Solder fetish

[ErikMiller]

I like to keep the forum updated with what I'm learning about materials and equipment for soldering.

First, as usual, I'd like to thank Peter Snowberg for more good advice regarding what to use to wipe the tip.

As a longtime Weller TCPS user, I've been using the wet sponge, but have also had some problems with tip rot. Peter has been saying that the brass brillo pads that Hakko sells are much better, so I decided to give them a try. Bought a Hakko replacement brass wad at Fry's and just plunked it down on my bench.

He's right, he's right again, is he ever right. Rather than wiping the tip across as with the sponge, you jab the tip into the middle of the pad, and it comes out shiny. One jab and it's shiny, whereas with the sponge, I'm used to having to wipe a couple of times.

The only Snowberg tip I haven't tried so far is abandoning my Weller iron, but I'm very attached to it. Everything he's recommended has been such good advice.

The other discovery I've made whilst doing research into materials is Kester 405 solder.

The classic Kester flux formulation is "44," which wets very well (you could probably solder two pieces of glass together with 44 flux), but as Drew pointed out, leaves brown blobs all over the place, and gives off nasty fumes as the rosin vaporizes. I've had respiratory infections that have been aggravated by getting near rosin fumes, and I just don't like the way it smells.

Years ago, Ersin Multicore had a hypoallergenic flux core, but I have been unable to locate it for many years.

In response to demand for non-irritating fluxes, Kester came up with 405, which is a no-clean, so no brown blobs, is supposed to wet very well, and contains no chemical irritants.

I finally found a place that could order me a roll, and they're supposed to send a pound of 63/37 with the 405 flux core in mid-February.

I'll put it through its paces and report back.

The last thing is that I bought a pair of Xcelite shear cutters for trimming PCB leads:

http://www.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?item=S-T170M

I'd previously been using small diagonal cutters to trim leads from soldered printed circuit boards, and these things work sooooo much better. Cheap, too, just over 5 bucks.

Make your life easier and your work cleaner.

[aron]

Thanks for the tips. I need to try that tip cleaner.

Yeah, Peter's pretty sharp alright.

[Bill_F]

I've been using that tip cleaner for awhile. It really does work a lot better than the wet sponge.

[smoguzbenjamin]

My tips always rot like crazy because I don't have any way of cleaning them Need to get something for that.

[Samuel]

I took the sponge out of my soldering iron holder and replaced it with a big wad of steel wool. Every few joints I dip the iron in the radio shack cleaner, and then wipe off the excess gently on the steel wool. Seems to be working pretty well, but I am vaguely concerned about tip damage...

[Doug H]

Per Pete's suggestions I have been using the 63/37 solder and my new xytronics soldering station. There's nothing like firing it up to full temperature within a few seconds. You don't realize how much dead time you spend until you can turn the iron off and just fire it up on demand when you need it. The solder is great too, best $3.00 I spent in a long time.

Doug

[nightingale]

i second the xytronic stations~
i got the 137 esd for xmass.. i could not be any more content.. i think it was suggested by peter as well.. thanks!
this thing heats up so fast..