Any recommendations for cheap soldering practice boards?

[Cyber Akuma]

Since I have very little soldering experience, before I start any soldering projects and potentially ruin the parts I wanted to practice first. The most common and popular practice board seems to be this one SMD board that has a few leds that light up, and it's even pretty cheap on eBay, some selling it for as little as about $2.
 
Thing is though, I would like to practice with easier through-hole components first before I try to get into harder stuff like SMD, especially since the majority of the components I will be soldering in the projects I want to try are through-hole. But strangely, I can't find many affordable through-hole soldering practice kits.
 
A lot of the practice boards I see, through hole or SMD, also just have you solder components in place on a trace-less board and that's it. I also would prefer it if the board did something, it doesn't matter what it does just as long as it does something that basically acts as a verification of "You soldered all the parts in correctly". There are little toys that do something like this, where the goal of soldering it together is to get something semi-usable out of it, but these focus more on the novelty of what you assemble than the practice of the soldering, plus they tend to be expensive.
 
Anyone aware of any good and cheap soldering practice boards so I can get in some through-hole and then later SMD soldering practice before I try to do it for real?

[ledtester]

It appears that this board contains a 555 + 4017 and some leds and should do something:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801329452100.html

[Cyber Akuma]

It appears that this board contains a 555 + 4017 and some leds and should do something:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801329452100.html

That's the very SMD board I was talking about, it's like $2 or so on eBay too.

But I am looking for through-hole boards.

[ataradov]

I would take this opportunity to make my own boards. You will be training the whole pipeline starting from design. Especially if you plan on making your own projects anyway.

But also, it is really incorrect to assume that SMD is harder. Quite the opposite, SMD is much easier. Sure, some SMD components also tend to be smaller in size, but you don't have to use them. SOIC ICs and 0805 components are very easy to solder. And for a lot of project it is sufficient.

In any case, your life would be a lot easier with additional magnification. Microscope is ideal, but even a magnifying glass on a stand is quite useful.

[ledtester]

But I am looking for through-hole boards.

Sorry -- obviously I read your post too quickly.

What about a clock kit like:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800116460826.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832113521557.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832817899803.html

This "metal detector" can be an interesting circuit to play with:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832818390632.html

Review/teardown video: https://youtu.be/Bs9U15qQo0E

[Cyber Akuma]

In any case, your life would be a lot easier with additional magnification. Microscope is ideal, but even a magnifying glass on a stand is quite useful.

I'm trying to build one. Have a decent camera and several good lenses, just need a stand to connect them all to that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and maybe a screen (right now it plugs into a tv or monitor by HDMI).

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800116460826.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832113521557.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832817899803.html

This "metal detector" can be an interesting circuit to play with:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832818390632.html

Review/teardown video: https://youtu.be/Bs9U15qQo0E

Stuff like this seems perfect. I had JUST placed an order at Aliexpress, I wish I had seen these earlier.

I tried searching Aliexpress for stuff like this before but all I found was that SMD kit from before.

I think these LED Christmas tree kits are a good choice:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804065706243.html

You can also order them from eBay or Amazon.

Heh, I think I used to see this one in electronics shops all the time for around $15-20

[Infraviolet]

Rather than "soldering practice kits" the search time might be "electronics project kit".

But I would suggest designing your own boards, ordering those and ordering the parts for them would be a good work through of your whole process for future projects. You can design the boards to include components in the formats you want to practice soldering (many parts can be found in many package types, even more so for passives), and if you solder the cheap components first you won't be risking damaging anything important, resistors are worth a fraction of a penny each. And as most hobbyist friendly PCB manufacturers sell minimum of 5 or 10 boards, you'll have some spares to hand even if you mess up the first board you try with.

And one thing I always say to people learning to solder: Always remember, solder is NOT like paint, you have to set up the right heat gradient to make it flow where you want, you don't "brush" it on with the iron tip.

[ataradov]

I'm trying to build one. Have a decent camera and several good lenses, just need a stand to connect them all to that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and maybe a screen (right now it plugs into a tv or monitor by HDMI).

I would be concerned with latency and depth perception on this setup. It is not easy to solder under digital microscopes even if you know what you are doing.

For a quick work if I don't have access to the real microscope, I made this contraption from a cheap "third hand" kit. It works surprisingly well. The only thing it is missing is a ring light. There are automotive ones that are sold in about that size.

[Cyber Akuma]

Rather than "soldering practice kits" the search time might be "electronics project kit".

But I would suggest designing your own boards, ordering those and ordering the parts for them would be a good work through of your whole process for future projects. You can design the boards to include components in the formats you want to practice soldering (many parts can be found in many package types, even more so for passives), and if you solder the cheap components first you won't be risking damaging anything important, resistors are worth a fraction of a penny each. And as most hobbyist friendly PCB manufacturers sell minimum of 5 or 10 boards, you'll have some spares to hand even if you mess up the first board you try with.

And one thing I always say to people learning to solder: Always remember, solder is NOT like paint, you have to set up the right heat gradient to make it flow where you want, you don't "brush" it on with the iron tip.

I don't know the first thing about designing PCBs. Right now there are just some projects and modifications with instructions I want to follow.

I would be concerned with latency and depth perception on this setup. It is not easy to solder under digital microscopes even if you know what you are doing.

For a quick work if I don't have access to the real microscope, I made this contraption from a cheap "third hand" kit. It works surprisingly well. The only thing it is missing is a ring light. There are automotive ones that are sold in about that size.

I was recommended to go with this setup specifically because of there being supposedly low latency with it.

[ataradov]

I was recommended to go with this setup specifically because of there being supposedly low latency with it.

You can try, especially if you have all the components already. Even if the latency ends up being acceptable, this setup does not eliminate the lack of depth perception. And without that soldering is quite frustrating.

[Teledog]

Perhaps get some old dead boards (dead cell phones, old routers, etc), remove the components, clean up the pads and then try soldering the old - or new components back in?
Clean the board after removal, with solder wick & IPA & perhaps a rosin flux wipe before re-soldering.
Cheap practice.

[helio0centra@gmail.com]

I just search for key words on Ali Express, eBay, Amazon, all sorts of places.

[fourfathom]

If all you want is "soldering practice" on a through-hole board you may be over-thinking this.  It's not at all difficult to solder leaded components well enough that they function in a circuit.  It's only slightly harder to do a clean and proper soldering job, and you can easily get this practice with a bag of cheap resistors and a proto-grid-board with plated-through holes.  Use a magnifier or inspection microscope to examine your solder joints.  For comparison, you can find images of proper soldering all over the net.  If the joint looks good, it is good.  If you horribly over-heat, get too much slag, shift while cooling, or otherwise screw up it's going to be visible.  Once you can solder resistors, then you should be able to solder more delicate semiconductors without burning them up.

If you are more interested in building a board that actually does something then yes, there are kits out there.

[tooki]

…
Thing is though, I would like to practice with easier through-hole components first before I try to get into harder stuff like SMD, especially since the majority of the components I will be soldering in the projects I want to try are through-hole. But strangely, I can't find many affordable through-hole soldering practice kits.

I would get some kits that use both THT and SMD. For one thing, I don’t actually think it’s harder than THT — it’s just different. And in electronics these days, SMD is absolutely inescapable, so you may as well start learning it now.

The magic words for aliexpress searches are “DIY kit”. Add “electronic” to get an idea of what’s available, or add a specific item (like “LED clock”) to find just that.

There are some great clock kits out there (look for the ones using the DS3231 chip, which is much more accurate than the others) that are fun to build and produce something you’ll actually want to use.

[Cyber Akuma]

I would get some kits that use both THT and SMD. For one thing, I don’t actually think it’s harder than THT — it’s just different. And in electronics these days, SMD is absolutely inescapable, so you may as well start learning it now.

Oh I have every intention of getting the SMD kits too, it's just that those are easy to find for a few bucks. It's the THT kits I was having trouble finding.

I also wanted to wait from doing SMD soldering until I get the microscope assembled, some of the parts are pretty tiny. I know people argue about depth perception, but that isn't going to help when one of my eyes is significantly blurrier than the other to the point where I see better with it closed.

The magic words for aliexpress searches are “DIY kit”. Add “electronic” to get an idea of what’s available, or add a specific item (like “LED clock”) to find just that.

That's going to help, thanks.

Hope I can find a single seller that has several of these so I can save on shipping by just ordering a bunch from them. The ones that ledtester posted for example all come from the same seller, and they have several others.

There are some great clock kits out there (look for the ones using the DS3231 chip, which is much more accurate than the others) that are fun to build and produce something you’ll actually want to use.

So I just search for DS3231 clock kit or something? I tried that and just get a module with a CR2032 slot meant to add an RTC to your projects.

[tooki]

The key search term, as I said, is “DIY kit”. Not just “kit”.

Searching for “DS3231 clock kit” finds the modules you don’t need. “DS3231 clock DIY kit” finds clock kits.

Come to think of it, consider Banggood.com. They’ve got an excellent selection of kits, and since it’s just one seller, it’s easier to browse, and they almost always have the documentation, which is often missing on Aliexpress. A smidgen more expensive though.

[Cyber Akuma]

Not familiar with Banggood to be honest, not even sure what it even is or how much it can be trusted. I assumed it was something like Wish where it's all bootlegged near-broken junk.

[JustMeHere]

Anything that is dead and on it's way to the trash.  Just pratice removing and readding components.  Go ahead and scavenge useful things like relays.

PS SMD is much easier than through hole.

[rdl]

I bought a six digit LED display clock on Amazon a while back that uses actual logic chips instead of a microcontroller, so plenty of through hole soldering required. I haven't built it yet, but I think it's still available. About $15 if you're interested.

[tooki]

Not familiar with Banggood to be honest, not even sure what it even is or how much it can be trusted. I assumed it was something like Wish where it's all bootlegged near-broken junk.

It’s not as overhyped as Wish. Think of Banggood as a single-vendor AliExpress. As I said, no third party vendors (AFAIK), arguably a bit more predictably trustworthy.

I’ve ordered from them a few times, never had any trouble. In any case, they’re the official distributor of Geekcreit, which I believe is the actual designer of many of the nicest clock kits. (I’ve built a few of them.)

[Cyber Akuma]

Hmm, I tried looking at Banggood but there was only a single kit I could find.

[Oilngas]

ICStation.com has lots of inexpensive kits.  34 in their beginner section alone https://www.icstation.com/beginner-c-542.html