Tool recommendations for flashlight modding

My 1st three mod attempts ended in dismal failure. I got pissed and stopped for 1 year. I recently tried another mod and it was a success (speer with 2.8a and XM-L).

My frustration came from not having the right soldering tip and not being able to see what the hell I was doing. I have the tiny magnified gripper station. BUT the dang thing is near useless. The lights from above reflect in the top of the glass and create a bright reflection that blocks me from seeing the object Im working on. The glass is CHEAP chinese junk and hugely distorted making it difficult to work. My soldering iron has a big tip so I end up melting everything. I tried a fine tip and its not hot enough and also hard to work with. My eyes are not so great either. Should I use a lighted magnifying hood or workstation?

So I need help...please!

Whats the ideal setup for working with drivers, chips, wires, led's?

Thanks in advance......

Re: Cant see what Im doing, Best lighted magnifying glass/station, what tip and what

anyone

Doesn't anyone here do soldering? Am I in the wrong forum?

Re: Cant see what Im doing, Best lighted magnifying glass/station, what tip and what

I would suggest revising your thread title to more accurately reflect what you are asking. For example, a title like "Tool recommendations for flashlight modding?" would show that you need help choosing the right tools. "Cant see what Im doing, Best lighted magnifying glass/station, what tip and what sold" is confusing enough to prevent people from answering.

There are many sizes of soldering iron tips. You can work with the average size of tip as long as you are careful and have a steady hand. The fine tips that some use for soldering SMD chips and components should also work, but you will have to wait longer for the heat transfer. If you have problems with the iron moving around too much, you can try resting your hand on something suitable while soldering to prevent fatigue, which can cause jitteyness.

If you need a new magnifying glass and you aren't having much luck, one place you can try are office supply stores, like Staples. You can usually try it out in store to see if it is good enough for you to work with.

Usually any type of solder will work, but keep in mind lead-free solder takes more heat to melt.

Hopefully this helps.

I would try a Chisel tip. The various angles of it are advantageous for differing applications. In the diy electronics community AOYUE irons are pretty popular for their price/performance point.

This is the soldering station that I use. It is a Hakko clone, and is built very well. I have two, and really like them (One is a new backup, just in case). I have used the first station for nearly 7 years, only replacing the iron two times. I do a lot of soldering, so that is a really good track record. The only thing that you will need besides the station and included stand, is a tip cleaner.

The included tip is good, but I buy Hakko tips from e-Bay, and prefer the 900M-T-I, which is a fine conical tip. 63/37 Kester solder is a must, as well as some quality solder flux for smooth joints.

also look into using flux, it does wonders while soldering. I recommend a flux pen