Soldering experts - please weigh in!

smalltownguy2

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So I find myself standing at my soldering table more often than not these days. Being self taught, I think it's time to start seeking advice from others who solder WAY more than I do.

Here's my situation: I purchased an el cheapo soldering station that does offer variable temperature control.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/sho...00&FTR=374-100&CFID=22516349&CFTOKEN=66282717

Not a bad little unit, actually. I bought spare tips for it right away. I'm using the smallest diameter pencil tip, and it's been pretty easy to work with.

I have a few questions now that I've used this soldering iron about a dozen times. I know I need to be mindful of temperature and tip care, but I'm not exactly sure how I should best be caring for it. I feel like the tip I have doesn't perform as well as it did when I first got it -- almost like it's not geting hot enough any more. Have I been using the iron too hot? Have I cooked the tip to the point that it's damaged?

If I do need to get new tips, what should I be doing to ensure that they stay in good shape? Is it ever acceptable to walk away from the iron for 10 or 15 minutes at a time while it's on? Should I be turning it off? How often should I be swabbing it with the sponge? Not a good idea (heat shock)?

Sorry to pound this thread right away with a ton of questions, but I'm very quickly realizing that there's an art form with soldering -- and a WIDE range of skill level with this. I used to be 'that guy' with the big black gun style iron poking around in minute areas where he shouldn't be. Now I own a relatively decent desoldering pump, and an entry level soldering station. What's the best way for me to keep my tools in good running condition?
 
Wow, that's a great informational page! A few of the takeaways I see:


  • I'm not tinning my tip with NEARLY enough solder.
  • My sponge needs WAY more water in it.
  • The 'linemans' joint was something new for me.
I really appreciated learning about the lineman's joint for joining 2 wires together. I've often wondered how to join two wire together inline like that and not have it look/function like crap. Such a simple approach, yet effective.
 
I am definately not an expert even though I have been soldering for over 40 years. There is a reason the soldering stations like you bought are so cheap. They are wattage controlled not temperature controlled. There is a huge difference in the way those two systems operate.

With wattage controlled sodering irons you are controlling how much power goes to the heater. The actual temperature can vary all over the map. It is very easy to have the tip get too hot and burn the chips or the solder pads. Also because it is only controlling the power and not the temperature, you may notice the second or third connections you solder take longer. That is because the tip has been cooled by the joints and the process of actually melting the solder (phase change from solid to liquid requires heat). When you are doing a lot of joints the natural reaction is to turn up the dial when you see that it is slowing down. Then the first joint after you let the iron rest for a minute or two will be overly hot.

Temperature controlled irons actually have a temperature sensor in the tip or in the heating element to make sure that the tip stays within a nominal operating range that you set. When you are soldering a number of joints, it automatically boosts the power to the heater to bring the tip back into the operating range. It is much more difficult to burn chips or pads.

I used to use a wattage controlled irons for most of my soldering. About a year ago I decided to spend a little more and get a temperature controlled iron. After using it for an hour, I will not go back. temperature control is the way to go. It is a little more expensive but worth every penny.

ken
 
Yeah, same with me. I never had a wattage controlled one, but a few years ago I got a nice Temp controlled one. It's like night and day to the other ones.
 
Yeah I had the pleasure of using a nice Weller iron early on and never looked back. Ironically my brother's company got rid of a box of them in various states, and I was able to assemble a couple working ones. Iron I use is called a Weller WTCP and you can get it brand new for around $125 or so. AWESOME...FRIGGIN...IRON.

I'd complement it with a lower wattage one for surface mount or finer soldering, but this iron hasn't let me down yet.
 
Yeah I had the pleasure of using a nice Weller iron early on and never looked back. Ironically my brother's company got rid of a box of them in various states, and I was able to assemble a couple working ones. Iron I use is called a Weller WTCP and you can get it brand new for around $125 or so. AWESOME...FRIGGIN...IRON.

I'd complement it with a lower wattage one for surface mount or finer soldering, but this iron hasn't let me down yet.

WTCP is junk... they don't last...
 
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