Need advice on beginner soldering
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CNC Dan
Enlightened
Get a higher wattage iron, and use a lamp dimmer to reduce the power when doing small stuff. You can turn it up all the way when you need more power.
Clean metal solders well. Dirty metal won't.
Use fine sandpaper to make all copper bright.
Rosin core solder is what you want.
Don't use flux made for plumbing.
Dan
Clean metal solders well. Dirty metal won't.
Use fine sandpaper to make all copper bright.
Rosin core solder is what you want.
Don't use flux made for plumbing.
Dan
kongfuchicken
Flashlight Enthusiast
Cheap-zilla comment here, I don't use a lamp dimmer, I just unplug the iron once in a while...
Works just as well...
Works just as well...
I saw on radio shacks website they had a soldering iron for 22.00 that had two wattage settings... 20watts and 40 watts. for most things I use a 50 watt iron but I have been soldering since I was 12 and for most stuff I can get on and off faster. Only on tiny stuff do I go to an iron that is about 15 watts. I recomment two tip types... a flat tip for most general stuff and a pencil tip for soldering tiny stuff. You may think about getting two irons, the flat for the high wattage iron and the pencil tip for a low wattage tiny work iron.
Buy the smaller diameter solder instead of the large diameter stuff, you will have to feed more solder in to get the job done but it is easier to work with, and get some solder wick for repairs and if you plan on taking a lot of parts out, get a solder sucker, the one with a locking push button, the cheapo bulb ones are a mess.
Tin your soldering iron tip and make sure it is clean before soldering, with a light layer of solder on it. make sure and touch all surfaces being soldered with the iron and feed the solder inbetween the surfaces and the iron tip. If you are soldering delicate components that may get damaged by heat you may want to consider getting a cheapo set of aluminum clips as heatsinks between the ciruit board and the component.
As CNC Dan said... do NOT buy acid core solder unless you KNOW you absolutely have to use it.
There is another thread about using solder for contact surfaces (batteries,etc) I think they are using 96%tin 4%silver. go with 60/40 or 63/37 solder. I have some 50/50 and find it is harder to melt and a waste of time compared to the 60/40 variations.
A few of my tricks/tips.
I use empty solder wick rolls and fill them up with solder from my big roll because they are easier to use and hold enough to last a long time, don't try to solder off a big spool, use a small enough one that you can hold it in one hand comfortably, you can also just wrap solder around a medicine bottle a dozen times, and pull it off to get a loop of solder. I find the skinny tubes with holes in them more trouble as they seem to kink at the wrong time and pulling the solder from them every time you need a lot is a pain.
When using solder wick on big areas of solder scrunch up the weave (make it wider by pushing it into itself) it will soak up more solder in less time.
When removing really old solder, sometimes it is best to ADD more newer rosin core solder then using solder wick or a pump as older solder sometimes is stiffer possibly due to oxidation or old rosin in it.
If your wiping sponge gets worn out buy a regular new sponge and cut slits half way through with a sharp utility knife. I think cellulose sponges are better than cheaper ones. The slits can clean your iron in fewer swipes than a flat sponge.
You will rarely need seperate rosin, don't buy any unless you are planning on soldering large metal surfaces because chances are it will never be used.
Wipe off your iron if you have too big of a solder blob on something then remelt the solder and pull the extra solder off with the iron.
Have a bright light the you can position over your soldering area, and get a vise to help steady and position things better for soldering.
If you find yourself soldering and needing an extra hand, you can buy stuff for that or make them using alligator clips and thick stiff wire hooked to something heavy on your soldering area.
If you are soldering tiny stuff.. invest in some magnification device, either cheapo reading glasses, I use 3x magnification, or a lamp/magnifier combo.
Cold solder joints usually don't look right, reheat and add a little more solder to ones you think may be bad.
Last but not least:
Wear long pants when soldering in case you drip some on yourself without thinking.
Good luck fellow solder dobbers
Buy the smaller diameter solder instead of the large diameter stuff, you will have to feed more solder in to get the job done but it is easier to work with, and get some solder wick for repairs and if you plan on taking a lot of parts out, get a solder sucker, the one with a locking push button, the cheapo bulb ones are a mess.
Tin your soldering iron tip and make sure it is clean before soldering, with a light layer of solder on it. make sure and touch all surfaces being soldered with the iron and feed the solder inbetween the surfaces and the iron tip. If you are soldering delicate components that may get damaged by heat you may want to consider getting a cheapo set of aluminum clips as heatsinks between the ciruit board and the component.
As CNC Dan said... do NOT buy acid core solder unless you KNOW you absolutely have to use it.
There is another thread about using solder for contact surfaces (batteries,etc) I think they are using 96%tin 4%silver. go with 60/40 or 63/37 solder. I have some 50/50 and find it is harder to melt and a waste of time compared to the 60/40 variations.
A few of my tricks/tips.
I use empty solder wick rolls and fill them up with solder from my big roll because they are easier to use and hold enough to last a long time, don't try to solder off a big spool, use a small enough one that you can hold it in one hand comfortably, you can also just wrap solder around a medicine bottle a dozen times, and pull it off to get a loop of solder. I find the skinny tubes with holes in them more trouble as they seem to kink at the wrong time and pulling the solder from them every time you need a lot is a pain.
When using solder wick on big areas of solder scrunch up the weave (make it wider by pushing it into itself) it will soak up more solder in less time.
When removing really old solder, sometimes it is best to ADD more newer rosin core solder then using solder wick or a pump as older solder sometimes is stiffer possibly due to oxidation or old rosin in it.
If your wiping sponge gets worn out buy a regular new sponge and cut slits half way through with a sharp utility knife. I think cellulose sponges are better than cheaper ones. The slits can clean your iron in fewer swipes than a flat sponge.
You will rarely need seperate rosin, don't buy any unless you are planning on soldering large metal surfaces because chances are it will never be used.
Wipe off your iron if you have too big of a solder blob on something then remelt the solder and pull the extra solder off with the iron.
Have a bright light the you can position over your soldering area, and get a vise to help steady and position things better for soldering.
If you find yourself soldering and needing an extra hand, you can buy stuff for that or make them using alligator clips and thick stiff wire hooked to something heavy on your soldering area.
If you are soldering tiny stuff.. invest in some magnification device, either cheapo reading glasses, I use 3x magnification, or a lamp/magnifier combo.
Cold solder joints usually don't look right, reheat and add a little more solder to ones you think may be bad.
Last but not least:
Wear long pants when soldering in case you drip some on yourself without thinking.
Good luck fellow solder dobbers
3rd_shift
Flashlight Enthusiast
Agreed with the advice given so far.
One more thing.
Find an old piece of electronic crap with no big capacitors in it at a second hand thrift store and practice desoldering and soldering stuff back in on it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif
When it gets to where you can solder a tiny smd chip to a gnat's rump without bogarting anything, you are about ready. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Good luck.
One more thing.
Find an old piece of electronic crap with no big capacitors in it at a second hand thrift store and practice desoldering and soldering stuff back in on it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif
When it gets to where you can solder a tiny smd chip to a gnat's rump without bogarting anything, you are about ready. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Good luck.
I have been doing a LOT of desoldering lately. I had an old VCR I pulled the parts from and have taken almost all the parts off of it, I even broke the tip of my old Ungar iron, it was pretty bent already I replaced it with an iron plad tip my dad had. My 50 watt iron really does a number fast on circuit boards but I would hesitate on smd stuff with it on a bad day for sure. My dad has an old princess soldering iron I would borrow for that.. very nice pencil tip 15 watt iron perfect balance. If I really get into doing electronics I want a temperature controlled soldering station and if I can find a super deal on one... a soldervac. I used one at a job in high school and took off about 25 14pin memory IC chips off an old TI960 computer. I got to where I could pop a chip off in about 45 seconds or so.
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
Blue tack is your friend. It'll help you hold down everything imaginable so you can solder hands free. There are dedicated devices for holding stuff together while you solder, but blue tack is cheap, readily available, and can augment them if needed. If in doubt get both. One thing's for sure, you'll really need things to stay together on their own when you have one hand full of iron and the other one full of lead/tin. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You can also do stuff with blue tack like 'pot' sandwiches temporarily to hold them at just the right height while you work on getting the contacts soldered.
Wish I had someone to tell me about the lead-free soldering solutions beforehand. Lead-free sounds very attractive but the extremely high melting point makes it better suited to commercial process technology. Of all the lead-free formulations I had to choose the one with ALMOST the highest melting point of all of them.. I was melting insulation off the wires (scrap wire, I use it when testing/playing so that I don't damage anything useful) when trying to work with it. Back on my 60/40 now and everything just seems to come together - solder flows more easily, joints form faster with no damage, and it doesn't bead up on the iron. Guess nothing teaches you like messing it up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Speaking of messing up, some band aids may be useful, been there, done it..
So will a small fan, because the acrid smell of solder fumes is not only annoying, it can be bad for you if you suck down too much of it. It tends to drift right in your face too.
You can also do stuff with blue tack like 'pot' sandwiches temporarily to hold them at just the right height while you work on getting the contacts soldered.
Wish I had someone to tell me about the lead-free soldering solutions beforehand. Lead-free sounds very attractive but the extremely high melting point makes it better suited to commercial process technology. Of all the lead-free formulations I had to choose the one with ALMOST the highest melting point of all of them.. I was melting insulation off the wires (scrap wire, I use it when testing/playing so that I don't damage anything useful) when trying to work with it. Back on my 60/40 now and everything just seems to come together - solder flows more easily, joints form faster with no damage, and it doesn't bead up on the iron. Guess nothing teaches you like messing it up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Speaking of messing up, some band aids may be useful, been there, done it..
So will a small fan, because the acrid smell of solder fumes is not only annoying, it can be bad for you if you suck down too much of it. It tends to drift right in your face too.
Hallis
Flashlight Enthusiast
From the ashes od disaster grow the roses of success, the best advice i could give you is take apart some old electronics that you're gonna toss in the trash and practace on those. Most home electronics should have a good mix of components on them uncluding surface mount. Now i just need to take my own advice and learn to solder. lol. Just gotta find a cheap little stand for my 40watt iron, Im tired of using the 100/140watt weller monster. Not too worried about heat since i mostly am just soldering bare wires and such, no electronic components just yet.
Shane
Shane
andrewwynn
Flashlight Enthusiast
for quickness sake, i actually bought the 20/40 RS iron.. it's a little clunky and nowhere near as nice as the weller it's trying to pretend to be but i can do smd 0603 with it, and sot-23 chips (although admittedly the six-pin variant was a PITA).
I want to mention.. what a great crowd, wonderful advice from every angle.
a couple things to add my two cents..
1) get a loupe.. you can get a cheap 8x plastic loupe for under $10, and you can get 8x or 10x magnification it's infinitely easier to double-check your joints.
2) somebody mentioned a 'bad joint doesn't look right'.. more specifically.. typically either a 'cold' joint or a 'fractured' joint..
2a. a 'cold' joint happens if one of the parts you are joining wasn't hot enough.. the solder will 'wick' very well onto the 'hot' part but 'repel' from the 'cold' typically.. if you are soldering onto a lead coming through a pc board, the shape rather than being flat, smoothing out to the board, the bottom of the solder will either be vertical or even curve back in (it will be round or spherical vs conical).
2b. a 'fractured' joint happens if you move the part while the solder solidifies.. the joint should be shiny like a mirror.. if you move the part exactly when the solder solidifies, it will in-effect be like frosted ice.. just as water when it freezes slowly w/o motion ends up being clear as glass.. but if it's in motion when it freezes is opaque.. solder does the same thing, so easy way to tell if the joint is good is that it's smooth and shiny.
3. 63/37 solder.. find some.. get some.. 20ga.. much easier to use for smaller stuff.. i typically just cut off a foot or so at a time and make a little spool to hold in my fingers like 1 1/2 inch diameter.. the difference between 60/40 and 63/37 solder goes right back to 2b above.. the exact mix of tin/lead makes for an exact transition from solid to liquid state.. there is no 'slushy' temperature where the tendency to fracture is high. I found a POUND roll for like $15 at an electronics store about 15 yrs ago.. i'm about 20% done.. for me.. a lifetime supply.
4. hitting a point home others have mentioned.. clean shiny stuff.. sanding before soldering.. and pre-cleaning the soldering tip and pre-tinning the soldering tip... i would never solder w/o a sponge handy.. and i always tin the tip before and after use.. good to tin the tip just before turning it off.. so it keeps the tip from oxidizing until the next use.. you'll just heat the blob of solder on the tip next time you use it and wipe it off on the sponge before you use it.. it keeps the tip clean.. the rosin in the solder acts as a cleaning agent and keeps the tip nice and shiny.
5. 'heat bridge'.. you'll notice that the tip of the iron won't transfer heat to a part very well unless there is some solder between the tip and the part.. a typical procedure is to pre-tin the tip... and position the tip such that the little bit of solder on the tip bridges the space between the iron tip and the part... best.. if you can touch both parts (say.. pcb trace, and resistor lead poking through).. so they heat evenly. I always try to heat the part and apply the solder from a different angle... a good way to prevent cold joints, and you'll see the solder flow really quickly and evenly when the parts are hot.. .caveat.. it's possible to damage parts with too much heat.. so quickly heating soldering and removing heat is good.. heat sinks to keep parts cooler is a good thing to have.
I think that's it for 'lessons'.. i have to mention that i just got the 'cold heat' soldering iron as a gift, and.. i've been soldering for about 27 yrs (i'm 36).. and it's quite a little thing.. it is not going to replace any mainstay soldering tools, there are better ways to solder most things... however.. for certain applications it's perfect. Say you want to solder a wire to a switch or solder lug on a speaker, larger items like this.. it's awesome... took a while to figure out how to use it exactly...the commercials are misleading, making it look like it works as fast as spot-welding (which is basically what it is)... it uses the concept of 'spot welding' to use the item you are soldering to generate the heat.. the tip is actually a semiconductor (made of mostly carbon it would seem)... split in two, so power goes down on half, through the conductive item you want to heat, and back up the other half).. The 'trick' is that it takes a while.. soldering on to some fairly small terminals it took 12-13 seconds to heat it up nice n not to make a clean solder joint, but it worked perfectly, with no pre-heating like a normal iron, no plug like a soldering gun.. and when it's done, just like they show in the commercials.. it's instantly cool enough to touch with your finger.. technically.. it's probably 300-400 deg.. (it was just in liquid solder).. but is made of carbon with virtually zero specific heat so your cool finger cools it down so quickly you don't feel it. (just like how you burn your hand if you touch a pot in the oven, or the grates.. but not if you touch the same temperature aluminum foil).. In any event... for those types of jobs, not having to plug, not having a big bulky gun, not having the dangers of the heat of the iron.. it's genius.
Good luck learning to solder.. be careful... don't breath the smoke (i habitually blow just a little when soldering to keep the smoke out of my eyes).. be VERY careful if you blow to cool... i got too close once and burnt my lip.. i'll never forget that!
-awr
I want to mention.. what a great crowd, wonderful advice from every angle.
a couple things to add my two cents..
1) get a loupe.. you can get a cheap 8x plastic loupe for under $10, and you can get 8x or 10x magnification it's infinitely easier to double-check your joints.
2) somebody mentioned a 'bad joint doesn't look right'.. more specifically.. typically either a 'cold' joint or a 'fractured' joint..
2a. a 'cold' joint happens if one of the parts you are joining wasn't hot enough.. the solder will 'wick' very well onto the 'hot' part but 'repel' from the 'cold' typically.. if you are soldering onto a lead coming through a pc board, the shape rather than being flat, smoothing out to the board, the bottom of the solder will either be vertical or even curve back in (it will be round or spherical vs conical).
2b. a 'fractured' joint happens if you move the part while the solder solidifies.. the joint should be shiny like a mirror.. if you move the part exactly when the solder solidifies, it will in-effect be like frosted ice.. just as water when it freezes slowly w/o motion ends up being clear as glass.. but if it's in motion when it freezes is opaque.. solder does the same thing, so easy way to tell if the joint is good is that it's smooth and shiny.
3. 63/37 solder.. find some.. get some.. 20ga.. much easier to use for smaller stuff.. i typically just cut off a foot or so at a time and make a little spool to hold in my fingers like 1 1/2 inch diameter.. the difference between 60/40 and 63/37 solder goes right back to 2b above.. the exact mix of tin/lead makes for an exact transition from solid to liquid state.. there is no 'slushy' temperature where the tendency to fracture is high. I found a POUND roll for like $15 at an electronics store about 15 yrs ago.. i'm about 20% done.. for me.. a lifetime supply.
4. hitting a point home others have mentioned.. clean shiny stuff.. sanding before soldering.. and pre-cleaning the soldering tip and pre-tinning the soldering tip... i would never solder w/o a sponge handy.. and i always tin the tip before and after use.. good to tin the tip just before turning it off.. so it keeps the tip from oxidizing until the next use.. you'll just heat the blob of solder on the tip next time you use it and wipe it off on the sponge before you use it.. it keeps the tip clean.. the rosin in the solder acts as a cleaning agent and keeps the tip nice and shiny.
5. 'heat bridge'.. you'll notice that the tip of the iron won't transfer heat to a part very well unless there is some solder between the tip and the part.. a typical procedure is to pre-tin the tip... and position the tip such that the little bit of solder on the tip bridges the space between the iron tip and the part... best.. if you can touch both parts (say.. pcb trace, and resistor lead poking through).. so they heat evenly. I always try to heat the part and apply the solder from a different angle... a good way to prevent cold joints, and you'll see the solder flow really quickly and evenly when the parts are hot.. .caveat.. it's possible to damage parts with too much heat.. so quickly heating soldering and removing heat is good.. heat sinks to keep parts cooler is a good thing to have.
I think that's it for 'lessons'.. i have to mention that i just got the 'cold heat' soldering iron as a gift, and.. i've been soldering for about 27 yrs (i'm 36).. and it's quite a little thing.. it is not going to replace any mainstay soldering tools, there are better ways to solder most things... however.. for certain applications it's perfect. Say you want to solder a wire to a switch or solder lug on a speaker, larger items like this.. it's awesome... took a while to figure out how to use it exactly...the commercials are misleading, making it look like it works as fast as spot-welding (which is basically what it is)... it uses the concept of 'spot welding' to use the item you are soldering to generate the heat.. the tip is actually a semiconductor (made of mostly carbon it would seem)... split in two, so power goes down on half, through the conductive item you want to heat, and back up the other half).. The 'trick' is that it takes a while.. soldering on to some fairly small terminals it took 12-13 seconds to heat it up nice n not to make a clean solder joint, but it worked perfectly, with no pre-heating like a normal iron, no plug like a soldering gun.. and when it's done, just like they show in the commercials.. it's instantly cool enough to touch with your finger.. technically.. it's probably 300-400 deg.. (it was just in liquid solder).. but is made of carbon with virtually zero specific heat so your cool finger cools it down so quickly you don't feel it. (just like how you burn your hand if you touch a pot in the oven, or the grates.. but not if you touch the same temperature aluminum foil).. In any event... for those types of jobs, not having to plug, not having a big bulky gun, not having the dangers of the heat of the iron.. it's genius.
Good luck learning to solder.. be careful... don't breath the smoke (i habitually blow just a little when soldering to keep the smoke out of my eyes).. be VERY careful if you blow to cool... i got too close once and burnt my lip.. i'll never forget that!
-awr
James S
Flashlight Enthusiast
don't worry about the lead. We've had many discussions on this, the vapor pressure of lead at the temperatures that a soldering iron can produce (say less than 800F I think) is such that no lead is vaporized into the air at all. But as others have said the fumes from the flux can be very nasty indeed. The danger from lead is getting it on your hands and then into your mouth or eyes or something. So wash your hands after soldering and don't eat at the same time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I'll second the recommendation for splurging the $75 or $80 that a good soldering station from weller or soloman would cost. You won't ever regret it. Adjustable temperature, and heat up in only a minute or less to a usable temp. very nice features indeed!
All the other advise here is very good, wear pants, take the time to setup before you pick up the soldering iron, (in other words, you can't be in a hurry or you'll mess it up and possibly hurt yourself too. Don't solder over your lap
)
I'll second the recommendation for splurging the $75 or $80 that a good soldering station from weller or soloman would cost. You won't ever regret it. Adjustable temperature, and heat up in only a minute or less to a usable temp. very nice features indeed!
All the other advise here is very good, wear pants, take the time to setup before you pick up the soldering iron, (in other words, you can't be in a hurry or you'll mess it up and possibly hurt yourself too. Don't solder over your lap
)
koala
Flashlight Enthusiast
Agree regarding the lead. Don't eat them. Wash your hands all the time.
A few more..
If you got surplus long cords try to hang them up so they don't get in to your way. If your iron burns it's way through the wire you get a nice short or maybe fire. Good soldering tools come with high temperature cables that can withstand high heat.
Don't melt solder directly on expensive tips, they corrode easily.
Do it in an open area, no fume is safe. Have a fan beside you so the air around you circulates.
If you are using a cheapo soldering iron without adjustable temp, plug it in to a nearby plug with an on/off switch. So you can switch it off and on when you need it.
If you are using a cheapo soldering iron you can set the tip temperature by adjusting the length of the tip.
***Question
Does the light dimmer trick really works for adjusting temperature? I know the max temperature is limited by the soldering iron heater. Is this safe?
vince.
A few more..
If you got surplus long cords try to hang them up so they don't get in to your way. If your iron burns it's way through the wire you get a nice short or maybe fire. Good soldering tools come with high temperature cables that can withstand high heat.
Don't melt solder directly on expensive tips, they corrode easily.
Do it in an open area, no fume is safe. Have a fan beside you so the air around you circulates.
If you are using a cheapo soldering iron without adjustable temp, plug it in to a nearby plug with an on/off switch. So you can switch it off and on when you need it.
If you are using a cheapo soldering iron you can set the tip temperature by adjusting the length of the tip.
***Question
Does the light dimmer trick really works for adjusting temperature? I know the max temperature is limited by the soldering iron heater. Is this safe?
vince.
kenny
Newly Enlightened
The dimmer switch just puts less 'juice' to the iron. we use those all the time for wax pens when working waxes for jewelry. Amongst my tools are also a couple of clothes-pins that work pretty good as extra hands.
someone mentioned tinning the tip -- that is critical. clean it really good and put solder all over the tip. let it sit there for a bit and then wipe it with your sponge and re-solder. Always keep fresh solder on it until just before you use it, then wipe clean, use, and re-tin. I use cheap thick Radio Shack solder for tinning, and the fine stuff, for actually soldering.
someone mentioned tinning the tip -- that is critical. clean it really good and put solder all over the tip. let it sit there for a bit and then wipe it with your sponge and re-solder. Always keep fresh solder on it until just before you use it, then wipe clean, use, and re-tin. I use cheap thick Radio Shack solder for tinning, and the fine stuff, for actually soldering.
Great tips everyone, I don't want to spend too much because I don't know if I will be soldering much so I am looking to get from Radio Shack, the $22 dual wattage with workstation unit, and some solder to start with.
For desoldering, which do I need, a desoldering braid or a vacuum solder tool?
So for the solder, I find on the RS website the following. Which is best?
96/4 0.032" - avoid?
63/37 0.050" - too large of dia.?
62/36/2 0.022" - dont' know what is "2%", too small dia.?
60/40 0.032" - get this?
For desoldering, which do I need, a desoldering braid or a vacuum solder tool?
So for the solder, I find on the RS website the following. Which is best?
96/4 0.032" - avoid?
63/37 0.050" - too large of dia.?
62/36/2 0.022" - dont' know what is "2%", too small dia.?
60/40 0.032" - get this?
3rd_shift
Flashlight Enthusiast
I would say to just start with the workstation kit and use the solder it came with to see if you are comfortable with that size/type solder.
Then you will know if you need smaller or larger diameter soldering wire.
But just trust me, once you start desoldering/soldering on a piece of electronic junk, you will quickly get the hang of it.
One more thing.
Get a disposable oven baking pan to catch any solder that drips off.
Because it often will.
Then you will know if you need smaller or larger diameter soldering wire.
But just trust me, once you start desoldering/soldering on a piece of electronic junk, you will quickly get the hang of it.
One more thing.
Get a disposable oven baking pan to catch any solder that drips off.
Because it often will.
Doug S
Flashlight Enthusiast
[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:
Blue tack is your friend.
[/ QUOTE ]
OK. I'll bite. What is Blue tack?
KevinL said:
Blue tack is your friend.
[/ QUOTE ]
OK. I'll bite. What is Blue tack?
[ QUOTE ]
mapson said:
For desoldering, which do I need, a desoldering braid or a vacuum solder tool?
So for the solder, I find on the RS website the following. Which is best?
96/4 0.032" - avoid?
63/37 0.050" - too large of dia.?
62/36/2 0.022" - dont' know what is "2%", too small dia.?
60/40 0.032" - get this?
[/ QUOTE ]
I would get the solder wick to start with and if you decide to continue soldering and find a need to desolder lots of parts get the spring loaded solder sucker. The wick with practice can do almost all your desoldering needs, but the sucker/vaccuum tool is a lot faster/easier on smaller connections.
The 96/4 solder is mainly useful for contact points, I wouldn't bother buying it till you find a need for it as it most likely you will find it hard to learn/work with.
If the soldering station comes with some solder I would use it first, I have both the larger and smaller diameter solder myself and find myself only using the larger stuff when soldering big joints or using a trigger 100+watt iron. I find the smaller soldering sizes more managable for most everyday tasks because the larger diameters you end up feeding too much solder in causing more blobs on your joints.
The 60/40 63/x solder types are fine. I haven't much used the 63/x varieties but I think the difference in normal soldering uses would be negligable. I have used 50/50 and it melts at a higher temp, and I haven't used it since. If you find yourself soldering uber tiny stuff a lot go with the smallest diameter solder they have, it will make it easier to not have to suck excess blobs off. Don't buy fluxless solder unless you are absolutely sure you have to use it, it and the more exotic solders (96/4 etc) will most likely sit and gather dust if you don't already need them.
I think the 60/40 .032 solder probably would be the best compromise on size, unless you find yourself only soldering rather large or very small stuff only it should be easier for a wide variety of stuff. The thicker solder is probably easier to learn with at first but after you get practiced it is actually harder to use, mostly because you get used to feeding and positioning solder and the larger diameter doesn't flex as much so you don't *miss* the spot as often, then the larger stuff ends up taking more practice on overfeeding it to prevent excess solder buildup or *blobs*
Avoid buying large rolls of no name generic solder, instead get a brand you have tried or know is good, some cheapo solders I have come across at rare times are not made to normal specifications, either they melt at a lot higher temp, or the flux in them isn't right, some even had hollow core that was empty for several feet (no flux).
If you really get into soldering a lot with expensive heat sensitive parts on small ciruit boards I would consider getting a better iron/setup. I myself desire a temperature controlled soldering station but haven't the funds nor needs to support the purchase at this time.
mapson said:
For desoldering, which do I need, a desoldering braid or a vacuum solder tool?
So for the solder, I find on the RS website the following. Which is best?
96/4 0.032" - avoid?
63/37 0.050" - too large of dia.?
62/36/2 0.022" - dont' know what is "2%", too small dia.?
60/40 0.032" - get this?
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I would get the solder wick to start with and if you decide to continue soldering and find a need to desolder lots of parts get the spring loaded solder sucker. The wick with practice can do almost all your desoldering needs, but the sucker/vaccuum tool is a lot faster/easier on smaller connections.
The 96/4 solder is mainly useful for contact points, I wouldn't bother buying it till you find a need for it as it most likely you will find it hard to learn/work with.
If the soldering station comes with some solder I would use it first, I have both the larger and smaller diameter solder myself and find myself only using the larger stuff when soldering big joints or using a trigger 100+watt iron. I find the smaller soldering sizes more managable for most everyday tasks because the larger diameters you end up feeding too much solder in causing more blobs on your joints.
The 60/40 63/x solder types are fine. I haven't much used the 63/x varieties but I think the difference in normal soldering uses would be negligable. I have used 50/50 and it melts at a higher temp, and I haven't used it since. If you find yourself soldering uber tiny stuff a lot go with the smallest diameter solder they have, it will make it easier to not have to suck excess blobs off. Don't buy fluxless solder unless you are absolutely sure you have to use it, it and the more exotic solders (96/4 etc) will most likely sit and gather dust if you don't already need them.
I think the 60/40 .032 solder probably would be the best compromise on size, unless you find yourself only soldering rather large or very small stuff only it should be easier for a wide variety of stuff. The thicker solder is probably easier to learn with at first but after you get practiced it is actually harder to use, mostly because you get used to feeding and positioning solder and the larger diameter doesn't flex as much so you don't *miss* the spot as often, then the larger stuff ends up taking more practice on overfeeding it to prevent excess solder buildup or *blobs*
Avoid buying large rolls of no name generic solder, instead get a brand you have tried or know is good, some cheapo solders I have come across at rare times are not made to normal specifications, either they melt at a lot higher temp, or the flux in them isn't right, some even had hollow core that was empty for several feet (no flux).
If you really get into soldering a lot with expensive heat sensitive parts on small ciruit boards I would consider getting a better iron/setup. I myself desire a temperature controlled soldering station but haven't the funds nor needs to support the purchase at this time.
