This has been covered, but in a conversation with the local amp repair man with a 2 month backlog of work added something new. I was trying to get him to build something and he was interested in the design, but he told me to learn myself and quit messing around with crappy $40 soldering irons - that $100 was probably what I would be looking at online.
He mentioned Hakko and Weller and stated that in recent years Weller realized it was falling behind and had come out with new irons which didn't just heat the tip at one point but had a larger contact surface into the tip. Is this the case with the WES-51 and iron as sold by Amazon for about $95? - Or a reference to a specific type of iron?
Next question is if I should be buying extra tips, and if so what type? I have never been able to solder but know I wasn't cleaning surfaces properly in addition to using cheap irons.
Additional products he recommended were Kester 44 in .030" and Chemwick for desoldering.
Basically told me he would be happy to check my work, a quick inspection of "this is good - this is bad".
First project probably an ob2, then amp camp, and see if I have what it takes for bigger projects. There is a lot I need to learn and figure these two projects should be better for learning than spending another couple hundred hours reading what is over my head.
He mentioned Hakko and Weller and stated that in recent years Weller realized it was falling behind and had come out with new irons which didn't just heat the tip at one point but had a larger contact surface into the tip. Is this the case with the WES-51 and iron as sold by Amazon for about $95? - Or a reference to a specific type of iron?
Next question is if I should be buying extra tips, and if so what type? I have never been able to solder but know I wasn't cleaning surfaces properly in addition to using cheap irons.
Additional products he recommended were Kester 44 in .030" and Chemwick for desoldering.
Basically told me he would be happy to check my work, a quick inspection of "this is good - this is bad".
First project probably an ob2, then amp camp, and see if I have what it takes for bigger projects. There is a lot I need to learn and figure these two projects should be better for learning than spending another couple hundred hours reading what is over my head.
clean surfaces are very important.
correct solder is very important.
correct temperature is very important.
Cleaning
you must clean down to bare copper, no grease/oil and no paint enamel.
Except when the lead or surface is pretinned. (pretinned = covered with solder)
Pretinned sometimes benefits f#from retinning with fresh flux and solder to remove old oxides and other contamination.
Solder
use leaded solder. use eutectic solder
The easiest and cheapest eutectic, leaded solder is 63% tin (Sn) with 37% lead (Pb) (63/37 SnPb)
Do not use 60/40 nor 40/60.
Flux cored is best since you don't have to add flux, it's in the solder.
Temperature
A non adjustable soldering iron is usually good enough. It should be made to be hot enough for joints that suit it's bit size and for ordinary solders.
If you want to invest in an adjustable temperature iron, then you will need to learn how to set the temperature to suit the solder and the flux and the joint. Usually around 280°C to 300°C is about right for small electronics jobs & 63/37.
I have been soldering for nearly 50years and I got my first solder wick a couple of weeks ago.
But, I made a solder stand from a bent wire coat hanger AFTER I burnt my bedroom carpet !
correct solder is very important.
correct temperature is very important.
Cleaning
you must clean down to bare copper, no grease/oil and no paint enamel.
Except when the lead or surface is pretinned. (pretinned = covered with solder)
Pretinned sometimes benefits f#from retinning with fresh flux and solder to remove old oxides and other contamination.
Solder
use leaded solder. use eutectic solder
The easiest and cheapest eutectic, leaded solder is 63% tin (Sn) with 37% lead (Pb) (63/37 SnPb)
Do not use 60/40 nor 40/60.
Flux cored is best since you don't have to add flux, it's in the solder.
Temperature
A non adjustable soldering iron is usually good enough. It should be made to be hot enough for joints that suit it's bit size and for ordinary solders.
If you want to invest in an adjustable temperature iron, then you will need to learn how to set the temperature to suit the solder and the flux and the joint. Usually around 280°C to 300°C is about right for small electronics jobs & 63/37.
I have been soldering for nearly 50years and I got my first solder wick a couple of weeks ago.
But, I made a solder stand from a bent wire coat hanger AFTER I burnt my bedroom carpet !
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These are hard days for a beginner regarding tools selection.
The requirements have change dramatically in the last 10 years.
Any modern soldering station must be capable to rabidly control it temperature and also to be capable for soldering of tiny surface mount components.
For 30$ you get a useless axe in size soldering iron, when the appropriate soldering stations hoovering at 500$.
I wanted to have the advantages of the high priced ones at a reasonable cost and the solution become available in 2014, ATTEN AT-90DH. ( 140 EUR)
The requirements have change dramatically in the last 10 years.
Any modern soldering station must be capable to rabidly control it temperature and also to be capable for soldering of tiny surface mount components.
For 30$ you get a useless axe in size soldering iron, when the appropriate soldering stations hoovering at 500$.
I wanted to have the advantages of the high priced ones at a reasonable cost and the solution become available in 2014, ATTEN AT-90DH. ( 140 EUR)
If you aren't in EUROPE, you are much better off with the Hakko FX888D. Cheaper (less than $100) and better quality than the atten. I have this one and its a great station very very high quality.
Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
I am afraid that I will displease you. 🙂
If you have the chance to test one AT-90DH you will sold your Hakko on eBay in 15 minutes and you will never look back.
If you have the chance to test one AT-90DH you will sold your Hakko on eBay in 15 minutes and you will never look back.
I would second the Hakko FX888 either the analog or digital one.
I have the digital and my buddy has the analog, I have used both and I like both.
I prefer the Hakko over my Weller WES51 that I have at work.
I have recently switched to Cardas Quad Eutectic solder, I don't believe the audiophool mumbojumbo about it but I do know it is the finest solder I have ever used.
It flows extremely well and it melts at lower temps than the Kester 44 63/37 I use at work.
It can be found for a reasonable price from Percy Audio, they don't have a web store but ordering via E-Mail with them is very easy.
Pricing from them is a bit more than Kester 44 but I find it to be a superior solder and I won't look back.
Look for good quality desoldering braid also, TechSpray makes a fantastic desoldering wick, look for the non ROHS kind whatever you get it just seems to work better.
If you know the size of the soldering tip you have, try to find desoldering braid/wick that is about 2 times wider than the tip.
I have the digital and my buddy has the analog, I have used both and I like both.
I prefer the Hakko over my Weller WES51 that I have at work.
I have recently switched to Cardas Quad Eutectic solder, I don't believe the audiophool mumbojumbo about it but I do know it is the finest solder I have ever used.
It flows extremely well and it melts at lower temps than the Kester 44 63/37 I use at work.
It can be found for a reasonable price from Percy Audio, they don't have a web store but ordering via E-Mail with them is very easy.
Pricing from them is a bit more than Kester 44 but I find it to be a superior solder and I won't look back.
Look for good quality desoldering braid also, TechSpray makes a fantastic desoldering wick, look for the non ROHS kind whatever you get it just seems to work better.
If you know the size of the soldering tip you have, try to find desoldering braid/wick that is about 2 times wider than the tip.
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Nah, no displeasing. I'm not that good to any brand. While it's increased performance might be true; the Atten is double the price (if not triple the price when the sales are good). Additionally, the FX888D is more than enough for any beginner. I won't dispute the increased abilities of the Atten of you say its good. Just that for a beginner the increased abilities are not going to be noticeable.
Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
I recommend Weller if you're on a budget. The WES-51 is a nice budget iron. If you're in Europe, you may find a good deal on a Weller TCP. That was the workhorse iron in many European electronics labs. They're practically indestructible. There's a newer model, the WTCP which is pretty nice as well.
For both the TCP and WTPC, the tip temperature is controlled by a magnetic gizmo in the tip itself, so to change temperature, you change the tip. This sounds inconvenient, but in reality, how many people actually ever change the temperature of their soldering iron? If you have to crank up the temperature to get the solder to flow, you're using the wrong tip or the wrong iron. The TCP and WTCP are very nice for leaded parts, but a tad big for SMD parts. If you don't plan to solder a bunch of surface mounted parts, they'll serve you well. If you do plan to solder surface mounted devices, the WES is a better choice.
If you have a larger budget, get a METCAL MX-500. I picked one up on eBay for dimes on the dollar during the recession and absolutely *LOVE* it. My trusty old (bought in 1988) Weller TCP is collecting dust.
Regardless of brand, get a temperature controlled soldering iron in the 50 W range. Get a couple of different tips for it. I'd go with a 1.0 mm chisel tip for SMDs, a 1.6 mm chisel for leaded parts, and a 6.3 mm chisel for when I just need to dump some heat into the work area.
Whatever you buy, make sure it is TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED!
~Tom
For both the TCP and WTPC, the tip temperature is controlled by a magnetic gizmo in the tip itself, so to change temperature, you change the tip. This sounds inconvenient, but in reality, how many people actually ever change the temperature of their soldering iron? If you have to crank up the temperature to get the solder to flow, you're using the wrong tip or the wrong iron. The TCP and WTCP are very nice for leaded parts, but a tad big for SMD parts. If you don't plan to solder a bunch of surface mounted parts, they'll serve you well. If you do plan to solder surface mounted devices, the WES is a better choice.
If you have a larger budget, get a METCAL MX-500. I picked one up on eBay for dimes on the dollar during the recession and absolutely *LOVE* it. My trusty old (bought in 1988) Weller TCP is collecting dust.
Regardless of brand, get a temperature controlled soldering iron in the 50 W range. Get a couple of different tips for it. I'd go with a 1.0 mm chisel tip for SMDs, a 1.6 mm chisel for leaded parts, and a 6.3 mm chisel for when I just need to dump some heat into the work area.
Whatever you buy, make sure it is TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED!
~Tom
My last rambling will be that I wish to this imaginary beginner to not touch any computers parts for getting them repaired until getting a proper multifunctional soldering station at 90W as minimum.
In our times all soldering is made by robots in the modern production lines, if you have to repair modern electronics you need to follow the river flow from your very beginning.
I own two 30W common soldering irons (JBC & ANTEX), a pistol type at 200W made in USA, an hammer type at 400W with wooden handle, also an 45W controlled station since 1996, and for advanced soldering this fresh AT-90DH at 90W with 7 seconds heating time.
Therefore just one is never enough. 😉
I use a £15 Maplin 30 watt soldering iron.
It comes with various sized bits which is useful.
The most important protection you can buy is glasses.
They will stop solder splashing in your eyes.
Also snipped leads can hit you in the eye too.
I use reading glasses which magnify things a bit which is good as I am short sighted now.
It comes with various sized bits which is useful.
The most important protection you can buy is glasses.
They will stop solder splashing in your eyes.
Also snipped leads can hit you in the eye too.
I use reading glasses which magnify things a bit which is good as I am short sighted now.
Jeff, since you're in the US, I'll mention that a local mailorder place sells most of the stuff you'll need, at reasonable prices: ALL-SPEC
I'm a fan of Kester KW4400 solder, I use it for hand soldering both thru-hole and SMD boards. I also enthusiastically recommend liquid flux AND Kester KF95105 No-Clean flux pens. Don't believe the "No Clean" baloney; get a pint of 99% isopropyl alcohol and a soft bristle toothbrush, and clean your soldered boards carefully, by hand, both sides.
You'll want to buy two or three widths of desoldering braid, including a very narrow one and (surprisingly) a very wide one. Braid that has been rosin coated seems to work best for me; I buy TechSpray "ProWick" resin coated braid exclusively. Why superwide? To desolder those biga$$ss lugs on Euro connectors, TO-220 power semiconductors, and AC mains switches / inlets / fuses / etc.
You'll also want some small (5/8 inch jaw length) diagonal-cutter "dykes", to cut leads in tight areas, INCLUDING cutting leads from the component side of the board, of parts you want to remove and discard, so you can solder a brand new part in its place.
I'm glad I spent the money on a couple of lead forming tools (Like These) but of course they are totally optional. They merely save time and give a neater appearance to your finished board, which you may not wish to pay for right away.
I use a Hakko FX-888 soldering iron and am perfectly happy with it; it replaced a Weller stand model (adjustable temp, no readout) I bought for $40 back in the 1980s.
Optional but worth the money in my opinion, is a PanaVise plus PCB holder jaws. Build a couple boards without it and see whether you begin to covet a PanaVise. If so, treat yourself.
I'm a fan of Kester KW4400 solder, I use it for hand soldering both thru-hole and SMD boards. I also enthusiastically recommend liquid flux AND Kester KF95105 No-Clean flux pens. Don't believe the "No Clean" baloney; get a pint of 99% isopropyl alcohol and a soft bristle toothbrush, and clean your soldered boards carefully, by hand, both sides.
You'll want to buy two or three widths of desoldering braid, including a very narrow one and (surprisingly) a very wide one. Braid that has been rosin coated seems to work best for me; I buy TechSpray "ProWick" resin coated braid exclusively. Why superwide? To desolder those biga$$ss lugs on Euro connectors, TO-220 power semiconductors, and AC mains switches / inlets / fuses / etc.
You'll also want some small (5/8 inch jaw length) diagonal-cutter "dykes", to cut leads in tight areas, INCLUDING cutting leads from the component side of the board, of parts you want to remove and discard, so you can solder a brand new part in its place.
I'm glad I spent the money on a couple of lead forming tools (Like These) but of course they are totally optional. They merely save time and give a neater appearance to your finished board, which you may not wish to pay for right away.
I use a Hakko FX-888 soldering iron and am perfectly happy with it; it replaced a Weller stand model (adjustable temp, no readout) I bought for $40 back in the 1980s.
Optional but worth the money in my opinion, is a PanaVise plus PCB holder jaws. Build a couple boards without it and see whether you begin to covet a PanaVise. If so, treat yourself.
Those sorts have a large "pasty" region and are difficult to get good quality joints with. Try both 60/40 and 63/37 and you'll notice
the difference right away. There's no real cost difference.
What he is saying is that 63/37 is a true eutectic solder. This means it immediately transitions from liquid to solid with no appreciable in between state. This helps prevent bad/cold solder joints where you move the part during the pasty phase.
Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
Yes, disturbing the connection while hot should be avoided, even with eutectic solder.
Another advantage for 63/37 is a lower melting point vs 60/40.
I am partial to the Weller WTCPS for general work and a METCAL unit for
high density interconnects. The recovery speed of the Metcal is very good as is
the amount of heat delivered when required.
A Bausch & Lomb Stereo7 microscope is very useful for fine detail soldering.
Both types rely on the Curie effect to regulate tip temperature, strange
coincidence ?
A cheap source of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol for few dollars is Safeway Stores.
So called Pharmacies here just carry watered down slop with high prices.
high density interconnects. The recovery speed of the Metcal is very good as is
the amount of heat delivered when required.
A Bausch & Lomb Stereo7 microscope is very useful for fine detail soldering.
Both types rely on the Curie effect to regulate tip temperature, strange
coincidence ?
A cheap source of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol for few dollars is Safeway Stores.
So called Pharmacies here just carry watered down slop with high prices.
I use denatured alcohol and a toothbrush to clean my PCB's.
It seems to work well and you can buy it by the gallon at Home Depot and Lowes.
It seems to work well and you can buy it by the gallon at Home Depot and Lowes.
Eutectic solder (63/37) has the sharpest transition of liquid to solid. 60/40 is almost in the same place. 40/60 is difficult to work with because of the large range between solid a and liquid and is almost impossible to get a shiny joint though it's been 40 years since I've had any 40/60 solder.
I too have been soldering for over 50 years and find the soldering tool to be FAR more important than the minor difference of 60/40 vs 63/37.
Yes Metcals are expensive when bought new but I got mine used - most for less than $100 US. I've bought 12-15 on eBay. One was broken but easily repaired. I then bought another that specifically stated it was broken and was almost as easily repaired. I personally own 3 units - one for home, another for work and a spare that I don't really need. Life is too short to argue with poor tools.
G²
That about sums it up...
At this point I think I am going with the Hakko digital model because of cost, and it should work out of the box with me not questioning it as a tool, only my skill. Higher end devices on eBay look tempting, but being used I don't want to mess with them. Digital because I am essentially a beginner and don't know how a 300 degree soldering iron should perform. Should take the guess work out of that part.
Sort of went over what I wanted to spend, and still need to pick up a few of the additional tools for cleaning, holding work and forming leads. Might build a better board holding jig than I can afford. It confuses friends that I can run a decent TIG weld bead on thin SS but never learned to solder. (This is where I learned the importance of surface preparation, which I picked up after abandoning soldering without proper surface prep).
If I'm completely happy with the Hakko I may never be tempted to crawl through eBay in search of higher end units in need of repair. Right now I need to learn the basics.
One member warned me about DIY Audio and the concept of mistakingly seeing it as a money saving endeavor. I have figured out it may not be as bad as buying a boat, but a lot of little purchases that go over the "honey, may I spend $100 this week to buy a soldering iron" amounts. That person gave me some good money saving tips I'll try.
Keep them coming, like I said before most of this has been covered before but what appears in my searches is a decade old and may not apply to the current market.
Sounds like the original Weller question only applies to high end items which I can't afford.
The WES-51 is a top notch, every day, workhorse. Nothing "budget" about it.
I know the Hakko FX888D is very popular. I've never used one, but I can't see any significant advantage over the WES-51, unless digital readout is important.
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