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Soldering Iron

The hand route to a joint: patience instead of a Reflow Oven.

Crafting

C
I
S

C is a Copper Rod, I an Iron Rod and S a Stick.

Using it

  1. Right-click a fire (a Firebox, say) with the iron to heat it. It keeps its heat and cools slowly, so a Thermometer will tell you where it is.
  2. Hold a pasted Trace Board in the other hand and right-click. A soldering screen opens with a row of pads, one pair per mounted part (two on a plain board).
  3. Hold the mouse button and drag the tip along the row, first pad to last, then let go. Each pad is graded on how hot it got (see Solder).

Pace is the skill. Go too fast and a pad stays dull: a cold joint. Linger and it goes dark: the flux burns, and if it keeps cooking the trace lifts. A shiny pad is a good joint. The iron cools as it works, so later pads want a slower pace; leave the screen (button up) to reheat at a fire and start again. Staying off the trace bridges solder to the next pad: it adds noise to a circuit, nothing worse. Close the screen with the button held and the tip counts as resting on the last pad for a while. A Thermometer on the iron gives the numbers. The iron never wears. Leaded solder poisons you while you work it.