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Solder station
- Thread starter woxofswa
- Start date
Careful what you solder
Try to stay away from soldering crimp connectors. It increase the chance a wire will break. My EAA tech advisor used to work for NASA as an electrical engineer and told me this.
On areas that you do solder, any decent pen iron should do the job, even an inexpensive one. Most important is a good mechanical connection prior to soldier. Heat the connection and let it melt the solder for a good connection. I also found a bucking bar made a fine rest for my iron.
Go on google and you can find short video clips on how to solder.
Try to stay away from soldering crimp connectors. It increase the chance a wire will break. My EAA tech advisor used to work for NASA as an electrical engineer and told me this.
On areas that you do solder, any decent pen iron should do the job, even an inexpensive one. Most important is a good mechanical connection prior to soldier. Heat the connection and let it melt the solder for a good connection. I also found a bucking bar made a fine rest for my iron.
Go on google and you can find short video clips on how to solder.
If you only plan to solder a couple of wires then a plain pen iron is fine. But, for a few $$ more you can get a decent station and have the verstility to solder connections, on boards, ect.
The problem with irons is that they continually increase in temp the longer they are on. More of a problem with small wires and components.
Here are a couple of low cost stations. The Hakko is a good deal.
http://www.web-tronics.com/autsolirstat.html
http://www.kiesub.com/hakko936.htm
Good luck,
The problem with irons is that they continually increase in temp the longer they are on. More of a problem with small wires and components.
Here are a couple of low cost stations. The Hakko is a good deal.
http://www.web-tronics.com/autsolirstat.html
http://www.kiesub.com/hakko936.htm
Good luck,
Mike S
Senior Curmudgeon
As stated above, breaking of the wire due to vibration is a problem.
One good thing to help mitigate the problem is shrink wrap tube over the joint, extend it a bit farther along the wire than needed for covering just the bare wire, it will help to support things, and minimize the flexing.
You can also do a couple of layers of shrink, and step the ends to make a graduated strengthening.
Supporting the wire with a clamp of some kind is better, but not always possible.
One good thing to help mitigate the problem is shrink wrap tube over the joint, extend it a bit farther along the wire than needed for covering just the bare wire, it will help to support things, and minimize the flexing.
You can also do a couple of layers of shrink, and step the ends to make a graduated strengthening.
Supporting the wire with a clamp of some kind is better, but not always possible.
Alan Gilmore
Active Member
I have been soldering for 30 years and I found the most important decision is probably whether to get a solder station with temperature control. It makes a huge difference. The tip stays CLEANER and lasts MUCH LONGER. The prices have dropped over the years and so they only cost a bit more than the solder stations that dont have temperature control. BEWARE...some solder stations have power control, but not temperature control. So, having a knob on the front isn't enough. Besure the knob controls temperature and not power!!! I looked at the info on the Hako SR-976 from Web-tronics and it does control temperature. They even have a nice graph of how it works. I have not had experience with this particular solder station, but I have used other Hako solder stations and they were all very good QUALITY.
I would suggest you purchase several different size tips...small, medium, large, etc. Start out with one of each, then when you decide which you like the best, then order several more of that type.
Be sure to purchase 63/37 solder instead of 60/30, and also be sure that it is for electronics as opposed to general purpose solder that has a flux that will corrode the electronics. I use a several sizes in the range of .020" to .062 and anything in that range should be reasonably close.
Sorry for the rambling, but my ADD took control
Thanks for the info.
This looks like the best option I've found so far.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3132686&cp=&sr=1&kw=digital+solder+station&origkw=digital+solder+station&parentPage=search
This looks like the best option I've found so far.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3132686&cp=&sr=1&kw=digital+solder+station&origkw=digital+solder+station&parentPage=search
PaigeHoffart
Well Known Member
Weller W60P
I've personally grown to like Weller products. They make a temperature controlled iron which is nice for service work. You have to change the tip to change temperature, but it's very handy, and you're not tethered to a box.
http://www.google.com/products?q=w60p+soldering&hl=en
Paige
I've personally grown to like Weller products. They make a temperature controlled iron which is nice for service work. You have to change the tip to change temperature, but it's very handy, and you're not tethered to a box.
http://www.google.com/products?q=w60p+soldering&hl=en
Paige
fmarino1976
Well Known Member
I like Weller
I have 2 weller soldering stations. The first one I bought as a student from a military surplus store, and it came in a metal case with a bunch of temperature tips. The second one is a "nicer" WES51 unit.
http://www.google.com/products?q=wes51&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd
I have never had any trouble with weller products. YMMV
I have 2 weller soldering stations. The first one I bought as a student from a military surplus store, and it came in a metal case with a bunch of temperature tips. The second one is a "nicer" WES51 unit.
http://www.google.com/products?q=wes51&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd
I have never had any trouble with weller products. YMMV
My take on soldering. I love it. I don't worry about the type of gun to use. Bigger the better. Why? Because I'm very prudent on how I use them. I have the solder in left hand, gun in the right, the solder is very close to the subject to be soldered. I crank up the gun and put in right on the wire to be soldered. I keep touching the solder on the opposite side to be soldered, when it melts I'm done with the gun, I pull it away along with the solder, of course I smear the solder all over the area first. I'm done I get the gun away and the solder, I make sure the wire is not moved one bit until it is cooled. If I have a heat sensitive object next to where I'm soldering, I take a small set of vice grip needle nose and snap it on the wire going to it and it will be a heat sink to protect the object. I love the Wellen product, I have three different size guns, I love my great big one for connecting two wires, I can get them done and on to the other one real quick.
A little more info. I here of people that talk about the use of big guns for soldering and being a no no. Well if you regulate the power, that's why I like the Wellen. Cold gun, when you take and put it where you need it, like under a panel, you end up on your head, taking your gun along when it's cool is real nice. It has a light. You get into possision and sqeeze the trigger and it's HOT, I like that one. Now you don't need to put it on the wire and wait and wait, if you have a big gun you pull the trigger and ZAP! it's hot now, you can touch the trigger and hit it on and off to make the perfect temp. You can hold the gun away from the wire a little and let the heat go UP to the wire and make it work also, so remember that one, put the heat on the bottom of the wire to be soldered and the solder in from the top or side. Oh here is one, put solder on the tip of the gun as you are heating it, will double the time it takes to get the wire hot, but make sure the solder comes in from a 90degree or 180degree to the tip on the wire for proper soldering when it's ready. There is no need for fancy equipment, just give me a Wellen gun and some GOOD solder. I like RadioShack part. no. 64-009E it's .032dia Rosin-core and 60/40. Don't forget the heat shrink, very important.
When it comes to solder stations I've seen/tried about every one out there.
Best that money can buy in my opinion are the good OKi/Metcal, Hakko's, or the high end Weller's - but all of the aformentioned are definitely geared to production work. We've pretty much settled on the OKi's and Pro Weller's in my shop, they are GREAT systems and we own about 12 of them. They are what many companies use in a production environment (TruTrak for example uses high end Weller machines). Hakko also makes good products as well, but we've settled on OKi/Metcal and Weller just do to ease/cost of tips and I also like the auto shut off on some models.
On a similar note, we've also tried about every model of heat gun out there. For the normal consumer about any will work, but we routinely blow up (and I mean they literally blow/burn up) the cheapo ones. We've long since settled on the WAY to expensive Steinel adjustable heat guns (and no, not just because of the name)! They are just simply the best we've tried over the years!
It adds up fast when you're buying a number of $300 heat guns and $600 solder stations, then add a couple grand worth of specialized tools for each technician and you'll see where our hard earned $$'s go!
My 2 cents as usual.....
Cheers,
Stein
Best that money can buy in my opinion are the good OKi/Metcal, Hakko's, or the high end Weller's - but all of the aformentioned are definitely geared to production work. We've pretty much settled on the OKi's and Pro Weller's in my shop, they are GREAT systems and we own about 12 of them. They are what many companies use in a production environment (TruTrak for example uses high end Weller machines). Hakko also makes good products as well, but we've settled on OKi/Metcal and Weller just do to ease/cost of tips and I also like the auto shut off on some models.
On a similar note, we've also tried about every model of heat gun out there. For the normal consumer about any will work, but we routinely blow up (and I mean they literally blow/burn up) the cheapo ones. We've long since settled on the WAY to expensive Steinel adjustable heat guns (and no, not just because of the name)!
They are just simply the best we've tried over the years!It adds up fast when you're buying a number of $300 heat guns and $600 solder stations, then add a couple grand worth of specialized tools for each technician and you'll see where our hard earned $$'s go!
My 2 cents as usual.....
Cheers,
Stein
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