Soldering Iron Recommendations?
in [Design]
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From: Phil Hobbs on 18 Feb 2010 18:49 On 2/18/2010 6:05 PM, Jim Yanik wrote: > Jon Elson <jmelson(a)wustl.edu> wrote in > news:rJ-dnRBALPtwIeDWnZ2dnUVZ_jGdnZ2d(a)giganews.com: > >> Jim Thompson wrote: >> >>> I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature >>> control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? >> Whew, glad you are coming in from the dark ages! I generally use 650 >> F for general work, but in cases of really fragile boards or parts, >> will turn it down to 600 F. 63/37 solder melts at 424 F, > > no,it melts at 361.4 degF > > from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder; > > The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutectic mixture, which means: > It has the lowest melting point (183 �C or 361.4 �F) of all the tin/lead > alloys; and > The melting point is truly a point � not a range. > > > I generally use 750 F. Hotter than that, you can't keep the tip clean, and cooler than that, you cook parts if they're at all large. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
From: miso on 19 Feb 2010 00:54 On Feb 18, 2:40 am, Michael Shell <ne...(a)michaelshell.org> wrote: > On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:22:19 -0800 (PST) > > "m...(a)sushi.com" <m...(a)sushi.com> wrote: > > Key question is where is the soldering iron made. If it is sourced > > from China, run. > > I believe that Xytronics is a based in Taiwan, not mainland China. > At any rate, sadly it seems that even Weller is making things in > Mexico these days. > > So far it is holding up well. Time will tell. > > On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:01:25 -0800 (PST) > Rich Grise on Google groups <richardgr...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > That's nothing - try using a broken oscilloscope to fix itself! You > > could solder with a zippo lighter and a nail, after all. ;-) > > I once needed to resolder a single wire to the cassette player motor > in a friend's car. It was incredulous to me to find out that, despite > his having an EE degree, he did not, at that time, own a soldering iron. > So, I used a couple alligator clip test leads, a steel nail, and the > car's 12V battery to "point-resolder" the wire. The stereo was of course > disconnected and insulated from the car chassis before attempting > this. It worked like a charm and it's still working last I heard. > LOL. > > Mike Shell I can handle Mexico. If you have to off-shore, Mexico has major advantages over China. For one thing, the time zones aren't so displaced. So phone calls or travel are not big events. When you deal with Asia, it can be very open loop. Taiwan is also OK. They seem to understand QA.
From: Jim Yanik on 19 Feb 2010 08:18 Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote in news:4B7DD21B.6000504(a)electrooptical.net: > On 2/18/2010 6:05 PM, Jim Yanik wrote: >> Jon Elson <jmelson(a)wustl.edu> wrote in >> news:rJ-dnRBALPtwIeDWnZ2dnUVZ_jGdnZ2d(a)giganews.com: >> >>> Jim Thompson wrote: >>> >>>> I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature >>>> control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? >>> Whew, glad you are coming in from the dark ages! I generally use >>> 650 F for general work, but in cases of really fragile boards or >>> parts, will turn it down to 600 F. 63/37 solder melts at 424 F, >> >> no,it melts at 361.4 degF >> >> from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder; >> >> The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutectic mixture, which >> means: It has the lowest melting point (183 �C or 361.4 �F) of all >> the tin/lead alloys; and >> The melting point is truly a point � not a range. >> >> >> > > I generally use 750 F. Hotter than that, you can't keep the tip > clean, and cooler than that, you cook parts if they're at all large. > > Cheers > > Phil Hobbs > soldering classes at TEK taught us to keep the irons at 600degF,but I usually had mine at 700degF. Most of the Weller tips TEK stocked were 600degF,a couple of the bigger ones were 900degF.They were those magnetic-switching tips,no " 50's" increments. The big fears the classes mentioned were about too high a heat causing pad lifting or via expansion and cracking at an inner layer on multilayer PCBs. TEK switched to 63/37 solder a long time ago,after using 60/40 or the 3% AG stuff. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at localnet dot com
From: Phil Hobbs on 19 Feb 2010 14:12 On 2/19/2010 8:18 AM, Jim Yanik wrote: > Phil Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote in > news:4B7DD21B.6000504(a)electrooptical.net: > >> On 2/18/2010 6:05 PM, Jim Yanik wrote: >>> Jon Elson<jmelson(a)wustl.edu> wrote in >>> news:rJ-dnRBALPtwIeDWnZ2dnUVZ_jGdnZ2d(a)giganews.com: >>> >>>> Jim Thompson wrote: >>>> >>>>> I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature >>>>> control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? >>>> Whew, glad you are coming in from the dark ages! I generally use >>>> 650 F for general work, but in cases of really fragile boards or >>>> parts, will turn it down to 600 F. 63/37 solder melts at 424 F, >>> >>> no,it melts at 361.4 degF >>> >>> from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder; >>> >>> The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutectic mixture, which >>> means: It has the lowest melting point (183 �C or 361.4 �F) of all >>> the tin/lead alloys; and >>> The melting point is truly a point � not a range. >>> >>> >>> >> >> I generally use 750 F. Hotter than that, you can't keep the tip >> clean, and cooler than that, you cook parts if they're at all large. >> >> Cheers >> >> Phil Hobbs >> > > soldering classes at TEK taught us to keep the irons at 600degF,but I > usually had mine at 700degF. > Most of the Weller tips TEK stocked were 600degF,a couple of the bigger > ones were 900degF.They were those magnetic-switching tips,no " 50's" > increments. > The big fears the classes mentioned were about too high a heat causing pad > lifting or via expansion and cracking at an inner layer on multilayer PCBs. > > TEK switched to 63/37 solder a long time ago,after using 60/40 or the 3% AG > stuff. > That's the difference then--I'm usually doing dead-bug things at 750. For boards I usually use Mecals. (I'm looking for one for home at the moment.) Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
From: Ross Herbert on 20 Feb 2010 05:50
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon(a)My-Web-Site.com> wrote: :I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is :disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. : :I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. : :What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... : : Weller WLC100 Soldering Station : : ...Jim Thompson Since the WTCPT has served so well for so long, why change? When my 30 yr old WTCPT faded and died a couple of years back I just went out and bought a new one. Value for money is still quite good imo. Failing that, I would recommend Hakko. |