How to Solder Without Creating a Smoke Machine

We sell you pristine, precisely engineered circuit boards, and your first instinct is to poke them with a 400°C stick of molten metal. It is a miracle any of these quadcopters ever make it off the ground. In our latest guide, we examine why your soldering looks like a bird nested on your flight controller, and how to fix it before you cause a minor electrical fire.

First rule of the soldering club: flux is not optional. If you are relying on the microscopic amount of flux inside your cheap solder, you are setting yourself up for a spectacular mid-air failure. Clean your tip, use proper temperatures, and stop treating your iron like a paintbrush. You are wetting the joint, not painting a fence.

We also cover the inevitable: bridging pads. If you have managed to connect your ground pad to your 5V rail, congratulations, you have built a very expensive, one-time-use smoke machine. If you would prefer your electronics to remain functional, we suggest you put down the iron and read the original post for some actual instructions.