How to Solder Body Contacts for Circuit Bending

Circuit bending is a popular hobby that involves "bending," or short circuiting, an electronic toy or instrument to utilize the circuit board to create new sounds after installing new switches. One step you must take in circuit bending is soldering body contacts to the circuit board.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Jeweler's screwdrivers
• Tape
• Wire
• Wire cutters/strippers
• Batteries
• Switches
• Alligator clips
• Drill/drill bits

1. Decide on the electronic toy you are going to bend and set up your work station. This should include a heat-resistant surface. If you do not have a heat-resistant surface, purchase a heat-resistant mat from a hardware, home improvement or craft store.

2. Gather the other tools you will need. You may find along the way you need to add tools to your circuit bending kit, such as needle-nose pliers or other handy items.

3. Explore the circuit board with the alligator clips to find different bends you can create and attach to installed body contacts. Once you have found a bend to use, install the body contact by drilling a pilot hole and placing the end of the metal tack (body contact) through the hole. Use a piece of tape to hold the tack flush against the front of the casing.

4. Place the end of a tinned, stripped wire into the hole on the opposite side of the casing. Use your soldering gun to melt the solder into the hole. This will secure the contact to the wire and the casing. Be careful not to breathe in the smoke from the solder.

Tips & Warnings

• You should purchase lead-free solder to protect yourself from inhaling lead when heating the solder.