Suggest a Soldering Iron Setup

OK, since it looks like I'll have to learn how to solder to get my FireFly semi-completes lights to work properly, plus the fact that I want to dabble in the E-Can world, I'm going to need a soldering iron and accessories.

I plan on using this exclusively for fine/detailed work like this only. That being said, what's a good soldering iron + accessories to get? I'd prefer to order on-line, but it's not an absolute requirement. I also need information on what type of solder to get and what gauge of wire is typically used to connect all this stuff together.

The Weller WTCPT is a nice temperature controlled iron -it comes with a small chisel point 700 degF tip.For real fine detailed work you can get a smaller tip but best to stay with a 700deg tip regardless.
I use Radio shack solder (the really thin stuff) and one of those weighted bases with aligator clips to hold your work-and you will need some small desoldering braid and heat sink clips .I don't often mod lights but this is some basic stuff to get started.
The iron was around $100.00 from Wassco -they have all the things you need for soldering including the best desoldering braid.
You should probably use a "no clean" solder for the neatest work.

I am sure this is sacrelig to most around here, but it works well for me, and it is cheap. I use a butane powered iron from Radio Shack. It runs $20.00 and comes with the smallest tip. ( Sorry, I don't remember the measurment right now!!).
I am an alarm tech so I use it in the field alot, but when I bring it inside to work on flashlights the temp can be adjusted by moving the gas valve up or down. Plus no annoying cord to melt (not that I have ever done that, oh except that one time, and that other time!!)
I guess to each and every one his own.....

I have used a WTCPT series iron for over ten years now. The element in it opened up a year ago, but a replacement brought it to like-new operation. There are a variety of tip shapes and sizes available. I prefer a PTA tip (700 deg, small chisle/pencil tip) for most of my work, though you may prefer something different.

The Radio Shack rosin core solder is good (I haven't tried the no-clean variety though) but I have always used Kester 60/40 "33" Rosin Core solder. Multicore solder is really good if you can get your hands on the stuff. The wetting action is amazing...excellent for small work. Very clean, too. Here is the Loctite PDF catalog of Multicore products:

http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/loctite/binarydata/pdf/lt3758a_Solder.pdf

The wire solder products are at the bottom of page 4. Unfortuniately they do not specify solder wire diameter, but the stuff I used was quite fine.

If you want a serious setup, you can find Metcal's on E-bay for $100-$150, they're normally several hundreds of dollars. I'm not knocking the Weller, or the less expensive setups (I have an old Hako 926), but if you're working with SMT components, the Metcal's perform much better due to the way it regulates temperature. You'll notice that the Metcal's do not have a temperature control. It doesn't need one. There's a servo loop in there with a fairly short response time that allows you to quickly solder SMT or large through hole components without worrying about overtemperature. We use Metcals at work and there's no comparison after you use the "old style" and the Metcals. I admit, they're pricey, but you gotta decide for yourself how much you're willing to pay for a quality pro-grade tool.

Solder wick-Let's you wick solder when you screw up, which will happen a lot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Flux pen-Flux lets solder flow more freely, it's an anti-oxidizing agent. A flux pen gives you more control in localizing where you apply flux. You don't want this stuff anywhere except around the solder joint

Q-Tips, alcohol--For when your penmanship with the flux pen is not so good, this is the clean up stuff. Flux can corrode surfaces over time so it's best to remove the excess when you're done.

22 guage wire is probably OK for general purpose flashlight mod work. I also have 20, 24 guage. Don't go too small for circuit paths that carry primary circuit current.

Hope this helps.

here's a link for a decent solder station, temperature control is important and not just a 20 or 40 watt temp control doesn't give enough options, check out the Hako below:
Model 94-680

http://mcm.newark.com/NewarkWebCommerce/mcm/en_US/support/search/searchResults.jsp?action=0&First=0&QText=solder+station&x=13&y=6

Is the braid preferable over those desoldering suction deals? I haven't soldered in over a decade, but I remember using one of those suction devices to desolder. I also used the braid but in my old age I can't remember if I preferred one to the other.

IMO, the suction station really "sucks".

The suction method works with through hole parts. The braids work better with SMT parts.

keithhr is right about temp control. However, the presence of a temperature control "knob" doesn't give you an indication of how well the iron responds to going from a no-load to a full load condition. When using a cheap iron and soldering large components, I usually have to set the knob on the hottest setting to overcome the thermal inertia of the large parts. This is not good. It's better to have an iron that responds quickly to changing loads on the tip. I'm not exactly sure how the Metcals work, but I can go from soldering fine pitch smt one second, then move over to solder a through hole part to a ground plane the next second and the Metcal's response time is unbeatable.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I don't recommend using braids to remove surface mount parts - unless it is used to 'blob' the whole component and lift all 'pins' at the same time. Braid can be used for cleaning the pads up - carefully so you don't lift/rip them off. A better way to remove SMT parts is with hot air - and at home a great thing to have is one of those butane soldering irons. Buy a hot air attachement for it and you can remove parts non-destructively after a little practice. Don't be tempted to lift a part until the solder is truly melted, otherwise you might lift the whole pad off.

I also HIGHLY recommend a Metcal - reasonable deals on Ebay. You can't beat its thermal response time - you win in 2 ways - 1) you get to use a cooler tip to do your soldering (600F works well) AND 2) you can use a smaller tip. Even though you can get small tips for Wellers/Hakkos etc - they just can't keep the tip temperature when they touch a larger pad/component and the solder just doesn't melt. This is where the Metcal's technology excels.

When at all possible, spend the extra $ (if you have them...) and buy the best you can afford. Good tools/equipment will pay for itself.

Beyond the soldering iron, you want the right solder and the right flux for the work you are attempting. I've written it before and I'll keep writing it (well linking to it anyway): CPF thread
george.

Metcal. Do a search on "metcal" in the electronics forum and read the related threads.

At the risk of loosing what little credibility I have around here, I want to respectfully disagree with the 'conventional wisdom', at least to some degree.

You don't need (or want) a two thousand dollar mountain bike to learn to ride on. When you first start out soldering, you can learn as much (and I'll maintain more if you're willing to pay attention) from a much more modest iron. It's not rocket science, but it is a skill and you severely shortchange yourself by not dealing with it as such. As Cooper is want to say 'owning a good pistol doesn't make you a good shot any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician', or words to that effect.

I therefore suggest mid range irons, not even necessarily temperature controlled ones (although I've had excellent experiences with Wellers for the last 30 years or more, basically since they came out). I suggest spending the rest of the money on parts to work on. Learn what you're doing (and maybe be sure you really want to do this sort of thing, there's a lot of 'few hours only' irons on the used market....), and when you understand what it is that's involved, what's important to what it is you want to do, and what you'll really need to get where you're going. Then upgrade. You'll get more than your money's worth from your first serious iron (which you can now sell for say half it's original cost?). Maybe, just maybe save yourself a bunch of bucks buying a more fancy one you end up not using.......

Cleanness, heat, and flux are the cardinal keys to good soldering, the iron is only marginally involved with the heat aspect. "It's a poor Craftsman that blames his tool".

Doug Owen

I have to weigh in with Doug on this one.

A decent Weller or knock off iron will do 90% of what you need it to do. The low end irons are NOT good for SMT work, but you don't want to go there as a beginner. For through hole and discrete work just pick up something to start out.

jbk