Create tough and reliable metallic joints with the RS extensive soldering supplies range. We stock powerful, fast-acting, and reliable solder guns and stations, as well as feedstocks like flux, electrical solder wire, and desoldering braid. Below, find everything you need to get the job done.

With our soldering supplies, you can create connections on circuit boards and other electrical components, affix metal items to one another as in plumbing or construction, and much more. Our range comes from top manufacturers like Apex Tool Group, Menda, and Kester solder wire, and you can always rely on the everyday-value RS PRO range too.

Explore our long list of soldering supplies and form tougher, more reliable connections. Use the search filters above to find the irons, guns, station, silver solder wire, flux, and safety equipment you need, and get in touch if you have any questions. To learn more about soldering supplies, read on.

What is soldering and how does it work?

Soldering is the process of bonding two materials together using a filler metal that's been heated to its melting point with an iron, torch, or other heat source. When the heat source is removed, the filler metal cools and hardens, creating a lasting bond.

This metal- also known as electrical solder wire- is typically an alloy with a relatively low melting point. Traditionally, solder wire was lead-based, but as the use of lead has dropped owing to its toxic nature, it's now much more common to use copper, brass, bismuth, tin, or silver solder wire. Solder can be removed using desoldering braid, usually made from copper wire.

Alongside the electrical solder wire, soldering often requires the use of flux. This material, spread on the surface to which solder is being applied, or held within the core of the solder wire, chemically cleans the surface before bonding occurs. This prevents oxidation, dirt, oil, or contaminants from affecting the strength of the soldering joint.

There are three main types of soldering:

Soft soldering- Heating low-melting-point metals to less than 400°C, soft soldering is used for tasks where the soldering joint is not required to take any loads. As such, it is the process most often used to solder components to circuit boards.
Hard soldering- Hard soldering at temperatures over 400°C creates a tougher bond using metals like brass and silver and therefore requires more heat, usually applied with a blow torch.
Brazing- Involving even greater temperatures, brazing sees the two materials that are being joined heated up (but not melted). Solder is then placed in the gap between them and heated just above melting point before cooling to create a strong bond.

What are the different types of soldering supplies?

There are plenty of soldering supplies in the RS range on offer to businesses, sole traders, and hobbyists.

Solder guns and irons: This piece of equipment heats up the solder material.
Solder: The metal wire melted by the soldering iron and used to bond the two metals together.
Flux: Used to clean contaminants from the soldering site to ensure as tough a bond as possible.
Fume extractors: A vacuum used to remove airborne pollutants generated by the soldering process.
Solder mask: Applied to the surface of a material such as a circuit board, solder mask prevents unwanted electrical connections being made between two conductive elements of the board.

What is the best solder wire for electronics?

If you plan on soldering electrical components, it's important to choose the right soldering supplies. Part of this includes choosing the best solder wire for electronics. So, what should you look for?

First, thin solder wire is best for electronics as it allows very small amounts of solder to be applied to circuit board terminals, reducing the risk of unwanted solder bridges being created.

The metal used should be compatible with copper, brass, or tin as these are likely to form the contacts of the circuit board and electrical components- alloys of tin and lead are compatible and very commonly used in electronics. And when it comes to flex, rosin flux should be used, not acid flux, as this could damage the board.

Why choose RS for your soldering supplies?

RS works closely with manufacturers of soldering supplies to bring you a wide array of quality products.

From our powerful soldering guns to the high-quality solder wires- available with flux, in silver, with thin diameters and much more- you can forge lasting bonds.

Explore the range from the likes of Kester, Davies Molding, ITW Chemtronics, and our own brand RS PRO using the filters at the top of the results. For more information on our range, get in touch with our experts, or visit our expert hub to learn more.