[Coco] Soldering Irons/Stations

[Dave Philipsen]

Jim,

Does putting flux on the bad wick make any difference? I bought a bunch of spools of wick from Circuit Specialists a couple of years ago when they were on clearance. I should be stocked for a lifetime!


> On Jul 1, 2020, at 11:31 AM, RETRO Innovations <go4retro at go4retro.com> wrote:
> 
> On 7/1/2020 10:42 AM, Salvador Garcia via Coco wrote:
>>  I've been looking into desoldering tools and am partial to the desoldering gun similar to the one mentioned in this video (although it is quite noisy!):
>> 
>> https://youtu.be/Z38WsZFmq8E
> 
> They are noisy, but don't skimp due to audio level.  THat said, I'm not a fan of "guns" in that config, as that's a lot of mass and weight to hold against a small and sensitive PCB board.  I noted Richard Lorbieski uses a "PACE" desoldering station, where the pump and such are in a box onthe desk, and the pencil grip is quite small and lightweight.  I purchased a used PACE MBT 301, though I am sure there are other brands that look and act the same.  I'd just recommend staying away from huge things you have to hold to solder or desolder.
> 
> I also have a knockoff hot air station, and it's worth having as well, even with the PACE.  larger multi-pin packages are much easier with it, PACE seems best with through hole, and solder wick is still useful (for that last little bit, ground plane pins, etc.).  Sounds obvious, but don't skimp on the wick quality.  I bought a bunch of the cheap wick, and it's just useless (actually, worse than useless, as you get only so long to wick, and then you thermal damage stuff).
> 
> Also, for solder, I used 60/40 (from Radio Shack :-) all the time up until probably 2010, but buy 63/37 if you can.  You can read up on it, but 63/37 is just a touch better formulation, where the tin and lead solidify closer in time to each other, preventing cold solder joints.  That's always been my achilles heel.
> 
> I still have a Radio Shack "bulb" solder sucker, but I rarely use it.  I am not sure I ever had a manual spring loaded solder sucker, but I seem to reall using them and being disappointed.
> 
> Maybe Hakko has a combo unit that's attractively priced.  My issue is that the PACE and the hot air station both have soldering pencils, but I wouldn't trade my Metcal for anything, so they are wasted and unused.
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
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