The Living Soldering Thread

[swill]

1. Not sure of the exact height, but, I have tried a couple of setups, and the one where I had to hunch a little was the one that worked best for me. Having the table a little higher so I don't have to arch my back so much didn't really work out as well, as it was uncomfortable for my hands.

2. I use a soldapullt and 9/10 times it will suck all the solder out of the holes, if it doesn't, I reapply some solder and repeat, there are however some stubborn joints, and they have to be removed as you said, heat the joint with one hand, pull the switch with the other.

3. It will work well, I think the reason 70% might not have worked as well is that the flux would have spread on the whole PCB via the dilute IPA, use 99% and give it a couple of good wipes, PCB should be nice and shiny.

Thanks! Regarding desoldering switches, do you like to desolder a lot of joints before you start trying to pull switches out? Or do you go one by one?

I do them all, then remove switches. Too much changing tools and wasted time if you do both processes at the same time.

[Smasher816]

1. Not sure of the exact height, but, I have tried a couple of setups, and the one where I had to hunch a little was the one that worked best for me. Having the table a little higher so I don't have to arch my back so much didn't really work out as well, as it was uncomfortable for my hands.

2. I use a soldapullt and 9/10 times it will suck all the solder out of the holes, if it doesn't, I reapply some solder and repeat, there are however some stubborn joints, and they have to be removed as you said, heat the joint with one hand, pull the switch with the other.

3. It will work well, I think the reason 70% might not have worked as well is that the flux would have spread on the whole PCB via the dilute IPA, use 99% and give it a couple of good wipes, PCB should be nice and shiny.

Thanks! Regarding desoldering switches, do you like to desolder a lot of joints before you start trying to pull switches out? Or do you go one by one?

I do them all, then remove switches. Too much changing tools and wasted time if you do both processes at the same time.

When I desoldered my 87 key WASD I desoldered everything, pulled all switched, put all switches back, soldered everything. After I figured out how to keep the soldapult clean it would suck everything up almost every time. I had to go back and add more solder probably 5 times for the whole thing. Each switch went fairly fast but it took me a few hours to get the whole mod done.

[swill]

I have found that is easier to solder pull if I add a little more solder, so I just do it on every joint. I find it is quicker this way, especially since I don't run my iron too hot.

[jameslr]

So I'm looking to get into soldering, and I don't have an iron. I read the first thread and I want to get started on the cheap (Under $50). I see the Edsyn CL1481 is supposed to fit this budget, but I can't find them anywhere except the geekhackers.org store ($80). At that price should I just get a Hakko 888D from Amazon at $91? Regardless, it's a bit out of my initial budget, so is there something new / different that I should look at? Refurb Hakko units or Wellers perhaps? My first project will likely be desoldering switches to swap them out with MX Clears (Filco TKL). I'll need a soldapullt for that I'm assuming.

Any tips would be great. Thanks!

P.S. I read about half of this entire thread but some of the info is quite outdated. The links in the OP are mostly dead.

[minho]

After I figured out how to keep the soldapult clean it would suck everything up almost every time. I had to go back and add more solder probably 5 times for the whole thing. Each switch went fairly fast but it took me a few hours to get the whole mod done.

How often should you clean the soldapullt?

[swill]

So I'm looking to get into soldering, and I don't have an iron. I read the first thread and I want to get started on the cheap (Under $50). I see the Edsyn CL1481 is supposed to fit this budget, but I can't find them anywhere except the geekhackers.org store ($80). At that price should I just get a Hakko 888D from Amazon at $91? Regardless, it's a bit out of my initial budget, so is there something new / different that I should look at? Refurb Hakko units or Wellers perhaps? My first project will likely be desoldering switches to swap them out with MX Clears (Filco TKL). I'll need a soldapullt for that I'm assuming.

Any tips would be great. Thanks!

P.S. I read about half of this entire thread but some of the info is quite outdated. The links in the OP are mostly dead.

My honest opinion, don't cheap out on the iron over $40. Both the irons you mentioned are good options for your needs. 

[jbm]

When doing through-hole soldering I often find myself struggling to position the PCB well, after I've placed the part and flipped the board over. So far I've been propping the board up with hand tools in an ad hoc way, since it will rarely stay flat itself (because of other parts that are on the board and not evenly distributed). My Panavise isn't a lot of help in this situation, because the board needs to be sitting on something to hold the parts in place.

Is there a good technique for doing this? I feel like I've done a poor job of explaining what I mean, but hopefully you know what I'm talking about anyway.

[Hundrakia]

I'd just hold the components in with electrical tape, but I've no clue if that's a dangerous habit.

[Melvang]

When doing through-hole soldering I often find myself struggling to position the PCB well, after I've placed the part and flipped the board over. So far I've been propping the board up with hand tools in an ad hoc way, since it will rarely stay flat itself (because of other parts that are on the board and not evenly distributed). My Panavise isn't a lot of help in this situation, because the board needs to be sitting on something to hold the parts in place.

Is there a good technique for doing this? I feel like I've done a poor job of explaining what I mean, but hopefully you know what I'm talking about anyway.

If it is a component with longer legs that will be clipped you can bend the legs out to keep them in place.  For something with shorter legs like switches you could try an alligator clip on one of the legs until you get one of the pins soldered.

[jbm]

So I'm looking to get into soldering, and I don't have an iron. I read the first thread and I want to get started on the cheap (Under $50). I see the Edsyn CL1481 is supposed to fit this budget, but I can't find them anywhere except the geekhackers.org store ($80). At that price should I just get a Hakko 888D from Amazon at $91? Regardless, it's a bit out of my initial budget, so is there something new / different that I should look at? Refurb Hakko units or Wellers perhaps? My first project will likely be desoldering switches to swap them out with MX Clears (Filco TKL). I'll need a soldapullt for that I'm assuming.

Any tips would be great. Thanks!

P.S. I read about half of this entire thread but some of the info is quite outdated. The links in the OP are mostly dead.

(Disclaimer: I'm a soldering newbie too).

I have the Hakko FX-888D and have been very happy with it. I wasn't aware of the GeekHackers bundle when I bought the Hakko, but if I had been I may have gone that way. I haven't researched the CL1481 in detail but mkawa says it's good and he knows what he's talking about. One apparent advantage of the Hakko, that you can adjust the temperature, doesn't really matter since the CL1481 is already set at the temperature you want anyway.

Long story short: I think both would be good picks. I'm sure there are also good picks in the $40-$50 range but I've only used the Hakko so I can't be much help there.

[jbm]

If it is a component with longer legs that will be clipped you can bend the legs out to keep them in place.  For something with shorter legs like switches you could try an alligator clip on one of the legs until you get one of the pins soldered.

Yeah, I do the leg-bending thing, though sometimes it doesn't hold things as well as I'd like. Probably I'm not bending them enough. I hadn't thought of an alligator clip, that's a good idea. Thanks!

[MOZ]

Thanks! Regarding desoldering switches, do you like to desolder a lot of joints before you start trying to pull switches out? Or do you go one by one?

I generally go by rows, I desolder all joints in a row in one go, then pull them out.

[jameslr]

.

[nubbinator]

That is a solid deal.  It's usually $90-$100 just for the iron with occasional $70 deals.

[Badwrench]

Is this overkill for personal use?  I like the idea of have 2 different tips. 

http://sandiego.en.craigslist.org/csd/for/4540878052.html

[swill]

Is this overkill for personal use?  I like the idea of have 2 different tips. 

http://sandiego.en.craigslist.org/csd/for/4540878052.html

Seems like a pretty solid deal.

[SpAmRaY]

So, I just bought a Hakko 888D from B+D Enterprises. While emailing one of their engineers back and forth I was talking to him about our community and I think they're willing to put together some starter / deluxe kits for soldering and desoldering. This is what he quoted me for the following:

Hakko 888D $76
2 x Indium .032" 20ft bobbins $0
5ft of desoldering braid/ wick $3.50
Hakko PD-03 desoldering pump $12.95
Hakko 599B tip cleaner $6
no-clean flux pen $8.95
CHP120 trimmers $0

Shipping to my home in Indiana via UPS: $0

Total: $107.40

Couldn't have expected a better deal. I think they're going to put together some kits like this and make them available to the Geekhack community. He invoiced me via Paypal. Customer service was outstanding, and even if their price wasn't pretty much the best deal you can get, I would still do business with them. The deluxe kits would include the same things with larger quantites of solder and wick.

If you would like to take advantage of this same deal, email: dave.anderson -at- bdent -dot- com

I've bought many things from bdent they usually have good prices and have occasional sales and freebies to sweeten the deal.

[jbm]

So, I just bought a Hakko 888D from B+D Enterprises. While emailing one of their engineers back and forth I was talking to him about our community and I think they're willing to put together some starter / deluxe kits for soldering and desoldering. This is what he quoted me for the following:

Hakko 888D $76
2 x Indium .032" 20ft bobbins $0
5ft of desoldering braid/ wick $3.50
Hakko PD-03 desoldering pump $12.95
Hakko 599B tip cleaner $6
no-clean flux pen $8.95
CHP120 trimmers $0

Shipping to my home in Indiana via UPS: $0

Total: $107.40

Couldn't have expected a better deal. I think they're going to put together some kits like this and make them available to the Geekhack community. He invoiced me via Paypal. Customer service was outstanding, and even if their price wasn't pretty much the best deal you can get, I would still do business with them. The deluxe kits would include the same things with larger quantites of solder and wick.

If you would like to take advantage of this same deal, email: dave.anderson -at- bdent -dot- com

Sounds like you got a great deal.

What are Indium bobbins? I did a quick search but didn't understand what I found (the first page of results included another thread here on GH and... multiple references to sensors for cryogenics).

[SpAmRaY]

So, I just bought a Hakko 888D from B+D Enterprises. While emailing one of their engineers back and forth I was talking to him about our community and I think they're willing to put together some starter / deluxe kits for soldering and desoldering. This is what he quoted me for the following:

Hakko 888D $76
2 x Indium .032" 20ft bobbins $0
5ft of desoldering braid/ wick $3.50
Hakko PD-03 desoldering pump $12.95
Hakko 599B tip cleaner $6
no-clean flux pen $8.95
CHP120 trimmers $0

Shipping to my home in Indiana via UPS: $0

Total: $107.40

Couldn't have expected a better deal. I think they're going to put together some kits like this and make them available to the Geekhack community. He invoiced me via Paypal. Customer service was outstanding, and even if their price wasn't pretty much the best deal you can get, I would still do business with them. The deluxe kits would include the same things with larger quantites of solder and wick.

If you would like to take advantage of this same deal, email: dave.anderson -at- bdent -dot- com

Sounds like you got a great deal.

What are Indium bobbins? I did a quick search but didn't understand what I found (the first page of results included another thread here on GH and... multiple references to sensors for cryogenics).

http://www.bdent.com/indium-wire-solder-sn60pb40-cw-201-flux-core-032-20-ft.html

[berserkfan]

I am having hell soldering. Don't know why but suddenly in the middle of my desoldering session last night (which was mostly soldering given that it was a damn hard double sided PCB) the solder wire stopped melting! I changed soldering tools, swapped out a tip, wiped the tips, sanded them, and no dice!!

I cut part of the wire off thinking the tip may have impurities and again no dice.

Changed to my spare spool and no dif. No more melting at all. The soldering tip could still melt existing solder on PCBs so not as if I was having power problems. The only thing that was different was the existence of brown liquid stuff dunno where that came from. But as I'd said, changing soldering irons, tips all didn't work. Even if these were impurities surely changing would have made a dif?

[Melvang]

The brown liquid is the flux in the flux core solder.  Outside of that I don't know what to tell you.

I had an issue once where I touched the insulation on a wire with my tip and solder would no longer stick to that portion of the tip.  I would still melt it, just wouldn't stick.  Same thing happened one time when I accidentally left my iron on for 3 days.  That led me to getting a different tip for my iron.

[jameslr]

A bobbin is a small spool. Like the little ones you see small quantities of thread sold with.

[twiddle]

So my Mini-Scope finger-switched iron looks like its given up the ghost, after about 30 years (inherited it).

 I'd love to get the hakko 888d or something similar, especially with pricing like was posted in the Great Finds thread yesterday.. But there's the whole 110-240v thing.
Going back through some old threads I came across this from mkawa's learn-to-solder GB at the start of the year:

220v (NEW!) -- +20$. The extension cord that comes with your unit will include an inline step-down transformer and terminate in a plug that is closer to your country's than NEMA 15-5.

Any suggestions on where I'd be able to find something like this? It would make buying an iron much cheaper and easier.

[hasu]

I filed tip of my solder sucker and desoldered swtiches today and it worked like a charm. The filed tip fits to iron tip very well and I can sucks solder easily.
I got this nice idea from some GH member at this thread long ago, IIRC. I can't find the original message now.

[berserkfan]

I filed tip of my solder sucker and desoldered swtiches today and it worked like a charm. The filed tip fits to iron tip very well and I can sucks solder easily.
I got this nice idea from some GH member at this thread long ago, IIRC. I can't find the original message now.

Show Image

I can one-up that, although it is due to my incompetence rather than superior ideas.

My solder sucker has been partly burnt/ melted at that point, so it is starting to have a natural indentation.  ;D

[PandaSPUR]

So I might want to start soldering. Thanks to the smallfry kit...

Right now all I have is a Radioshack 35W iron. Beat up and old, with random solder in the drawer.

I want to get the Hakko FX901 cordless iron. It supposedly works well for 2 whole hours on NiMH batteries, and the reviews on Amazon confirm that.
So it should be good for my light usage. Only downside is that it only has ONE type of conical tip: http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fx901_tips.html#productNav

What do you guys think?

Also what else do I need besides:
- brass sponge
- solder (I prefer lead-free)
- soldapult

Is the third hand (magnifying glass + stand thing) necessary or even useful?
I was thinking of just putting all of the diodes/switches on the pcb, flipping it over, and letting it sit on the table.
I've never done this before >.>

[Melvang]

So I might want to start soldering. Thanks to the smallfry kit...

Right now all I have is a Radioshack 35W iron. Beat up and old, with random solder in the drawer.

I want to get the Hakko FX901 cordless iron. It supposedly works well for 2 whole hours on NiMH batteries, and the reviews on Amazon confirm that.
So it should be good for my light usage. Only downside is that it only has ONE type of conical tip: http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fx901_tips.html#productNav

What do you guys think?

Also what else do I need besides:
- brass sponge
- solder (I prefer lead-free)
- soldapult

Is the third hand (magnifying glass + stand thing) necessary or even useful?
I was thinking of just putting all of the diodes/switches on the pcb, flipping it over, and letting it sit on the table.
I've never done this before >.>

I wouldn't recommend that iron just because of the 2 hour battery life.  More often than not I find myself soldering for more than 2 hours at a hot.  Also, NiMH batterys lose power at a fairly drastic rate when the charge starts to deplete.  Unlike LiPO or LiON batteries where you have full power until the are dead. 

There is some debate on brass sponge vs damp sponge.  Mkawa recommends the damp sponge iirc.

Can I ask why you want lead free solder?  Leaded solder is not dangerous and I have read reports that it is actually better for the enviroment than RoHS compliant lead free.  Plus, lead free solder is more difficult to work with especially when desoldering.  It requires more heat to fully melt and as a result there is a higher chance of lifting pads and such when working with it.  When I desolder a board with lead free solder I go through each joint and reflow while adding leaded solder before attempting to remove any.  Makes life much easier.

The third hands are pretty much absolute crap.  If you want a good work holder get a Panavise and the PCB holder arms (model number 316 is just the arms) and mkawa has the brackets for the base that I built on geekhackers.org.  I only sent him 4 sets so if he is out of stock I can build you one though it will have a lead time. 

I would recommend about any other iron than that radio shack one with the conical tip.  For what we do that us about the last shape of tip you will want.

[jbm]

Currently my only soldering tip is the Hakko T18-D16 (1.6mm chisel) that came with my FX-888D.

Do you think I'd be well served by getting something smaller for SMT? It looks like the main options would be the T18-D12 (1.2mm chisel) or T18-D08 (0.8mm chisel).

[Hundrakia]

I need more money. Lol. I pretty badly want to get my hands on a desoldering iron, variable temp controlled soldering iron, hot air pen, ugh. Someone! Give me ideas for money lmao

[jbm]

The third hands are pretty much absolute crap.  If you want a good work holder get a Panavise and the PCB holder arms (model number 316 is just the arms) and mkawa has the brackets for the base that I built on geekhackers.org.  I only sent him 4 sets so if he is out of stock I can build you one though it will have a lead time. 

I second this. I bought the parts that Melvang makes and they're a big improvement over the stock Panavise parts, but even without that the Panavise is better than the third hands things.

I've considered buying a separate magnifying lamp but not having one hasn't really been a problem so far.

[PandaSPUR]

So I might want to start soldering. Thanks to the smallfry kit...

Right now all I have is a Radioshack 35W iron. Beat up and old, with random solder in the drawer.

I want to get the Hakko FX901 cordless iron. It supposedly works well for 2 whole hours on NiMH batteries, and the reviews on Amazon confirm that.
So it should be good for my light usage. Only downside is that it only has ONE type of conical tip: http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fx901_tips.html#productNav

What do you guys think?

Also what else do I need besides:
- brass sponge
- solder (I prefer lead-free)
- soldapult

Is the third hand (magnifying glass + stand thing) necessary or even useful?
I was thinking of just putting all of the diodes/switches on the pcb, flipping it over, and letting it sit on the table.
I've never done this before >.>

I wouldn't recommend that iron just because of the 2 hour battery life.  More often than not I find myself soldering for more than 2 hours at a hot.  Also, NiMH batterys lose power at a fairly drastic rate when the charge starts to deplete.  Unlike LiPO or LiON batteries where you have full power until the are dead. 

There is some debate on brass sponge vs damp sponge.  Mkawa recommends the damp sponge iirc.

Can I ask why you want lead free solder?  Leaded solder is not dangerous and I have read reports that it is actually better for the enviroment than RoHS compliant lead free.  Plus, lead free solder is more difficult to work with especially when desoldering.  It requires more heat to fully melt and as a result there is a higher chance of lifting pads and such when working with it.  When I desolder a board with lead free solder I go through each joint and reflow while adding leaded solder before attempting to remove any.  Makes life much easier.

The third hands are pretty much absolute crap.  If you want a good work holder get a Panavise and the PCB holder arms (model number 316 is just the arms) and mkawa has the brackets for the base that I built on geekhackers.org.  I only sent him 4 sets so if he is out of stock I can build you one though it will have a lead time. 

I would recommend about any other iron than that radio shack one with the conical tip.  For what we do that us about the last shape of tip you will want.

Hm.. I don't mind being forced to stop at 2 hours, gives me an automatic sanity check lol. Plus I could just keep a second set of batteries charging while I work. Also, according to reviews (one random website and a bunch on amazon) the heat level actually stays consistent until absolute battery death. I just really hate wires ):

The lead-free thing was just me acting on instinct. So fumes from soldering with leaded solder is safe?

And thanks for the advice on the panavise. I've actually been wanting one to hold my dremel and other purposes. I'll take a look at those.

[Melvang]

So I might want to start soldering. Thanks to the smallfry kit...

Right now all I have is a Radioshack 35W iron. Beat up and old, with random solder in the drawer.

I want to get the Hakko FX901 cordless iron. It supposedly works well for 2 whole hours on NiMH batteries, and the reviews on Amazon confirm that.
So it should be good for my light usage. Only downside is that it only has ONE type of conical tip: http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fx901_tips.html#productNav

What do you guys think?

Also what else do I need besides:
- brass sponge
- solder (I prefer lead-free)
- soldapult

Is the third hand (magnifying glass + stand thing) necessary or even useful?
I was thinking of just putting all of the diodes/switches on the pcb, flipping it over, and letting it sit on the table.
I've never done this before >.>

I wouldn't recommend that iron just because of the 2 hour battery life.  More often than not I find myself soldering for more than 2 hours at a hot.  Also, NiMH batterys lose power at a fairly drastic rate when the charge starts to deplete.  Unlike LiPO or LiON batteries where you have full power until the are dead. 

There is some debate on brass sponge vs damp sponge.  Mkawa recommends the damp sponge iirc.

Can I ask why you want lead free solder?  Leaded solder is not dangerous and I have read reports that it is actually better for the enviroment than RoHS compliant lead free.  Plus, lead free solder is more difficult to work with especially when desoldering.  It requires more heat to fully melt and as a result there is a higher chance of lifting pads and such when working with it.  When I desolder a board with lead free solder I go through each joint and reflow while adding leaded solder before attempting to remove any.  Makes life much easier.

The third hands are pretty much absolute crap.  If you want a good work holder get a Panavise and the PCB holder arms (model number 316 is just the arms) and mkawa has the brackets for the base that I built on geekhackers.org.  I only sent him 4 sets so if he is out of stock I can build you one though it will have a lead time. 

I would recommend about any other iron than that radio shack one with the conical tip.  For what we do that us about the last shape of tip you will want.

Hm.. I don't mind being forced to stop at 2 hours, gives me an automatic sanity check lol. Plus I could just keep a second set of batteries charging while I work. Also, according to reviews (one random website and a bunch on amazon) the heat level actually stays consistent until absolute battery death. I just really hate wires ):

The lead-free thing was just me acting on instinct. So fumes from soldering with leaded solder is safe?

And thanks for the advice on the panavise. I've actually been wanting one to hold my dremel and other purposes. I'll take a look at those.

The fumes from leaded solder are from the flux not the lead.  Yes it is perfectly safe.  The reason for lead free solder and the RoHS push is because of enviromental concerns of the lead in solder joints.  The same thing happened with wheel weights on cars.  Those are mostly zinc now instead of lead.  Lead is also being phased out of fishing sinkers and shot in hunting bullets and shotgun shells for the same reasons.  Just remember to wash your hands after handling the solder.  That really is the only precaution that should be taken as the exposure levels for the hobbyist are low enough to not pose an issue. Also, don't let kiddos and pets chew on it.  It won't kill them and one time won't be an issue but it does take a long time for it to leave the body and has an accumulating effect.

I actually have a worse scenario at work with the amount of stick welding I do and the manganese fumes associated with that than the amount of soldering I do at home.

[swill]

Currently my only soldering tip is the Hakko T18-D16 (1.6mm chisel) that came with my FX-888D.

Do you think I'd be well served by getting something smaller for SMT? It looks like the main options would be the T18-D12 (1.2mm chisel) or T18-D08 (0.8mm chisel).

I use a smaller tip than the default for pretty much all my soldering. I was fine with the default, but the smaller one is really nice when working with SMDs. I am not sure, but I think I am using the .8mm chisel.

[hasu]

I've used spade tip(900M-T-3BCZ) mainly for a few months and like it very much. It is a multifunctional tip, with this you can drag solder QFP easier than D tip, point solder 1608(metric) chips, huge thermal-mass USB receptacles and of course, through-hole components with no problem. You can even desolder keyboard switches due to its thickness. When I really need fine tip for sesitive work I use my 1.2mm D tip. Before using BC tip I've used 1.2D for SMT, 2.4D for TH and 2CF for QFP.

Tip of FX-888D is not hot swappable and not easy to exchange tips during session so I think you'll want one almighty tip. I'd recommend T18-C3(not CF) or C2 if pad clearance of your PCB is so tight.

Anyway, I think you want to visit Hakko tip selection guide before shop.
http://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/

Currently my only soldering tip is the Hakko T18-D16 (1.6mm chisel) that came with my FX-888D.

Do you think I'd be well served by getting something smaller for SMT? It looks like the main options would be the T18-D12 (1.2mm chisel) or T18-D08 (0.8mm chisel).

[PandaSPUR]

The fumes from leaded solder are from the flux not the lead.  Yes it is perfectly safe.  The reason for lead free solder and the RoHS push is because of enviromental concerns of the lead in solder joints.  The same thing happened with wheel weights on cars.  Those are mostly zinc now instead of lead.  Lead is also being phased out of fishing sinkers and shot in hunting bullets and shotgun shells for the same reasons.  Just remember to wash your hands after handling the solder.  That really is the only precaution that should be taken as the exposure levels for the hobbyist are low enough to not pose an issue. Also, don't let kiddos and pets chew on it.  It won't kill them and one time won't be an issue but it does take a long time for it to leave the body and has an accumulating effect.

I actually have a worse scenario at work with the amount of stick welding I do and the manganese fumes associated with that than the amount of soldering I do at home.

Hmm I see, makes sense. Thanks for the advice, I'll be going with leaded solder then.

One other thing, you mentioned before that conical tips are the absolute worse for what we do? Or did I read that wrong?

[Melvang]

The fumes from leaded solder are from the flux not the lead.  Yes it is perfectly safe.  The reason for lead free solder and the RoHS push is because of enviromental concerns of the lead in solder joints.  The same thing happened with wheel weights on cars.  Those are mostly zinc now instead of lead.  Lead is also being phased out of fishing sinkers and shot in hunting bullets and shotgun shells for the same reasons.  Just remember to wash your hands after handling the solder.  That really is the only precaution that should be taken as the exposure levels for the hobbyist are low enough to not pose an issue. Also, don't let kiddos and pets chew on it.  It won't kill them and one time won't be an issue but it does take a long time for it to leave the body and has an accumulating effect.

I actually have a worse scenario at work with the amount of stick welding I do and the manganese fumes associated with that than the amount of soldering I do at home.

Hmm I see, makes sense. Thanks for the advice, I'll be going with leaded solder then.

One other thing, you mentioned before that conical tips are the absolute worse for what we do? Or did I read that wrong?

You read that correct.  There might be a few instances that they work well but for the most part you will want a chisel/wedge shaped tip for faster heat transfer.  Think of it this way.  When soldering on a PCB, the name of the game is to get in, get it hot, do the work, and get out quickly.  With the conical tip, there is very little surface area to transfer that heat with.  So you will be holding the iron there for a while until it melts, the longer you keep a joint hot the better the chances are that you will lift a pad/trace.  Or if you crank the heat way up to get it melted quicker, when it does melt and the tip drops into the pool of solder, it will overheat the joint insanely quick and can cause damage quicker than you can pull it away.

[PandaSPUR]

Hm thanks for the tips (haha >.>)

Ended up going for mkawa's soldering kit with the Edsyn CL1481. Comes with 3 diff sized tips and I trust that they're the proper shape lol.

[Smasher816]

One other thing, you mentioned before that conical tips are the absolute worse for what we do? Or did I read that wrong?

Someone recommended watching some EEVBlog videos to me, and they are fairly informative (but his voice annoys me a little). http://www.eevblog.com/2011/07/02/eevblog-183-soldering-tutorial-part-2/

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but jump to 15:50-17:25 to see a comparison between chisel and conical tips (and why they are worse).

[swill]

Hm thanks for the tips (haha >.>)

Ended up going for mkawa's soldering kit with the Edsyn CL1481. Comes with 3 diff sized tips and I trust that they're the proper shape lol.

Nice choice. You will not be disappointed, that is a good setup.

[swill]

One other thing, you mentioned before that conical tips are the absolute worse for what we do? Or did I read that wrong?

Someone recommended watching some EEVBlog videos to me, and they are fairly informative (but his voice annoys me a little). http://www.eevblog.com/2011/07/02/eevblog-183-soldering-tutorial-part-2/

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but jump to 15:50-17:25 to see a comparison between chisel and conical tips (and why they are worse).

Someone has suggested that to me too, but he annoyed me so much I made it about 45 seconds.

In all seriousness, if you want to learn to solder, watch the Pace solder tutorials. A bit old fashion, but very informative.

Here is one for single sided circuit boards:  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5M-lGxvzo

Here is another that gives some insight into tip sizing (12:15 ish): http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837&v=vIT4ra6Mo0s

Watch them all and learn a lot.

[mkawa]

all the iron tips sold on geekhackers are spades/chisel tips except for the fancy ones. in particular, i can get you anything from the edsyn catalog, including weird hooked tips, specialized SMT crown tips, and a couple of extremely nice solder cup tips (HIGHLY recommended for hand soldering of qfps and soics)

anyway, the "standard" tips for all the irons I sell are:

small: ~1mm spade
medium: ~2mm spade
large: ~3mm spade

remember, soldering is NOT about changing working temperature but about changing the amount of power transferred to a joint in order to achieve working temperature as quickly as possible without exceeding it. the determinant of power transfer is SURFACE AREA! repeat it! live by it! die by it! (no, not that last one. don't hurt yourself. soldering irons are hot).

but seriously, soldering is about setting a working temperature (rule of thumb is 350C for leaded, and 450C for unleaded), and then manipulating the size of your "thermal channel" or surface area in contact between the iron tip and the joint in order to reach that working temperature quickly on _both leads of the joint, and the solder_ without exceeding that temperature by enough to damage anything.

that's it! recite it while you're soldering and it will make your life much easier

[PandaSPUR]

Awesome. Feeling better bout my purchases every time I learn a bit more 

Now another question. Would it be possible for me to make the Smallfry Kit or really work on any 60% board with just the standard Panavise 301?

I'm thinking of just using the vice to hold an edge of the PCB and work on it that way. Of course I'd have to be careful about putting pressure on the PCB... But would this work?

Trying to save some money, spent a lot already.

[mkawa]

it's possible, but i'd recommend the PV 396 instead as an "all-in-one" vise head.

[PandaSPUR]

it's possible, but i'd recommend the PV 396 instead as an "all-in-one" vise head.

Ah. Didnt know that existed. So I can just pretty much use that the same way as the 316 hands + crossbar right?

[mkawa]

yes, it's definitely possible, but works best for small pcbs or pcbs that are small in one dimension. when you get to large enough PCBs, the contact with the little rubber feet only being at the bottom of the PCB starts becoming a problem

[Melvang]

So I got a set of panavise arms in the mail.  I am already trying to figure out in my head how to go about milling a quality one.

[mkawa]

your last batch of crossbars is still sitting in a moving box somewhere unfortunately.

[Vintage]

Any advise on a decent DIY "helping hands" for 60% pcbs?

[mkawa]

this is actually exactly what we're talking about. the panavise 300 base is way way better than any helping hands. panavise sells a pcb holding kit for it, but i'm not crazy about most of it, particularly the stem and crossbar. melvang and i worked out a better replacement, which he has made a couple batches of. for a full pcb holding solution, one of his stem and crossbar sets plus a panavise 316 set is fantastic. he's saying additionally that he thinks he can make a superior replacement for the 316 as well.

in theory, i have his last batch of stem and crossbar sets that i am selling on commission for him (i think? you just sent them to me melvang , i have no idea what to do with them). but in practice, they're in a moving box and not in the same place i am right now XD

[berserkfan]

just to ask all of you

If I'm desoldering a modern keyboard, something built in the past 10 years. Can I safely expect it to be done using lead free solder?

Am wondering why Cherry keyboards seem to be so easy to desolder, but most other modern keyboards seem harder.

Is the Filco Majestouch 2 built using lead free solder?

The Ducky Shine 3?

The Tipro/ Cherry POS keyboards of the past 10 years?

Just trying to get a grip on how long desoldering should take. I always panic when I hold a tip to a solder joint for 10 seconds and nothing seems to happen. That was the case with some solder joints on my Tipro (it was also 2x sided PCB).

Yet on some keyboards (especially Cherry), it takes only 1-2 seconds for the solder to fully melt and be totally extractable in one pop of the soldapullt.

As I don't have a temperature regulator, I don't know how hot my solder iron is.