren't in yet. I knew exactly when the stores would deposit the check so I timed my shopping like that. This was only if I ran out of money til the next unemployment check. Thankfully those were my hardest times and they weren't that hard.
Well, since it's hard to find someplace that will do public soldering, I'm glad I have the things and learning (on YouTube) or I'd be out-of-luck repairing these things. Yes, a very calm and steady hand is really required.
Learned helping my older brother with his Heathkit GR-91 Shortwave Receiver. Lots of fun when it was finally done. Sitting in the dark listening to static filled talk.
I worked for a company that made safes and there were welding booths all over the place. I worked in Receiving, so all welding supplies and things to makes safes with came into my area to go to manufacturing. Of course welding isn't nearly as clean a job as soldering is. Had to wear steel-toed boots at this company, unlike working for a company where soldering PCB's is a main job in Production.
I've done a lot of welding and soldering. You have to use the proper solder and flux for the job. Silver solder takes more heat than other types.
At 14, I entered into the largest-scale soldering job I ever did: wiring an Oscilloscope in kit form. There were literally several hundred connections to be wired and soldered. I think it was a Heathkit. They even offered a T-V kit! Best of all, it worked! I learned about electricity along the way, before I studied the subject formally.
I was an combat aircraft maintainer in the air force back in the tubes days. Built tons of coax cables. Soldered in many hard-wired tubes. Sometimes the aircraft manufacturers sent out modifications that required soldering. When the soldering was aboard the aircraft rather than the shop we used 400 cycle ac power from a dynamotor. It's a little hotter than 60. Practice didn't make me perfect, but it made me better. Thirty-three years ago I earned my amateur radio license and soldered some of my stuff that went up in smoke. I built a small transmitter that generated 1/4 watt and fit in a 35mm film case, all but the telegraph key connector and the xtal. I had more fun than I had a right to have. Radio Shack was convenient for buying solder.