I'm using pretty crude soldering equipment, but my work looks a lot better with just a few lessons learned.
1. Your solder diameter is very important. I started with a 1+mm diameter type, but the 0.6mm that I'm using now melts with almost no preheating needed. That time saved in preheating your joint also helps prevent heat damage to components, and trace lifting. My control over coverage and flow is much more precise with this low diameter solder as well.
2. Solder composition matters. If your solder doesn't melt at a low enough temp, or if its melting isn't instantaneous, then you'll probably get lots of ugly cold joints as I did. I believe you'll want to look for a eutectic solder. I'm quite happy with my Radio Shack silver-bearing solder.
3. Keep your iron tinned. If your iron tip loses that chrome-like shine, it won't transfer heat very well. You can apply that iron to the joint until the cows come home but all you'll get is a messy wreck with an untinned iron tip. My experience with Radio Shack tips is poor. They degrade quickly into useless nubs, and can't be helped by tip cleaner. I've been using the same crappy single clad tip for months, but its kept in great shape with a chemical tip cleaner/tinner.
Oh yeah, and I cut the leads to length before making the joint. You want to avoid mechanical stress on the solder joint, so I would avoid the cuts after soldering.
Happy DIYing
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