Want to learn soldering [PCBs]

413x

413x

413x

Caporegime
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so i fancy having ago at some soldering/desoldering and have been looking at soldering irons and would like some current recommendations

ive seen a few on an online auction site that are sub £30 with a little station and temperature control via an analogue switch

im not looking to spend more than £50 and less is better

obviously im going to be using fine tips only

I understand there are different desoldering methods, any preference [along with tools]
so what brands/models are worth looking at,
i would like a little station with it
do i need variable temp control?
ideally want to spend under £40 or less but not if its going to be significantly detrimental to results or make working with it difficult

thanks forum goers in advance :)
 
I have always used a desoldering pump - very cheap - £1 - £3 and do the job.

I have also found that people look for the 3,000,000W iron when a lower iron will give a better result, be less likely to burn your componennts or your board.result.

Variable temp irons are good as you can work on joints of different sizes without fear of ruining the board or components.

The best advice is practice, practice, practice and practice some more!

Doing one of the little kits that you can get from electronics shops are a good way to start, very cheap to buy and really easy to do.
 
yeah i will definitely be practising a lot before trying anything that i need

didnt know you got practice kits will definitely have to give one of them a go

the pump is also what i was going to go for :)
 
First choice you need to make it where you want an electric or gas soldering iron. I've got a electric Antex one, which wasn't cheap. However, I'm now wishing I had grabbed a gas one, so that's what I'd recommend you get. The tip just heats up so much faster, and are much much more portable. You can obviously control the amount of gas being used, which changes the heat intensity.

Alsoo remember that lead based solder melts much more easily, but doesn't do you that much good if you breathe it in!
 
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Best beginner iron? Probably the Antex CS18. I went for one of their 30W models and regret it somewhat, but don't worry about temperature controls for the time being.
 
When you clip the wire after soldering, make sure to do it a couple of mm above the joint or you'll end up with a broken solder joint.
 
bit of a mixed bag of views haha, yes i think ill need a 'device' to hold the pcb or the gf, [doubt that will be popular!]

gonna have to wait for more views i think!

thanks for the tips too!
 
I've always used a 25W Antex iron. You really don't need a temperature controlled station thing. I was taught to solder to a military standard at Marconi when I was an apprentice [edit: ugh, that sounds really pretentious now :(] and you only need a simple iron to do the job properly. Get the heat in quickly, get the solder on, let it flow and get the hell out. Even with surface mount stuff the best electronics guys I know just use a fine tip on something like an Antex.

For desoldering I use a desolder pump, the spring loaded syringe type. Some people prefer to use desolder braid - depends on the application.
 
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looks like consensus on the desolder pump then

so looking for a 20w-40w iron by the sounds of it, what benifits does temp control give for just PCB use?

antex seems to come up again and again
 
I use a Metcal SP200, expensive but worth it. Chisel tip for PTH stuff, Hoof tip for fine pitch SMT stuff. Don't always assume that if the part is small that a small tip is best, fine pitch QFP type devices for example are best soldered with a large hoof type tip, the tip can hold a lot of solder and you can run along the length of the device soldering loads of leads in a short space of time (takes practice), also for PTH stuff a larger tip will get more heat into the joint quicker making your job easier.

For PTH desoldering the spring pumps work well with most joints, exceptions being connections to power planes, especially on multi layered boards, an iron on the top side and a professional desoldering gun on the bottom is usually the best way with these.

As for SMT desoldering, for small chip type passive components you can just use your iron to flick them off the board and then clean the pads with braid. For fine pitch SMT desoldering you can either lift a lead at a time (Takes ages and makes a mess of the device) or use a Danotherm or mini-wave (Expensive).

Taking it a step further if you want to get into BGA and/or flip chip type devices you need to invest in a reflow oven. They are expensive.
 
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^ wow a lot of info there, for now i just want to solder joints on the pcb, anything too expensive may be overkill for me atm, i do prefer to buy something better even if it is more expensive if it will be better in the long run
 
Always use good solder, that flows well and cures fast, makes for much neater jobs, and less chance of a dry joint. Find what temperature it's rated for so you know what is required of the iron. I use cardas quad eutectic solder, as it's very easy to work with, does require 170c degrees though but once flowing it's a joy to see in action.


Best way to start is by grabbing an old pcb and just have a play, learn how to desolder and to add or remove components, my favorite iron is a draper expert 40w fine tip, it's enough to do most jobs and works real fast, so less risk for damaging any components.
 
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yeah i dont plan on using cheap materials

i think almost every reccomendation so far has been different damn.

i also think it wasnt long ago i chucked a lot of useless PCB items away, ill have to have a rummage for some
 
I like xytronic irons, for £50 you could get a LF-369D station.

Also here are some tips for lab equipment if your starting out on electronics -

 
I use a Weller soldering iron. No adjustable gauge or anything. Takes a few seconds to warm up but works on tin/lead and the lead free solder, although I only use the leaded stuff as it is easier to work with. It's got a small chisel point on it and is fine for general purpose use.

solderingiron.jpg


I have a desoldering pump which I use if I want to strip a PCB of components. I think it's an RS components make as I got it from work before I left.

I learnt by watching a guy at work, then started using one myself for simple tasks, just for fun. My first true project was making an audio amplifier for my PC at work so I could connect it to a speaker and get sound from my boring work PC. That used a few components and a single chip. I was so proud.

These days I use the soldering iron to fix stuff such as DC power plugs, audio jacks and for wiring up LEDs and stuff to fans and things.
 
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Chaos said:
I like xytronic irons, for £50 you could get a LF-369D station.

Also here are some tips for lab equipment if your starting out on electronics -

Click to expand...

i could justify that price, that little station does look quite good, anyone else got any opinions on something like that? if there arent any draw backs i think i may go with that varible temp control station



ok tip noted, use solder that contains lead, especially as im just starting, im saving that youtube link to my desktop to watch this evening,

doing LED soldering would be quite nice to modify my case, ive wanted to get into this for a while now, finally on track to do it
 
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