# Soldering iron



## uluapoundr (Apr 26, 2008)

Planning to do some mods, needs the basics to get started. I have one of those gun/trigger type soldering irons and have a feeling there are better options. Can someone start me off by suggesting a soldering iron, type of solder and flux, and any other things I'll need. Thanks.


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## Greg G (Apr 26, 2008)

Speaking from experience, just go ahead and buy a good soldering station and get that purchase behind you. 

I started off with a couple of single power irons, 25 watt & 35 watt, then moved up. I never use the others now and shouldn't have bought them.


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

Firstly, what is your budget?


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## uluapoundr (Apr 27, 2008)

I just spent a few hundred on parts, then realized my soldering gun would probably mess things up.  Best station under $200? Would that be adequate? 

Please school me on solder and attaching a P7 to a star or heatsink, this is all new to me. I have two P7 emitters, 3 maglites, a AW bipin switch, a Nimh charger and batteries, lithium ion batteries, 6xAA and 9xAA battery packs, thermal grease, Artic Alum Silver, and am ready to start modding!


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## Greg G (Apr 27, 2008)

I bought my Weller soldering station on sale for $99 at a local electronics shop. 

You can get a regular Seoul P4 heatsink from H22A and trim the top flat with a file or a Dremel, etc. Then get some Arctic Alumina epoxy to glue the emitter to it, centering the emitter well. Glueing a Seoul emitter down is a little tricky. You want the epoxy film to be as thin as possible, but if it's too thin the emitter will ground to the heatsink. That's why we use anodized heatsinks when we can with Seoul emitters, because the anodizing electrically isolates the emitter. But you'll cut through the anodizing to get the heatsink flat. 

There are several ways to drive a P7. If you have a 9AA series battery holder you might be able to go with two Sandwich Shoppe SOB1500's run in parallel. There a quite a few threads popping up about driving this led. Have fun and keep us informed.


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## darkzero (Apr 27, 2008)

Ever since I got a soldering station I don't understand how I was living with a regular solder iron. I've got a Hakko 936 & I absolutley love it. We use them at work too, every senior repair tech has a 936. Got mine for $60 on ebay, Fry's sells em for $90. I prefer the dial adjustment over the digital.


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## smopoim86 (Apr 27, 2008)

Under $200 is pretty easy. I have a hakko that i really love. I wouldn't give up a temp controlled iron for anything when working on electronics. 
something like http://www.tequipment.net/Hakko936-12.html would be adequate. If you wanted a led temp readout, you could get one (for almost 100 more). I would suggest getting a couple tips. For general use, the 2mm wedge is excellent. Also a fine needle tip is nice for small work in tight places.

BTW, I'm slightly biased toward the hakko equipment since i own one. I went through the same process of finding a nice station when i decided my rat shack iron was making modding harder than it should be. (I also went overboard and got a unit 5 times better than i could ever need) What i have recommended will work great but I do not know if it's "the best". Still well worth the money.


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## uluapoundr (Apr 27, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try to find a seller who will charge "fair" shipping to Hawaii.

I ordered 2 DHS heatsinks and didn't want to wait and ordered another one from Fenix. I just placed an order for the AMC7135 from Kai since DX was sold out (anyone want to sell me a couple so I can get started:naughty, hopefully shipping won't be a month or more as others have reported. 

Any suggestions on solder for P7 and hotwire incan mods? 
How do you solder a SSC emitter to a star?
What gauge wire should I use for the led? 
What should I use to sandwich the board together?


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

Yes go for the Hakko 936-12, you will not regret it.

http://www.hmcelectronics.com
http://www.all-spec.com
http://www.tequipment.net

The 936 has a lot of clones. They all may look alike, some say rebrand(not in a million years) so make sure that you are buying the real stuff.


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## gojira54 (Apr 27, 2008)

A soldering station is well worth the investment. Personally I like this cooper as you can change the tips easily and securely;

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103191328

happy modding :laughing:


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## DM51 (Apr 27, 2008)

Moving this to MMM.


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

DM51 said:


> Moving this to MMM.



Huh?


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## DM51 (Apr 27, 2008)

Materials/Mechanical/Machining


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

sorry i am abit slow
:thumbsup: good job.


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## olrac (Apr 27, 2008)

I use a weller w60p and have good results with it. 
As for a Heatsink for Mag and P7 the Fenix-Store hasnice anodised ones for $24.00 ready to go no alterations req'd
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=454


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## PEU (Apr 27, 2008)

Check this thread, good info and many choices:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/32657


Pablo


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## warlord (Apr 27, 2008)

I can see how it could be easier to have a nice soldering station but would you still be able to do under dash soldering with one of those?


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## LukeA (Apr 27, 2008)

I don't get the craze with temp-controlled soldering stations. They don't automatically make one a great solderer. I mean I can solder Rebels cleanly and with 100% success rate with my Weller WP35 and eutectic solder.


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## darkzero (Apr 27, 2008)

LukeA said:


> I don't get the craze with temp-controlled soldering stations. They don't automatically make one a great solderer. I mean I can solder Rebels cleanly and with 100% success rate with my Weller WP35 and eutectic solder.


 
I too never understood the higher costs of soldering station. I used a 15w Hakko soldering iron & Weller 35w iron for years. Then I started using the Hakko 936 at my work I got hooked.

Soldering stations heat up instantly. No more waiting around till I get old for my damn iron to get hot especially having to solder just 2 connections & that's it. They also keep the heat consistent which regular soldering irons do not. My nicer irons seem to held the heat ok but not nearly as good as my 936.

My Hakko 936 is also ESD safe. ESD is an issue & just because you don't see it or feel static discharge it is there. I work a computer/laptop repair depot. ESD safety is highly emphasized. When customer like Sony, Gateway, NEW (Walmart, Office Depot), Assurant (Circuit City, COMPUSA), Warrantech (Microcenter), to name a few, come in ESD safety is one of the major things they look for.

ESD damage may have never happened to you & probably may never will if you just solder wires only. I now practice ESD safety to some extent. I used to roll my eyes & always say yeah right, ESD damage never happens. But it does. 

Some may benifit from a Solder station, some may not. If you do a lot of soldering I highly recommend one.





warlord said:


> I can see how it could be easier to have a nice soldering station but would you still be able to do under dash soldering with one of those?


 
When I worked under the dash & as a mechanic, my trusty Weller P2KC did the job just fine.


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## X_Marine (Apr 27, 2008)

I have use a Weller for years and only had to repair 2 times but each time the same component was easy to find. That's 2 times in about 28 yrs, not bad. ')
I have always thought it would be nice to have a variable station as changing the tips on mine takes a min or 2.

The Iron most seem to like comes in three models:
Item No: 936-11 (Small Iron)
Item No: 936-12 (Medium Iron)
Item No: 936-13 (Large Iron)
My question is do most prefer small or med for smd and such?. I have pleanty of larger irons when needed.

Thanks
X/BillyD..:tinfoil:


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

It is true you don't need a super awesome iron and a huge powerstation to melt those brain cells killing tin-lead solder. Same case as having a $90k car or a $25k roller both will get you to your destination.

However, the little bits of features that you paid makes a difference when you are using the iron very frequently.

If you choose an iron right, it will stick around for a long time. Whether it is Hakko, Weller(now under Cooper), Metcal(OKI), Antex choose the most popular model. When it breaks, chances of replacement parts should be cheap and easy to source. In this case, the Hakko 936. The tips are easy to find, real or fake/clones. Same for other parts.

There are two types of temperature controlled irons, factory fixed temperature and user adjustable. I'm leaning more towards adjustable temperature systems. Adjustable temperature systems is flexible. Want to do lead-free? turn the temp. up. Want to solder tiny surface mount components? turn it down... you get the drift. (note: using lead free solder does not mean you have a lead free product, you have to flush clean your systems if you have been using leaded solder previously)

Adjustable temperature has another 'hidden' feature. It is like a idle mode where you turn the temperature down to low while you work on other stuff such as bending or stripping the wire. Idling in lower temperature warms up faster than complete cold, almost instant. It also reduce thermal stress(compared to switching on and off) on the iron and extends tip life. Some systems has this auto sleep features but requires the iron to be placed in to a holder.

With such system, you can always solder at a lower temperatures when possible. Low temperature soldering reduce thermal stress on components and reduces solder flux splutter. 

The Hakko 936 takes up some space because of it's huge AC transformer. It is 24v not 120v/220v so it's a complete isolation from the mains. If the iron cord breaks you don't have to worry about you or the component being zapped.

Uncontrolled temperature irons heat up like a hot chick. They just heat up forever and the tip changes color from chrome to blue, purple then grey and eventually rust. Any tip that overheats will oxidize rapidly, regardless what super magic coating that the manufacturer claims. To remove the oxidizing coat, the tip has to be wipe across a damp sponge frequently. Removing oxidization is mandatory for proper heat transfer but doing it too frequently is high maintenance.

Rapid oxidization from overheating also causes high tip wear. So I hope you are glad that you have an adjustable temperature iron or you have bought a really cheap iron but then you won't be reading this.


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## koala (Apr 27, 2008)

Hey X/BillyD,

936-12 is a better choice because it has a wider range of tips(26 vs 6) and you can always turn the temperature/power down when you don't need that much heat. Tips easier to source. The 936-12 (907 handpiece) has less temperature drop so the thermal recovery is better.

The only advantage of the 936-11 is lightweight. I believe it won't be able to handle larger area of soldering surface very well.

936-13 has the same thin film ceramic heater as 936-12, except different tip mounting.

Weller makes some good products, if you have a local Weller dealer then go with it.

Vince.



X_Marine said:


> The Iron most seem to like comes in three models:
> Item No: 936-11 (Small Iron)
> Item No: 936-12 (Medium Iron)
> Item No: 936-13 (Large Iron)
> ...


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## X_Marine (Apr 27, 2008)

Thanks Koala,
I've been using the Weller WTCPN for many yrs now and it has served me well. But I fig it would be nice to have variable temp without having to change tips.

For some of the less experienced whichever iron you use there is nothing as important as keeping it tined properly. To help in that quest, never leave it on when not using, and always keep it clean and covered with solder. As Koala mentioned should you leave it on for a long period it will cook all the solder off and quickly oxidate and rust.

If this happens all is not lost, but if cleaning with a damp sponge doesn't work try using some Sal Ammoniac which comes in solid form at most electronic supply stores, very cheap. In worst case situations it may require light sanding to remove rust and corrosion then work into the Sal Ammoniac block and apply some solder while doing so to retin as it cleans. I have had to salvage many tips this way and it isn't that difficult. 

Remember to always add some solder to your tip before turning it off as a protective coating.

Thanks for all the info guys and Koala,
X/BillyD..


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## koala (May 1, 2008)

X_Marine said:


> Thanks Koala,
> But I fig it would be nice to have variable temp without having to change tips.



Quick change tips? Watch this video, about 3:30.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2hLFmHTQvo

I believe Antex and Metcal/Oki has similar quick change tips but the later is a fixed temperature system.


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## jasonck08 (May 2, 2008)

I use a $10 butain soldering iron / torch to do my soldering. I hate electric soldering irons! They take a while to heat up and there is the cord that usually messes you up. With a $2 can of butain it will last for years. Also the torch gets up to ~1300C, enough to melt quite a few metals.


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## koala (May 2, 2008)

Yeah Nichrome wounded irons take a while to heatup, they are also quite risky if the heater wire breaks and you may be exposed to the mains. I have a very old iron, it takes more than a minute.

The low voltage irons mention above takes 3-10 seconds(not an issue for me) to heat up to working temperature. That is why I recommend adjustable temperature irons so you can set them in lower temperature to preheat, then switch to desired working temperature when required. The recovery process is less than 1-2 seconds but requires manual handling.

I like butane irons, get those with hotblow air function. Those are handy for heatshrink jobs. I once used very cheap butane gas and it clogged up so I learned the hard way, buy high quality filtered gas. I wonder how long does the chicken wire last. Anyone?

Some solder wire are not very well made. Cheap solder wires have impurities in it so buy solder that has a datasheet so you can look up the composition. Regular 60/40 solder with rosin core is the most commonly available. It is made up of 6 part Tin and 4 part *Lead*. Lead makes you stupid, don't eat or drink while you solder, wash your hands after you are done. 

There are some audiophile supply companies which sells so called 'audio quality solder' don't be tempted to buy them. These solder does work better because they are a mixture of Sn/Pb/Ag which contains Silver. Silver is a good conductor and more expensive. Sn/Pb/Ag is also an eutectic solder meaning it hardens as soon as you lift the iron. Some people believe that eutectic solder prevents cold solder joints but I am not a big fan of eutectic solder. I could never get a consistent shiny job. 

Since the solder wires I have are flux core, there's a few occasion where I need additional flux. Gel flux turns liquid when heated, and liquid flux improves thermal transfer. This is very helpful when desoldering. Instead of adding more solder(which also works) add flux to the joint to be desoldered. It works quite well when removing shot capacitors from computer motherboards which has a large area of thermal mass.

If you need some flux, then buy rosin flux. I prefer gel/solid flux they are easier to apply and I have full control of where the flux are going. There are also other flux such as water soluble. These flux are usually corrosive so rinse it off when you are done. If cleaning is a problem then get the so called lazy no-clean flux. No-clean flux may introduce resistance so avoid using it on battery contact surface. Avoid high-activity acid flux they are corrosive to the PCB and your iron tip.


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## BigBoy (May 2, 2008)

I used an Unger for years until the tip just couldn't be refurbished.

A few months ago I purchased a Hakko 936-12 locally in Huntsville and also purchased some fine tips. This unit heats up within 60 seconds, the tips are great, and it's just a real pleasure to use.

Bob


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## wquiles (May 2, 2008)

Greg G said:


> Speaking from experience, just go ahead and buy a good soldering station and get that purchase behind you.
> 
> I started off with a couple of single power irons, 25 watt & 35 watt, then moved up. I never use the others now and shouldn't have bought them.



+1 well said. By the time one buys out the "good" one, lots of money has been wasted.

Will


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## X_Marine (May 5, 2008)

koala said:


> Quick change tips? Watch this video, about 3:30.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2hLFmHTQvo
> 
> I believe Antex and Metcal/Oki has similar quick change tips but the later is a fixed temperature system.


Thanks again, great video on really nice equipment.

Very interesting. 
X/BillyD..


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