Sympathy for Castle

[TexasSP]

It takes time to get soldering right. Most people from what I have seen just use the wrong stuff. From crappy irons to cheapo butane torch jobs that don't heat evenly or completely.

The best thing I did for my soldering was when I picked up a hakko station. Like everything, having the right tools is the biggest part.

Of course tinning, heating the work and not the solder, as well as keeping the tip clean goes a long way. I have also seen people use the wrong solder quite a bit which can be detrimental as well.