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If you're into buildingandrepairing things, it won't be long before you come across the need to solder something.It'll either be a component that needs replacing on a motherboard or a wire that has come off or broken. 

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But trying to learn to solder when you're also trying to repair something is stressful. It's better to learn when it doesn't matter if you mess up and break something, than to try to learn with something you want to repair and not break any further.

I first learned to solder many decades ago, and I did it the wrong way -- trying to fix a broken cassette player. I fixed it in the end, but not before causing a lot of damage.

Don't make the mistakes I made!

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Here I'm going to show you the tools you'll need -- nothing expensive -- and I'll also give you tips and tricks to get you started on your path to being able to become an expert at the art of soldering.

First of all, let's get clear on something -- what is soldering?

What is soldering?

Soldering is a technique for joining two metal things together by melting another metal -- an alloy called solder -- and using that to glue the parts together.

You might be soldering two wires together, a wire onto the metal pad on a circuit board, or a component to a circuit board. And, when you become adept, you can even make repairs to broken or damaged circuit boards.

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It's a versatile skill to have.

Basic soldering tools

Here are the tools you need to get started.

A soldering iron

My Dremel gas-powered soldering iron.

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The main bit.

Soldering irons come in different types. The most common is the plug-in kind, and these are what you usually see being used. There are alsogas-powered and USB-rechargeable soldering irons that allow you to work where there isn't AC power.

I use a gas-powered soldering iron (it's great for working on cars, as well as electronic gadgets), but I recommend starting out with one that plugs into AC power.

YIHUA 947-V Soldering Iron Kit

$31.99 at Amazon

Solder

Selection of solder.

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You usually get some solder when you buy a soldering iron, but in my experience, it's rubbish stuff that's hard to work with and is frustrating for both newbies and experts.

I recommend getting some decent stuff fromMG Chemicals .

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Don't worry about all the terms that you see. 60/40 means that it is 60 percent tin, 40 percent lead, and "flux core" means that the solder has flux inside, which acts as a cleaning agent for the joint, removing things like oils and corrosion, and giving you a nice, clean joint.

A note on lead: Yes, a lot of solder contains lead, which is hazardous to health. You can getlead-free solder , but it is harder to work with. Nevertheless, if you want to avoid exposure to lead, then this is a route to explore.

MG Chemicals Flux Core, Leaded Solder Wire 0.81mm/0.032" (2-pack)

$6.95 at Amazon

A soldering mat

Cool blue silicone soldering mat.

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Don't be soldering on your mom's best table. No matter how careful you are, you'll leave a burn mark (ask me how I know).

A silicone soldering mat is the perfect work surface. It won't burn or melt, and it's easy to clean.

Kaisi S-160 Silicone Soldering Mat

$14.99 at Amazon

Precision snips

Precision side-cutting snips.

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Handy for