The worst build in history

[Yorick]

I don't know if you do this or not, but if you take some fine steel wool and rub your copper traces until they shine, your solder will flow more freely onto the trace and around the component lead.

I notice that your solder is beading up in places, and this might be one reason why - dull, oxidized copper can resist solder in my experience (but not always).

I never have that problem with resin core.

[nexekho]

Woooo!  Thanks for all your help.  I've been practicing a bit and found it helps a lot to have some kind of heatsink on what you're soldering and also to keep the iron as vertical as possible.

Note that the 555 is on leads; I think my iron's a touch hot and vaporised one of the leads on the socket somehow.

Now to package!