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| bobbyb13:
I know I have seen individual debates about particular items in the arsenal of a solder wielding person, but- and I promise I searched here a bunch of different ways before asking (and I can't find a comprehensive list on the forum...) What is the standard list of tools required to do good soldering work? Also massively helpful would be the brand/model of preference based on things which are inexpensive, mid-range price, and $$ is no object. I started to look for one of those clamp things that looks like Doc Oc, a solder sucker, and the proper type solder to use for recapping a monitor chassis and was immediately overwhelmed with the choices and range of price. I have no interest in buying cheap crap because I want to do good work (and not be frustrated and destroy things as I hopefully gain some proficiency) but if I don't have to buy professional level tools for basic maintenance work that would be awesome. Any wisdom offered is greatly appreciated! |
| Zebidee:
Last year I bought myself a reasonably price Aoyue Int701A++ "repairing system", which include a variable temperature soldering iron (with integrated smoke/fume sucker) and desoldering pump (good for taking stuff off boards). It is mid-range in terms of quality. Iron is good. The desoldering pump is OK but seems to always need cleaning. However my solder sucker/solderpult (hand/spring-powered) still sucks hard and rarely lets me down. You should also grab some "desoldering wick" or "braid" as that can help in situations where the solderpult can't. I still prefer the solderpult or desoldering pump where possible, but sometimes using the wick is the trick. Ordinary solder will do for most jobs, there is no special solder for monitor chassis. Typically you want the stuff with lead in it as it melts at lower temperature. For general purpose soldering (which most of it is) get solder with rosin/flux core 0.7mm diameter with a 60/40 or 63/37 ratio mix (tin/lead). I also have some really thing 0.25mm solder that I use for touching up really fine and tiny stuff. If you want to do SMD work then you need a decent set of tweezers and solder paste. Mechanic brand is good, I use it from a small pot and also from a syringe. You'll also want some solder flux which helps the solder melt at higher temperature, handy for difficult spots. Flux also comes in syringe packs. For SMD work it really helps if you use a hot air system. I use a "XXX 858D" which is a commonly cloned model cheaply available online. Mine actually says "JCD 858D" but there are many variations. A bit of getting used to, but it really makes life a lot easier for doing that tiny stuff. You'll also need a combined magnifier/lamp on an arm, to help you see your work. You may also need magnifying glasses (they come with interchangeable lenses) and/or a secondary lens (use it in combination with your magnifying lamp to get greater magnification, just like what happens in a telescope/binoculars/microscope). Get a solder scouring pad, like a steel wool pot cleaner in a pot, for cleaning and re-tinning your solder iron tips. Roll of masking tape for lots n lots of things. Some kind of stand or clamps or vise to hold your electronic boards while you work. Tiny screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, old rag, toothpicks (really essential for SMD work, tidying up solder paste before blasting with hot air) Get a digital multimeter if you don't already have one. I have many cheap DMMs ($10-$50) which are fine but the Fluke 17B+ (around $150-$200) is like wiping your donkey with silk by comparison (you have to say that like the Mandelorian from The Matrix movies). Grab some alligator clips that you can slip onto the ends of the probes, makes life easier. Isopropyl alcohol for general cleaning up, but it kinda just moves old flux around. So, clean soapy water and toothbrush for really getting stuff clean once the job is finished (or before you do the job if chassis is really filthy). After washing with soapy, rinse with clean water. After gently padding stuff to semi-dry, use some isopropyl to help remaining water dry off quickly and leave less marks. |
| Vigo:
Amateur soldering enthusiast, here. These opinions are my own. Disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer. ;D I am going to say the fan favorite midrange soldering iron around here is going to be a Hakko FX888D. It doesn't come with bells and whistles like a hot air gun or an ultra fancy control station, but it is a quality iron that heats up lightning fast, with good tips and a digital thermometer. You can always get better, but anyone who goes cheaper is usually the kind of person who is happy with an old hardware store standard Weller. The biggest requirement I have found is getting good rosin flux. I am not going into the debate about which flux is the best, as I will probably give you bad advice there, but I keep both flux paste and liquid electronics flux, and I have been finding more and more that the liquid stuff is brilliant for the smaller jobs. I don't get the corrosive stuff, but I quickly wash away with some isopropyl alcohol. I keep both my Rosin and alcohol in precision tip applicator bottles, which are cheap and easy to get on Amazon. I tend to stick with a lead rosin core solder, and avoid the lead free. I 3d printed a fume extractor, but buying one isn't a heavy lift. A lot of people love those PanaVise clamps, as they are designed for PCBs, and they sell models and extension bars to allow pretty large boards. I just mostly use a silicone mat. Gives you a nice work surface, and I generally don't need to do any clamping if I just solder on the mat. I personally hate those syringe style vacuum solder suckers, and I use the desoldering wick, which is popular, and mix it with one of those desoldering irons with the suction ball on the side. Those are good for older electronics, but a but bulky for modern stuff. Also, excellent lighting cannot be overstated. |
| Vigo:
Here is more a shopping list format of some of my stuff - Hakko Soldering Iron - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANZRT4M/ Liquid Flux - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DNR01Q/ Applicator Bottles - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088TBWZYB Silicone Mat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XTDGN4T/ Ceramic, nonconductive inverted tweezers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XC12RVR/ Desoldering Wick - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195UVWJ8/ Carbon filter for fume extractor (If you make your own) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KWYTCG5/ PanaVise - https://www.amazon.com/PanaVise-324-Electronic-Work-Center/dp/B000SSPNBU |
| Zebidee:
Vigo's advice is all good! Very good. Thanks for the links too, I love seeing what other people use. Probably worth adding that while you might not need a clamp/vice for most game PCBs or monitor chassis, you really do need something for smaller pieces (like GreenAntz transcoders!) as they will just slide and wobble around otherwise. Clamping it down frees your hands. Using a (pana)vice has another advantage that it raises your work surface, so you don't have to stoop over your work as much. This gives you better ergonomics and your back/shoulders/neck will be less sore at the end of the day. People usually seem to be polarised, either loving or hating solder pumps and having the opposite feelings about desoldering wick. Much of this really comes down to what you are used to, what works best for you. It doesn't have to be one or the other. They are both inexpensive and I try to use both as most appropriate for the situations at hand. |
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