I like to build electronic kits as a hobby.

A soldering iron, should be around 25 watts, for electronic components. Rosin core solder is used for electronic circuitry, it is a soft lead solder that is a solid and becomes a liquid when it is heated. The soldering iron tip, should be clean and coated at the tip with a layer of solder.

To solder electronic components to a circuit board, you should mount the component and heat the part of the circuit boards tin area with the soldering iron until the solder is able to melt, and use the solder wire from the spool, to the circuit board. The electronic components remaing leads, should be clipped off with a pair of wire cutters.

I decided to build a crystal radio, once with a circuit board that I made by myself. I used a Double sided copper tinned PC board kit; and I first drew designed the pattern that I wanted to use on a piece of paper, and then I drew it on the circuit board with a permanent ink marker to coat the board where I wanted the PC board's tin to be on the PC board, after I cleaned the circuit board with steel wool to remove any protective coatings on it. Then, I put the circuit board in a plastic box lid with etching solution an swirled the solution around carefully to dissolve the PC board tin of it; an when it was done I could see through the translucent board where the circuit boards tin was removed. Then, I removed the permanent marker ink with an ink remover solution and the circuit board's design was made. Next, I drilled 1/16" holes in the PC board where I wanted the components to be mounted on the circuit board, I mounted the parts to the circuit board, and I soldered the parts to the circuit board. I didn't varnish the circuit board, because I didn't need to preserve it, that much. The completed project was strong and compact, and the crystal radio worked, good. This made me more interested in electronics and hobbies.

Electronics is fascinating, and you can learn alot about electronics by building kits and projects.