[Coco] Sodering Iron

[Shaun Pow]

Lots of good points.

I will say that keeping your tip well tinned is step A.  I never really 
understood that when i was a teenager (40+ yr ago).

Sure, you can solder with a cheap iron if it heats up and is tinned.  
However, I went through 4 or 5 cheap irons before finally buying 
something of quality.   They just died - lasted a 2-3 years each.  
probably not the quality of what you had.  cheap stuff from china.  so i 
paid much more for cheap irons than i did for my Hakko.  It heats up 
incredibly fast as well as cools down quickly. nice temp settings.  and 
well within his budget.

I recently picked up a bunch of old solder irons at a nearby action.  
pure copper (huge -~3/4" x ~3/4" x 2") tips on a steel shaft with a wood 
handle.  very cool looking.  I assume heated in a fire/coals.




On 2023-11-25 7:03 p.m., Andrew via Coco wrote:
> My 2 cents:
>
> I didn't learn how to solder until after high school, when I left my 
> home after graduation to take up residence here in Phoenix, in order 
> to attend a local, but now defunct, vocational tech school here.
>
> Each student in the course was "given", in addition to their Grob's 
> Basic Electronics textbook, a set of tools and a toolbox; I still have 
> most of those tools, including the soldering iron. While I haven't 
> used it in a long while, I have no doubt that it works.
>
> I also have no doubt that I could solder with it (at least thru-hole 
> parts, which is all I have ever learned - I have yet to learn or need 
> to learn SMT soldering - and probably today at my age, I'm not sure I 
> have a steady enough hand to do it, let alone the eyesight - ugh).
>
> Today, you could pick up the same or similar soldering iron - a whole 
> kit in fact - for less than $20.00 off Amazon. In fact, you might even 
> get a better iron in the deal (one maybe with temp control).
>
> It was a 15 watt jobber - plug it in, stick it in the cheap stand 
> (iron base with a sponge and a wire spring holder for the iron's 
> business end) - and in 15 minutes or so, it was up to temp (it takes 
> much longer to cool down).
>
> You really don't need much more than that for basic work with 
> thru-hole parts and PCBs.
>
> It had a basic tip on it - not pointed, not "wedge" - but more like a 
> thick, yet small, flat tip - like a standard flat screwdriver. Today, 
> after the use and abuse I put it thru, both as a student and later, 
> it's ugly as sin - but still works fine.
>
> Now - I can give a bunch of tips on "how to learn to solder" - and a 
> bunch of "try not or do no do's" as well, and if you want those, email 
> me and I can talk your ear off (actually, I encourage you to do this, 
> because I do have a lot of hard won thoughts that may help you out), 
> but this email is already a new chapter of my biography I'm composing 
> on the internet, one post and email at a time...
>
> What I will say, though, is this: You don't need a fancy, super 
> expensive kit for soldering. No Hakko, no whatever, no "special" 
> solder, no extra rosin, etc.
>
> Just a cheap soldering iron, some basic leaded rosin-core (NOT 
> ACID-CORE!!!!) solder, a dry sponge (or better, a cheap ABS pipe cap 
> with a non-soaped copper sponge in it - way cheaper than most stuff 
> you can buy) for cleaning the tip. If you want some rosin paste, get 
> something cheap (it is useful for cleaning the tip, too).
>
> Also pick up a "solder sucker" and some "desoldering braid"...
>
> For the solder, go for 60/40 or 63/37 leaded solder (I prefer the 
> latter, as it flows better). Most non-leaded solder needs a higher 
> temperature to flow properly, giving you less time to get the part 
> soldered properly without lifting pads or creating cold joints - or 
> destroying parts with excess heat.
>
> ...and certainly don't get "silver solder" unless you're using a very 
> high-temp iron and doing jewelry - that's a metal-joining solder, 
> mainly...not for electronics, and probably needs a special rosin or 
> something to work properly anyhow.
>
> One more important bit: Wear eye protection! DO NOT SKIP THIS. 
> Ideally, full goggles, but even a pair of glasses is better than 
> nothing. Be prepared to get burned with popping solder (actually, the 
> rosin popping, throwing bits of molten solder about).
>
> It will happen when you least expect it, landing on you hands and 
> finger, occasionally on your face, hence the eye protection. It will 
> hurt (not as bad a molten metal when welding - but not nice, either!). 
> Don't jerk and don't drop the iron if you can help it! If you do drop 
> the iron, DON'T TRY TO CATCH IT. You will grab the wrong end.
>
> I say this as someone who did just that while learning, so you 
> probably will do it at least once in your life. You will not do it 
> again after that, unless you're a slow learner. Also - wear 
> closed-toed shoes and pants, because having a hot iron land on your 
> leg, lap, foot, etc - none of that is good, either. Oh - and don't 
> solder naked, even if you're into nudity, as that iron is going to 
> fall where you really don't want it to (talk about pain!)...
>
> Finally - gather up a bunch of patience, and find some old broken 
> piece of thru-hole electronics to "play with" - something you don't 
> care if you ruin or such. An old radio or electronic clock (make sure 
> it isn't a "collectible"! You'll kick yourself for destroying 
> something you later learn was worth a ton of money - ask me how I 
> know!) - something like that. You don't need a "practice kit" - unless 
> you have no other option. Save the kit for a later project - what you 
> want to learn is "how to solder" and "how to desolder".
>
> The main keys to successful soldering is:
>
> 1. Having a clean iron tip - when first starting with a new iron, 
> "tin" the tip by (after it is up to temp) melting solder on it, which 
> will make it "bright" and cleans it. Dipping it into rosin paste, then 
> tinning, can also be done. Clean and tin the tip before you begin, and 
> after you stop (before letting it cool down).
>
> 2. Don't use a wet sponge if you can avoid it for cleaning the tip 
> (this is controversial; last I knew what it does is cause 
> micro-cracking of the nickle cladding on the copper of the tip, which 
> eventually leads to destruction - this might be more an issue for 
> "production" hand-soldering - I'm not sure). Use (as noted before) 
> some kind of non-ferrous metal copper or brass sponge (Note: there are 
> such sponges out there made of copper-colored plastic - avoid them for 
> obvious reasons).
>
> 3. You may need to clean/re-tin the tip as you solder - it will help!
>
> 4. Get the part and pad up to proper temperature, so that the solder 
> will flow and "wick into" the joint. Don't rush - but don't 
> dilly-dally, either. To much time heating the part and pad can lead to 
> destruction of the part, and/or "lifting" the pad from the PCB 
> (delamination). A second or two is all you need, but you may need a 
> bit more time depending on part size, lead size (that is, size of the 
> "wire" on the part you are soldering - both act as a "heat sink" that 
> draws heat away from the tip and joint).
>
> 5. Corollary to #4 - some parts can't be soldered well with a small 
> iron, particularly those with thick legs or large wire joints. 
> Consider a higher-wattage iron, or some alternative to soldering to 
> join those.
>
> 6. Don't let the rosin in the solder burn; it will smoke (see below), 
> but when it stops smoking, that means there's no more rosin, and that 
> can make creating a good joint difficult. At that point, either 
> desolder and re-try, or add a touch more solder, or some rosin. If you 
> are moving at the correct speed/cadence, this shouldn't be a problem 
> (again, practice makes perfect!).
>
> 7. Start with "low and smaller parts" first (those that hug closest to 
> the board), with higher (and larger) parts soldered later - it will 
> make building a project way easier (most kits will suggest this as the 
> order of part assembly/placement).
>
> 8. In between each joint, let the soldering iron come back up to temp 
> (a few seconds between joints); develop a rhythm (music can help, 
> perhaps).
>
> 9. When learning, concentrate on simple parts - like resistors, then 
> move to diodes, transistors, then ICs (8 leg simple things like 555 
> timers at first). Resistors tend to be fairly forgiving (at "dwell 
> time" on the part).
>
> That's the basics - like I said, I can write a book on this, I'm sure.
>
> Oh - and having good ventilation (an open window and/or a fan) is 
> worthwhile.
>
> Note: The "fumes" or "smoke" you see from melting solder ARE NOT "lead 
> fumes" (for lead to vaporise takes way more heat than you'll be using) 
> - they are actually fumes/smoke from the vaporization of the rosin in 
> the solder, and pose little to no health-risk. That said, if you have 
> asthma or are sensitive you may be affected by them more than others. 
> In any case, don't inhale them! They will irritate mucous membranes of 
> the nose and throat - so a tiny fan, or working outside, or having an 
> open window, etc - good ventilation is important (and if you do a ton 
> of soldering, consider buying/building a desktop carbon-filter fume 
> extractor). A side note: If you ever use acid-core solder, for metal 
> work, pipe work, etc - DO NOT BREATH THE FUMES OR LET THEM CONTACT 
> YOUR EYES. Unless you like the feel of acid in your throat or on your 
> sensitive bits...
>
> Lastly: Save buying a decent "soldering station" once you know what 
> you are doing, and how much you are doing it, and what kind of 
> projects you plan to work on. You might find an "el-cheapo" iron is 
> all you need. Or, you might want to go for that Hakko or whatnot 
> (variable, quick-heating and cooling irons are very useful for dialing 
> in a temperature for things like non-leaded soldering and such). Also 
> note that there are lower cost options that still use quick heating 
> and cooling heating elements (versus the cheapest of irons) that can 
> be had.
>
> Also, stay away from most of the cheap "battery powered" soldering 
> irons, and especially that "cold heat" contraption that was sold on TV 
> a while back. USB-based irons should also be avoided, as they can 
> destroy the USB ports on computers depending on how much current the 
> port can supply (even the best only supply maybe a couple of amps, so 
> 10 watts are all the iron can output on a good day). If you need a 
> portable solution for field work, I can give some suggestions...
>
> I hope you enjoyed my latest chapter - but honestly, this is only the 
> beginning of my possible suggestions I could give you. There is more 
> to soldering than most "tutorials" online cover, with one of the 
> greatest myths being "you need an expensive iron to solder with" - 
> when the truth is, you can get away with a piece of metal wire hanger 
> and a butane lighter if you're desperate (post-learning and 
> experience, of course).
>
> Andrew L. Ayers
> Glendale, Arizona
> phoenixgarage.org
> github.com/andrew-ayers
>