Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless you have an adjustable heat unit.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have to be quick before it solidifies.

Paul

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On 2011-04-07, KD7HB wrote:

Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee
your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless
you have an adjustable heat unit.

I am not sure, this is a 6 or so year old plasma TV.

My problem was that a) solder indeed did not want to melt easily and
2) It would not stick to the soldering iron well etc.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that
info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have
to be quick before it solidifies.

I have two good news on this front.

First is that I really did fix the plasma TV. The problem was two
bulged caps in the power supply, which I replaced.

Second is that I have a Pace 2000 soldering/desoldering station, in
some disrepair (military surplus). It does not quite work. I set it in
a corner, but after looking at Pace website today and seeing $5k USD
price on that station, I will try my best to fix whatever issues it
may have.

i

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

KD7HB wrote:
Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless you have an adjustable heat unit.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have to be quick before it solidifies.

Paul

I really like the Metcal irons.
They use induction to heat the tip.
http://www.metcal.com/

The tips swap quickly and are available in a wide
range of sizes and temperatures.

--Winston

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On 2011-04-07, Winston wrote:
KD7HB wrote:
Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless you have an adjustable heat unit.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have to be quick before it solidifies.

Paul

I really like the Metcal irons.
They use induction to heat the tip.
http://www.metcal.com/

The tips swap quickly and are available in a wide
range of sizes and temperatures.

--Winston


Which one of those metcals would you recommend, for general through
hole stuff?

i

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

Ignoramus23779 wrote:
On 2011-04-07, wrote:

(...)

I really like the Metcal irons.
They use induction to heat the tip.
http://www.metcal.com/

The tips swap quickly and are available in a wide
range of sizes and temperatures.

--Winston


Which one of those metcals would you recommend, for general through
hole stuff?

The MX-500S is the current model.

http://www.okinternational.com/produ...ng/mx500Rework

Mine is the MX-500P-11 to which I added a Talon SMT iron.
The modern equivalent is the MX-500TS.
http://www.okinternational.com/produ...dering/mx500ts
If you are contemplating *any* rework using two-pin SMT parts
I highly recommend the Talon handle. (MX-TALON)

I ty-wrapped one of Larry's ToolyRoo pouches to the
cable on the handle and placed half a dozen tips inside.
Fast and convienient!
http://www.diversify.com/handypouches.html

The tips are not cheap if you pay full bore retail.
I've been lucky buying used tips off ePay, though
it is easy to buy the wrong tip if one is not
very careful with part numbers.

--Winston

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On 04/06/2011 09:43 PM, KD7HB wrote:
Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless you have an adjustable heat unit.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have to be quick before it solidifies.

Paul

I have an old Weller station at home, and a Weller WSL station with WMP
iron at work. These are quite good. There are some other Weller models
that use expensive tips or have poor temperature control.
I work with both leaded and lead-free solder. The lead-free stuff is a
pain, the iron doesn't tin well, and loses it's wetting ability in just
minutes. I have some lead-free tip tinner stuff that helps. I usually
solder at 650 F with leaded, but have to turn it up to 700 - 725 for the
lead-free.

As for desoldering, I use a Pace system both places. Although the parts
are expensive, they are well-made and real workhorses.

Jon

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On 4/6/2011 11:37 PM, Ignoramus21203 wrote:

Second is that I have a Pace 2000 soldering/desoldering station, in
some disrepair (military surplus). It does not quite work.


I will be the contrarian. I have an OK Industries soldering/desoldering
station. What I use is a 18 Watt Antex soldering pencil and a
Soldapullt. If I had a bunch of connectors to desolder I would switch to
the OK.

Kevin Gallimore

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

As I recall we used this one - or the dated one before this model.

http://www.okinternational.com/product_soldering/mx500

Notice all of the optional probes - de-soldering - etc.

Martin

On 4/7/2011 8:01 AM, Ignoramus23779 wrote:
On 2011-04-07, wrote:
KD7HB wrote:
Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless you have an adjustable heat unit.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have to be quick before it solidifies.

Paul

I really like the Metcal irons.
They use induction to heat the tip.
http://www.metcal.com/

The tips swap quickly and are available in a wide
range of sizes and temperatures.

--Winston


Which one of those metcals would you recommend, for general through
hole stuff?

i

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

Martin Eastburn wrote:
As I recall we used this one - or the dated one before this model.

http://www.okinternational.com/product_soldering/mx500

Notice all of the optional probes - de-soldering - etc.

Martin

Yup. That is a sweet tool.

--Winston

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On Apr 6, 9:37*pm, Ignoramus21203 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.
21203.invalid wrote:
On 2011-04-07, KD7HB wrote:

Iggy, was the set made using lead-free solder? This may have bee
your problem. Regular soldering irons may not get hot enough unless
you have an adjustable heat unit.

I am not sure, this is a 6 or so year old plasma TV.

My problem was that a) solder indeed did not want to melt easily and
2) It would not stick to the soldering iron well etc.

I will check the name of the ones we use for lead-free and add that
info to the posting tomorrow. I know they use RF to heat the tip.

Regular solder suckers also work for lead-free solder, but you have
to be quick before it solidifies.

I have two good news on this front.

First is that I really did fix the plasma TV. The problem was two
bulged caps in the power supply, which I replaced.

Second is that I have a Pace 2000 soldering/desoldering station, in
some disrepair (military surplus). It does not quite work. I set it in
a corner, but after looking at Pace website today and seeing $5k USD
price on that station, I will try my best to fix whatever issues it
may have.

i

I've used a Pace as well, but pasty solder that doesn't stick sounds
like the lead-free stuff to me. Had a miserable time trying to pull
decayed through-hole caps on a motherboard with that stuff on it.
Wouldn't wick and stuck like glue. Wouldn't suck out, either. Ended
up doing the cap wiggle maneuver, heat one leg, push the top over to
pull the lead as far as it would go, do the other side the same,
repeat until extracted. Then drill the holes out with a small bit.
Had to watch the heat so the plating didn't come along with the
leads. The replacements got a dose of the good old stuff, some Sav-
Bit Ersin I keep around for such occasions. I tried the dilution with
regular solder bit, the original stuff didn't mix at all.

Stan

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

On 2011-04-08, wrote:
On Apr 6, 9:37?pm, Ignoramus21203 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.
I have two good news on this front.

First is that I really did fix the plasma TV. The problem was two
bulged caps in the power supply, which I replaced.
I've used a Pace as well, but pasty solder that doesn't stick sounds
like the lead-free stuff to me. Had a miserable time trying to pull
decayed through-hole caps on a motherboard with that stuff on it.
Wouldn't wick and stuck like glue. Wouldn't suck out, either. Ended
up doing the cap wiggle maneuver, heat one leg, push the top over to
pull the lead as far as it would go, do the other side the same,
repeat until extracted.

This is what I did too, wiggled the caps.

Then I used an awl to make holes, together with a soldering
iron. Melt, push awl, etc.

Then drill the holes out with a small bit.
Had to watch the heat so the plating didn't come along with the
leads. The replacements got a dose of the good old stuff, some Sav-
Bit Ersin I keep around for such occasions. I tried the dilution with
regular solder bit, the original stuff didn't mix at all.

I think that my other problem is a 10+ year old paste flux. Could it be?

i

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

For all electrical soldering I use rosin core solder. The rosin
is the flux.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DanG
Keep the whole world singing . . .


"Ignoramus30421" wrote in
message ...
On 2011-04-08, wrote:
On Apr 6, 9:37?pm, Ignoramus21203 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.
I have two good news on this front.

First is that I really did fix the plasma TV. The problem was
two
bulged caps in the power supply, which I replaced.
I've used a Pace as well, but pasty solder that doesn't stick
sounds
like the lead-free stuff to me. Had a miserable time trying to
pull
decayed through-hole caps on a motherboard with that stuff on
it.
Wouldn't wick and stuck like glue. Wouldn't suck out, either.
Ended
up doing the cap wiggle maneuver, heat one leg, push the top
over to
pull the lead as far as it would go, do the other side the
same,
repeat until extracted.

This is what I did too, wiggled the caps.

Then I used an awl to make holes, together with a soldering
iron. Melt, push awl, etc.

Then drill the holes out with a small bit.
Had to watch the heat so the plating didn't come along with the
leads. The replacements got a dose of the good old stuff, some
Sav-
Bit Ersin I keep around for such occasions. I tried the
dilution with
regular solder bit, the original stuff didn't mix at all.

I think that my other problem is a 10+ year old paste flux.
Could it be?

i

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

Ignoramus30421 fired this volley in
:

I think that my other problem is a 10+ year old paste flux. Could it be?

Um... what sort of paste flux might that be, Ig?

What might not have been a problem when you used it could certainly turn
out to be one in a year or two.

LLoyd

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

DanG wrote:
For all electrical soldering I use rosin core solder. The rosin
is the flux.

I apply extra liquid rosin flux as well.
It floats oxides out and results in a great looking,
shiny joint.

Kester 186 is also available in a pen applicator
for electronic soldering.
http://www.kester.com/SideMenu/Produ...3/Default.aspx

--Winston

Can someone recommend decent soldering/desoldering station
 

Ignoramus30421 wrote:

I think that my other problem is a 10+ year old paste flux. Could it be?

Probably not, assuming it still has the same "paste" consistency as it's
always had. Even if it'd dried out to crust and lumps, it should melt in
use; you could try dissolving the crust and lumps in alcohol. I'm pretty
sure that rosin continues to be rosin, unless it gets moldy or something.

Hope This Helps!
Rich