Let's see your soldering irons..

[teletekman]

With all the "Let's see" post's going around I want to add one more. I know there are quite a few electrical & electronic tech's & engineers on this forum so there have to be some pretty slick rework stations & irons on their benchs.

I just received not too long ago a used, but new to me "Smartheat" rework station from OK International which includes both talons for reworking small & large surface mount components ranging down from 0402 to SOIC's to DIP's & SIP's and a vacuum solder sucker which comes in extremely handy for cleaning out through-hole parts. If anyone has had the pleasure to work with the dreaded lead-free solder and tried to wick it, they will know what I mean.

 

[teletekman]

Here is another fancy gadget we use at work. This is a JBC JT7750 Hot-Air Station that we use for removing parts such as QFP's, QFN's & DFN's. The rack of various shields are used for keeping heat confined within a certain area while the Hot-Air station goes to work without risking heat damage to nearby components. The vacuum tripod then lifts the part off the board once the solder liquifies. Much safer then using tweezers and gooping up the pins, especially on extremely fine-pitch parts...

 

[Sparkfarmer]

That is very cool. I need that thing tomorrow, I'm going to have to remove a 64-Pin TQFP pic. I use solder paste and a heat gun, not nearly as fun!

Here is another fancy gadget we use at work. This is a JBC JT7750 Hot-Air Station that we use for removing parts such as QFP's, QFN's & DFN's. The rack of various shields are used for keeping heat confined within a certain area while the Hot-Air station goes to work without risking heat damage to nearby components. The vacuum tripod then lifts the part off the board once the solder liquifies. Much safer then using tweezers and gooping up the pins, especially on extremely fine-pitch parts...

 

[PrecisionTools]

You got some nice gear there. While we are on acronyms...got any rework gear for doing GBA's?

 

[jeffmoss26]

I am too embarrassed to show mine. That's only after 2 posts lol

 

[JASTECH]

Jeff, me too. I have a Hakko RS station w/heat gun, Radio Shack 15/30w and a AT201D. Bunch's of silver solder for HAM repairs.

 

[illmatyk]

Pretty neat stations you got there! All I have is a Weller iron, Bernzomatic butane iron and a Matco butane iron. I don't do too much electrical work, just some soldering here and there when needed.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I am using a 15 dollar Parts Express soldering station. It's a clone of the Weller WLC100.
I burned up the Weller because I was using it plugged right into the wall, not into the station, when doing work in the field.

 

[Jawn]

No pics of my own, but I have an old Weller flea market special (8200-N) for heavier stuff, and a Iso-Tip 7700 (http://www.iso-tip.com/products-page/smart-solder-series/quick-charge-soldering-iron-kit-boxed-7700/) for light work. Have thought about getting a Weller WESD51 for hobby work that doesn't require cordless so I'm not worrying about batteries on the Iso-Tip.

 

[BionicSniper]

Well my hot air and temperature controlled station died recently. Last night I did a qfn 32 with a radio-shack iron... I've got a hakko FX coming in soon.

 

[lestat]

Jcb cd-2bb.

 

[teletekman]

Well my hot air and temperature controlled station died recently. Last night I did a qfn 32 with a radio-shack iron... I've got a hakko FX coming in soon.

That had to be a PITA to remove with just a iron. How did you heat up the GND Pad on the bottom?

 

[teletekman]

You got some nice gear there. While we are on acronyms...got any rework gear for doing GBA's?

Ok, I'ma goin to play dumb here... GBA's?

Do you mean BGA's?

 

[RRmech]

I bought the Weller WLC100 soldering station about 3 years ago.
So far, so good.........................................


Steve

 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Nothing special here dont have a soldering station just your basic units. But I do have one that most of you probably havent seen before!!

The Weller was my Dads and the big Iron I bought a yard sale for 5 bucks.

Now this I also got from my Dad's stuff when he died. He was a Cable splicer with C&P telephone for a while. This was used when there was no access to power! It was run with Fuel capsules!

Just unscrew the end piece

Put in the fuel capsule and screw the end back on.

Then pull the spring lever back and release, let it warm up and its ready to go! It's in brand new condition and like I said it was my dads so it has a lot of sentimental value to me. I did use it once just to try it! I think its from the late 50's early 60's,

 

[PrecisionTools]

Ok, I'ma goin to play dumb here... GBA's?

Do you mean BGA's?

Whoops...sorry. Got the B & G around the wrong way

Never was much good with acronyms!

 

[PrecisionTools]

That's pretty cool. I wonder what fuel is in the capsules?

 

[doug.j]

I have a Hakko 936 and Weller WD2M. The Weller is a little complicated to setup. It even connects to the PC for programming and monitoring. I mostly just use the Hakko.

 

[TOOLFREEQ]

I dont know if you guys have ever reworked a bga but its not easy we have an srt machine at work you can use a simple hot air to remove it but good luck getting a new one on and hope you got a new part unless u know how to rebaall the one you pulled off getting them lined up to reflow is not easy to do even with the right machine we always x-ray ours after rework

 

[TOOLFREEQ]

oh yea lead free suks

 

[Sick Puppy]

Nothing fancy, but I got a hardly-used Xytronic T1976 soldering station from Trademe:

It's sold by **** Smith Electronics here in NZ, but they are pretty much getting out of selling components, so don't sell this any more. They don't sell anything for this any more. It's taiwanese, but seems to be sold more in the US?

We're moving overseas at the mo, so it will be in storage for a while, but I will be buying some extra tips and replacement parts from a US vendor.

One day I'll get to play with electronics and car stuff - one day...

 

[jwitt]

How about a soldering PISTOL

Jim

 

[teletekman]

How about a soldering PISTOL

Jim

Dude, that kicks ***! Where did you find that at?

 

[teletekman]

Whoops...sorry. Got the B & G around the wrong way

Never was much good with acronyms!

We have this for reworking BGA's. This uses an Infrared heating element for heating up the underlayer of the component. We like this one a bit better than the traditional hot air units since if it does melt anything around it it won't blow the parts off the board. Plus it has a nicer ramping heat profile program than some of the older hot air units that I have used in the past do.

It's in the process of being relocated to another station and has been down for a couple of months, hense the layer of dust on it. We are looking to get it going again this summer and when we do I'll post some pics & video of it in action. It's actually pretty fascinating..

 

[BionicSniper]

That had to be a PITA to remove with just a iron. How did you heat up the GND Pad on the bottom?

I was not removing it I was soldering it on a board I had fabbed.

Five via's underneath the pad lets you do it with an iron. I would have no idea how to remove it without hot air.

 

[teletekman]

I was not removing it I was soldering it on a board I had fabbed.

Five via's underneath the pad lets you do it with an iron. I would have no idea how to remove it without hot air.

Thats must have taken some time. The problem we run into here is that most of our via's are masked on our boards for compliance issue's. Especially near large ground plane's. Makes it a little more difficult for heat to transfer. That hot air iron is a plus.

 

[BionicSniper]

Thats must have taken some time. The problem we run into here is that most of our via's are masked on our boards for compliance issue's. Especially near large ground plane's. Makes it a little more difficult for heat to transfer. That hot air iron is a plus.

I miss mine, it died on me while I was replacing a power management ic on a laptop for a friend. I managed to get it finished with a hair dryer.

I am working on getting a toaster over modified to a reflow oven. I am heat bricking the inside and designing a PID controller for it. Soldering 20 boards with nothing but 805 and smaller parts by hand gets old quick.

 

[Outlawmws]

OK, my fine electronics stations are cased up and somewhat buried, and I don't have time to dig them out (So sometime later..), but here is some of the bigger stuff for soldering:

Soldering coppers from about 5lb down to about an ounce. These can be heated with a blow torch, a "soldering pot" which is a flatish propane tank with a burner and a rack for either a melting pot or you can rack several coppers into it, or a gas fed bench top furnace that can hold two or three coppers, or have a melting pot on top. (I have all three)

And the 3 Soldering guns. The one in the lower right was one of the first tools I ever bought (along with some needle nose and dykes) and used it/them to build slot car chassis.

 

[Rolling_Thunder]

That's pretty cool. I wonder what fuel is in the capsules?

I dont really know there nothing written on the cartridges.

 

[Rolling_Thunder]

OK, my fine electronics stations are cased up and somewhat buried, and I don't have time to dig them out (So sometime later..), but here is some of the bigger stuff for soldering:

Soldering coppers from about 5lb down to about an ounce. These can be heated with a blow torch, a "soldering pot" which is a flatish propane tank with a burner and a rack for either a melting pot or you can rack several coppers into it, or a gas fed bench top furnace that can hold two or three coppers, or have a melting pot on top. (I have all three)

And the 3 Soldering guns. The one in the lower right was one of the first tools I ever bought (along with some needle nose and dykes) and used it/them to build slot car chassis.

WOW! Thats a great collection!!! Love those old irons!

 

[Monte]

How about a soldering PISTOL

coool !!

 

[2manytoyz]

I have a PACE soldering station at home, but far older than this one I use at work:

My Wahl Ito-Tip cordless (battery) iron at home:

Solder pot at work before the safety weenies made us get rid of it:

Monster iron at work, great for heating up big lugs:

I also have a couple of Weller P2KC soldering irons at work, and another at home. These work very well:

 

[kissmeimgerman]

I use this at work,

Mostly for XLR's and various other simple wiring/small electronic tasks. Meets my needs!

 

[jwitt]

Dude, that kicks ***! Where did you find that at?

It was a Flea Market find (10.00) but they do show up on Ebay and usually go for around that.

Jim

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Mine is a Heathkit that I built 45 years ago. Still works just fine.

 

[lzenglish]

I have several, but here is an old Military Weller all in one Soldering kit, that I found at a yard sale last year.

Wayne

 

[Davefr]

Weller WD 1 is my go to iron. Zero to 850 degrees in < 20 seconds. You can program it to shut itself off after X minutes of inactivity. At 85 watts it has enough heat for larger projects.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Random question for all those that use soldering irons, and stations.

Do you guys use different tips for the various bits of work that you do, and if so, what would you regards as your most commonly used tips?

If you have stations, what additional parts would you buy to keep as spares when replacement is necessary?

As I said in an earlier post, I'm buying a few bits and bobs, debating on buying a set of tips or individual ones, as well as a replacement heating element/holder/barrell, don't want to buy a bunch I'll never use! lol Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[PrecisionTools]

Dont get sucked into buying really fine tips...most of the time they cant transfer heat to the piece efficiently and make the job tiresome. Just keep a few of the average sized tips. Different size solder is more useful for average work.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Cheers for that - I was planning on getting a few chisel tips and a scoop one, nothing fancy. I'm only going to be using it for minor projects, car stuff and repairs, so spares for the one I have should be fine.

Problem is the spare iron, which I can't find the parts for yet, I'll find it...