There are a few items that are not included with your DIY Speaker Kit. We'll give you some more information as well as our product recommendations if you'd like to purchase some new equipment from Amzon.
Soldering Iron with fine point tip
There are many different types of soldering irons for different purposes: soldering irons for electronics, soldering irons for plumbing, soldering irons for jewelry, etc. For the DIY Speaker Kit, there are a few characteristics that are important:
- Soldering iron should heat up to approximately 188 °C (370 °F) and/or has temperature control.
- If the soldering iron is not hot enough, the solder will not melt and flow. Test this by heating up your soldering iron and then touching the solder to the iron and see if it melts.
- If the soldering iron is too hot, it will cause the solder to bubble and boil which leads to poor solder joints. If you notice a lot of smoke and sputtering when you touch the solder to your soldering iron, the iron is too hot.
- Soldering iron should I have a relatively fine point tip, similar to a ball point pen. If the tip is too blunt, it will be very difficult to complete the small solder joints in the DIY Speaker Kit.
You may already have one at home. If not, we recommend you pick one up from Amazon. All three of these meet the criterion above.
Solder for Electronics
There are primarily two types of solder: those containing lead, and those that are lead-free. Here's all the info you need to make a good decision about solder!
Lead Free Rosin Core Solder for Electrical Soldering 0.6 mm (0.22 lbs)
($10.99)
Pros: does not contain lead, environmentally friendly
Cons: does not melt as easily
Tin Lead Rosin Core Solder for Electrical Solderding 0.6mm (0.11 lbs)
($7.59)
Pros: melts more easily
Cons: contains lead, which is harmful if injested orally. If you simply wash your hands after soldering (before eating), you'll be safe.
Solder specs explained:
- Rosin Core is a liquid embedded in the solder which helps the solder melt more easily. We recommend getting solder with a rosin core.
- Weight 0.22 lbs or 0.11 lbs is the amount of solder you are purchasing measured by weight. Either amount will be plenty of solder for the DIY Speaker Kit project. Keep in mind $10.99 is more expensive, but you're getting twice as much solder.
- Thickness: 0.6mm (0.0236 inches) is appropriate for the DIY Speaker Kit. For reference, thinner solder is ideal for projects with very small parts (think of parts the size of a grain of rice). Thicker solder is good for large solder joints which will withstand high currents (think soldering heavy duty home audio wires).
- Solder for electronics is different than "solder for stained glass," "solder for jewelry," or "solder for plumbing." Having the right stuff will set you up for success!
Wire Clippers
If you don't already have wire clippers at home, here's two recommendations. They'll be handy for the DIY Speaker Kit and future projects. Although, for this project there are only six wires to trim, so even scissors will work in a pinch.
Scissors from around the house...
Phillips Head Screwdriver
If you don't already have philips head screwdrivers at home, here's three recommendations. They'll be handy for the DIY Speaker Kit and future projects.
3x AAA Batteries
Disposable AAA Batteries ($3)
Rechargeable Battery Upgrade gives you more power for higher volumes and better music quality. Simply unscrew the AAA Battery Holder and screw on the Rechargeable Battery Mount, all you need is a screwdriver! Do Mother Nature a favor and ditch the disposable batteries!