Homebrew PCBs

Hi,

(For those of us still stuck with manual soldering)

I've just been trying out a cheap (USD$18) gas-powered soldering iron
(actually USD$14.50 with trade discount).

First impressions are excellent - beats the hell out of my mains
electric iron. Goes even better after filing the tip to a sharp fine
point. Surprisingly, it easily gets enough heat to the very tip to melt
solder quickly and make a fine clean joint. I'm getting performance
comparable to or better than the Weller stations I've used in the past.

This kicks down another barrier to my eventual move to SMD.

The only downside I've seen so far is the need to be aware of where the
exhaust hole is pointing :P

Cheers
David

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:57:54 +0100, David McNab <rebirth@...>  
wrote:

> Hi,
> (For those of us still stuck with manual soldering)
> I've just been trying out a cheap (USD$18) gas-powered soldering iron
> (actually USD$14.50 with trade discount).
> First impressions are excellent - beats the hell out of my mains
> electric iron. Goes even better after filing the tip to a sharp fine
> point. Surprisingly, it easily gets enough heat to the very tip to melt
> solder quickly and make a fine clean joint. I'm getting performance
> comparable to or better than the Weller stations I've used in the past.
> This kicks down another barrier to my eventual move to SMD.
> The only downside I've seen so far is the need to be aware of where the
> exhaust hole is pointing :P
> Cheers
> David


I have one too now, but i would not say it's anywhere near as good as a  
temperature controlled ersa station.
But then if you are satisfied with a filed tip, maybe your demands are  
lower than mine. I would not want to work with uncoated tips for long  
periods of time.
I find the hot air attachment extremely useful though.

ST

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, David McNab <rebirth@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> 
> (For those of us still stuck with manual soldering)
> 
> I've just been trying out a cheap (USD$18) gas-powered soldering iron
> (actually USD$14.50 with trade discount).
> 
> First impressions are excellent - beats the hell out of my mains
> electric iron. Goes even better after filing the tip to a sharp fine
> point. Surprisingly, it easily gets enough heat to the very tip to melt
> solder quickly and make a fine clean joint. I'm getting performance
> comparable to or better than the Weller stations I've used in the past.
> 
> This kicks down another barrier to my eventual move to SMD.
> 

One thing to be aware of, a cordless iron is not grounded like the
better corded units such as the temp controlled Wellers are (those are
my favorite too). It's ok but everyone needs to be aware of it and
take extra static precations. Grounded workstation and grounded user
should suffice.

Incedently, I have an iso-tip and I like it just for that reason. I
actually had to solder on things that are hot on occasion ... can't do
that with the Weller!
The Iso-Tip does a great job too but their good irons aren't cheap and
neither are the tips (that's the real drag). Nice irons though.

Bert

In a message dated 1/23/2007 11:12:47 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
rebirth@... writes:

Goes  even better after filing the tip to a sharp fine point.  <<
David!  Most soldering tips for "electronics" today are  iron-plated (so the 
solder does not rapidly dissolve a bare copper tip).   If you "customized" an 
iron-plated tip, the copper inside is bare, and it will  "go away" rapidly, 
just as old-fashioned (pre-iron-plated) tips did!  On  the other hand, if this 
were a bare-copper tip at the outset, fine!  A  clean, but UNFILED! iron-plated 
tip will last years until that first tiny corner  is rubbed-through, and the 
molten solder contacts the copper  inside.
 
Your gas iron sounds much hotter than adviseable for much PCB  work!  Funny:  
Literally millions of folk all over the world, and I am  sure at least 
thousands in NZ, happily use electric irons!  I have no  difficulties at all, and I 
only have 120 V. mains!

 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:19:10 +0100, <JanRwl@...> wrote:

>
> Goes  even better after filing the tip to a sharp fine point.  <<
> David!  Most soldering tips for "electronics" today are  iron-plated (so  
> the
> solder does not rapidly dissolve a bare copper tip).   If you  
> "customized" an
> iron-plated tip, the copper inside is bare, and it will  "go away"  
> rapidly,
> just as old-fashioned (pre-iron-plated) tips did!  On  the other hand,  
> if this
> were a bare-copper tip at the outset, fine!  A  clean, but UNFILED!  
> iron-plated
> tip will last years until that first tiny corner  is rubbed-through, and  
> the
> molten solder contacts the copper  inside.


There oughta be a reason why it's called a soldering "IRON" and not a  
soldering "COPPER". ;-)

ST