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I'm currently using an old weller 45W stick iron that I've borrowed from a neighbour that isn't using it. It's ok, but it's harder than it looks (soldering that is). I already trashed a tip. I could only source non leaded solder in the time I needed and pretty sure the tip was for leaded solder only. Ate half the tip off.
I HAVE asked for a Hakko FX 600 for christmas though. I like the fact that it doesn't have a base yet still offers temp control as my workshop is really small so storing things is at a premium. Since it has temp control built in, I think it covers all the bases. Has almost perfect score on amazon so hopefully will be fine. (Will take care to use the right tips this time).
I am pretty sure you will have a night and day difference between the units! Cool, I hope Santa pulls through for ya! As for tips, so far I have gotten much use out of my beveled tip (looks like a hoof) for drag soldering those tiny pins and then a standard smaller chisel tip. I think the real trick beyond anything else is to solder under the shield of flux and to make sure both surfaces get hot enough.
Well my first project (a simple LED circuit) was... less than stellar. Pretty sure I messed up the resistor values. The thing lights up but takes a while. Plus the less said of HOW the wiring looks the better. Mind you, it probably would've looked a lot nicer if I didn't try to just make do with whatever wires I had lying around.
I've a learning curve as far as fittings are concerned as well (eg how to enclose things like led's or buttons in order to make them look finished and nice).
Fun though. This experience made me realize I can totally replace the undermount lights in my kitchen cabinets with DIY LED's for a FRACTION of what they'd cost ready made.
I've a learning curve as far as fittings are concerned as well (eg how to enclose things like led's or buttons in order to make them look finished and nice).
Fun though. This experience made me realize I can totally replace the undermount lights in my kitchen cabinets with DIY LED's for a FRACTION of what they'd cost ready made.
Again it is according to your experience, general tool ability, and what you are doing. I don't think that your most likely going to have much use for a solder rework station unless you are excited about getting into a lot of surface mount repairs. And I haven’t figured out how soldering LED's (discrete I assume) has any correlation to a cnc build? The soldering iron you tagged Santa for sounds exactly like what you need. If it was up to me I would have you buy a cheap pencil along with a roll of 60/ 40 multicore rosin solder, which will teach you about temp control so that when you get the temp control unit it will work beautifully for you and you will appreciate it, and you wont have invested a lot of money in something you won't ever use again. And the small space pencil (very durable and reliable) can be around forever as a backup. I am an Electronic Engineer (now retired about 8 years). I first started building projects in the fifth grade, and by 7th, 8th grade I built a ham receiver and then a transmitter with the weller 140 watt soldering gun. I messed up a couple of spots on a circuit board but in the process learned a lot about temp control. Back then (1958) we didn't have temp controlled irons. You could solder with a plumbers Iron, (weighed about 4# and you heated it with a blow torch) or if you had the money you could get the 140 watt soldering gun. Then by my sophomore year I discovered t
Again it is according to your experience, general tool ability, and what you are doing. I don't think that your most likely going to have much use for a solder rework station unless you are excited about getting into a lot of surface mount repairs. And I haven’t figured out how soldering LED's (discrete I assume) has any correlation to a cnc build? The soldering iron you tagged Santa for sounds exactly like what you need. If it was up to me I would have you buy a cheap pencil along with a roll of 60/ 40 multicore rosin solder, which will teach you about temp control so that when you get the temp control unit it will work beautifully for you and you will appreciate it, and you wont have invested a lot of money in something you won't ever use again. And the small space pencil (very durable and reliable) can be around forever as a backup. I am an Electronic Engineer (now retired about 8 years). I first started building projects in the fifth grade, and by 7th, 8th grade I built a ham receiver and then a transmitter with the weller 140 watt soldering gun. I messed up a couple of spots on a circuit board but in the process learned a lot about temp control. Back then (1958) we didn't have temp controlled irons. You could solder with a plumbers Iron, (weighed about 4# and you heated it with a blow torch) or if you had the money you could get the 140 watt soldering gun. Then by my sophomore year I discovered the real world of technology type tools and saved up and got me a 40 watt pencil. Wonderful tool, it is still in my tool box (as is the 140 watt gun somewhere) and gets used a fair amount. Want to solder a wire on the tail light on your car, why drag your temp controlled soldering station out? Yeah many years ago I bought a full SMT rework station. (of course when they were a new thing so I paid a premium around $14,000.00), of course that was how I made my living, and back then that was a lot of money). Trick is spend only what is required and fill in the difference with skill.
Apply heat to connection gently(on and off until solder starts to melt, be gentle, apply just enough solder to just cover connection as it flows out smoothly remove heat and don't let anything move until cooled. If it is shiny it's good if it's frosty it's bad. let it cool a while and try again, don't over heat the board or components, no globs of solder.
Good luck young man. Let us know how you do.
he real world of technology type tools and saved up and got me a 40 watt pencil. Wonderful tool, it is still in my tool box (as is the 140 watt gun somewhere) and gets used a fair amount. Want to solder a wire on the tail light on your car, why drag your temp controlled soldering station out? Yeah many years ago I bought a full SMT rework station. (of course when they were a new thing so I paid a premium around $14,000.00), of course that was how I made my living, and back then that was a lot of money). Trick is spend only what is required and fill in the difference with skill.
Apply heat to connection gently(on and off until solder starts to melt, be gentle, apply just enough solder to just cover connection as it flows out smoothly remove heat and don't let anything move until cooled. If it is shiny it's good if it's frosty it's bad. let it cool a while and try again, don't over heat the board or components, no globs of solder.
Good luck young man. Let us know how you do.[/QUOTE]
Again it is according to your experience, general tool ability, and what you are doing. I don't think that your most likely going to have much use for a solder rework station unless you are excited about getting into a lot of surface mount repairs. And I haven’t figured out how soldering LED's (discrete I assume) has any correlation to a cnc build? The soldering iron you tagged Santa for sounds exactly like what you need. If it was up to me I would have you buy a cheap pencil along with a roll of 60/ 40 multicore rosin solder, which will teach you about temp control so that when you get the temp control unit it will work beautifully for you and you will appreciate it, and you wont have invested a lot of money in something you won't ever use again. And the small space pencil (very durable and reliable) can be around forever as a backup. I am an Electronic Engineer (now retired about 8 years). I first started building projects in the fifth grade, and by 7th, 8th grade I built a ham receiver and then a transmitter with the weller 140 watt soldering gun. I messed up a couple of spots on a circuit board but in the process learned a lot about temp control. Back then (1958) we didn't have temp controlled irons. You could solder with a plumbers Iron, (weighed about 4# and you heated it with a blow torch) or if you had the money you could get the 140 watt soldering gun. Then by my sophomore year I discovered the real world of technology type tools and saved up and got me a 40 watt pencil. Wonderful tool, it is still in my tool box (as is the 140 watt gun somewhere) and gets used a fair amount. Want to solder a wire on the tail light on your car, why drag your temp controlled soldering station out? Yeah many years ago I bought a full SMT rework station. (of course when they were a new thing so I paid a premium around $14,000.00), of course that was how I made my living, and back then that was a lot of money). Trick is spend only what is required and fill in the difference with skill.
Apply heat to connection gently(on and off until solder starts to melt, be gentle, apply just enough solder to just cover connection as it flows out smoothly remove heat and don't let anything move until cooled. If it is shiny it's good if it's frosty it's bad. let it cool a while and try again, don't over heat the board or components, no globs of solder.
Good luck young man. Let us know how you do.
he real world of technology type tools and saved up and got me a 40 watt pencil. Wonderful tool, it is still in my tool box (as is the 140 watt gun somewhere) and gets used a fair amount. Want to solder a wire on the tail light on your car, why drag your temp controlled soldering station out? Yeah many years ago I bought a full SMT rework station. (of course when they were a new thing so I paid a premium around $14,000.00), of course that was how I made my living, and back then that was a lot of money). Trick is spend only what is required and fill in the difference with skill.
Apply heat to connection gently(on and off until solder starts to melt, be gentle, apply just enough solder to just cover connection as it flows out smoothly remove heat and don't let anything move until cooled. If it is shiny it's good if it's frosty it's bad. let it cool a while and try again, don't over heat the board or components, no globs of solder.
Good luck young man. Let us know how you do.[/QUOTE]
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[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the advice! Not really sure where that CNC discussion came out of (I think it was meant as a tongue in cheek comment that got out of hand and hijacked the thread). Similarly for the rework station.
I did consider having the cheap soldering iron - and may end up getting it as I've a few projects on the table and I'm feeling bad about trashing my neighbours kit.
Cheers
Thank you. And your welcome. I apologize for that post. When I finished and posted I found a few details that needed correcting, when I edited it, it made a mess and the more I edited it the worse it got. I had to run for a dentist appointment, so I just deleted it. (or thought I did). Hope it wasn't too hard to make any sense out of it.
Have a good day.
Have a good day.
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