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How To Get Started In Soldering

popularmechanics.com

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Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#161

Post by gav »

nibbleshifter wrote: post #138
bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

Its the rule supposedly came up with by Adam Savage - buy cheap tools, use em til you break em, then replace the ones you break with expensive, good tools. The idea of that rule is so new makers can work out what tools they actually are using, so they don't waste a shitload of money. In practice? Some tools are just worth spending the money on upfront, inferior tools will often lead to frustration and failure early o…

I also think he's talking about tools where inferior means build quality vs. performance. You can go buy a bunch of cheap wrenches from Harbor Freight and they'll be just fine compared to Snap-On.

> Quality is an issue, true. But for beginning makers there is often no cheaper alternative. Back in the day I’d “test buy” a tool from HFT and then if it was useful I’d invest in a more substantial version. Also browsing their aisles is a singular pleasure. https://twitter.com/donttrythis/status/941149124497305600

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#162

Post by i_am_a_peasant »

squarefoot wrote: post #104

If I may, I would complete a few points in the article. Soldering iron: Get a decent one. That doesn't mean you must throw a boatload of money, just avoid the crappy ones, which almost always are the cheaper ones. A notable exception is the Pinecil by Pine64.org, which is truly a great iron despite being cheap. Pinecil aside, you can snatch a used Weller or Hakko on ebay without spending too much, but beware of the m…

There is no such thing as too much flux :)

I would also recommend wearing protective glasses not to splash stuff on your eyes.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#163

Post by Kirby64 »

dale_glass wrote: post #131
gaze wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What people don’t understand is that Hakko and Weller ARE the low end units. The good units are made by JBC, Pace, and Metcal.

Hakko is also resting on their laurels. Hakko is what everyone recommends but I have no idea why. It's awful stuff with a design from the 80s. The UI is awful and inscrutable without the manual, the tech is long obsolete. Get a TS80 or something else that's actually modern -- it has excellent temperature control with a tightly integrated thermocouple like one of the expensive Hakkos (FX951), but costs less and actual…

Every company besides the chinese companies like Pine, Miniware have the same stratification of soldering equipment.

Hakko 888 is cheap, and has old style carts. Weller has a similar offering. For the $300-range you get the 'proper' thermocouple-integrated tips like the FX951, and Weller likewise has a similar offering. JBC is a premium brand so they don't have low-end stuff, but their pricing isn't too far out of that range ($500ish?).

I agree the Hakko 888 is an outdated recommendation, but it's not really like their company strategy is just outdated. They're business-first, which desires having a full soldering station... not a portable thing like the Miniware/Pine stuff.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#164

Post by Baeocystin »

gav wrote: post #161
nibbleshifter wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its the rule supposedly came up with by Adam Savage - buy cheap tools, use em til you break em, then replace the ones you break with expensive, good tools. The idea of that rule is so new makers can work out what tools they actually are using, so they don't waste a shitload of money. In practice? Some tools are just worth spending the money on upfront, inferior tools will often lead to frustration and failure early o…

I also think he's talking about tools where inferior means build quality vs. performance. You can go buy a bunch of cheap wrenches from Harbor Freight and they'll be just fine compared to Snap-On. > Quality is an issue, true. But for beginning makers there is often no cheaper alternative. Back in the day I’d “test buy” a tool from HFT and then if it was useful I’d invest in a more substantial version. Also browsing t…

Also worth noting that often the best approach to take is that the tool itself is a consumable. $19 Harbor Freight grinders won't last as long as $150+ ones, but the ~7 you can buy for the same price will outlast even the most expensive one several times over!

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#165

Post by some_random »

was_a_dev wrote: post #6

> Much like the ability to drive a car with a manual transmission, read a map, or write a check, Gen Z is learning less and less about how to work with their hands—and it’s time for that to change. Ugh. Let's talk down the youngest generation of adults to justify a basic tutorial article. Ironically no one of Gen Z, that I know of, is unable to do any of those examples.

Those damn degenerate Gen Z kids, can you believe they didn't spring fully formed into the world knowing how to do everything I now know how to?? /s

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#166

Post by mwbajor »

gaze wrote: post #83
bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

What people don’t understand is that Hakko and Weller ARE the low end units. The good units are made by JBC, Pace, and Metcal.

The new wellers are very good. I have a weller WE101, a Weller Curie-point iron from the mid 2000s and a Metcal 5200. I also have a Metcal rework station at work which was actually cheap for a metcal rework station at just under $10K. The rework station came with almost all of the screws rattling around the preheater and the heating profile menu is so convoluted its barely usable. The new 5200 I have spontaneously goes into a calibration menu that I cant find documentation on. The older metcals we have a re more rugged although the older 500 series doesn't actually turn off the main power supply when you flip the on/off switch to "off" (look at the schematic online if you don't believe me) only the regulators turn off. The WE101 is rock solid although most people that solder alot don't use temperature adjustment, but I keep it around in case I ever do need it.

Point is, any weirdness with the metcals are made up for with their selection of tips and the heating speed even when soldering components to chassis' or ground planes.

If you can find a used metcal, even if its not working, you can fix them up easily and they are worth the $200 bucks even for a broken one on Ebay.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#167

Post by nibbleshifter »

gav wrote: post #161
nibbleshifter wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its the rule supposedly came up with by Adam Savage - buy cheap tools, use em til you break em, then replace the ones you break with expensive, good tools. The idea of that rule is so new makers can work out what tools they actually are using, so they don't waste a shitload of money. In practice? Some tools are just worth spending the money on upfront, inferior tools will often lead to frustration and failure early o…

I also think he's talking about tools where inferior means build quality vs. performance. You can go buy a bunch of cheap wrenches from Harbor Freight and they'll be just fine compared to Snap-On. > Quality is an issue, true. But for beginning makers there is often no cheaper alternative. Back in the day I’d “test buy” a tool from HFT and then if it was useful I’d invest in a more substantial version. Also browsing t…

Yeah, the context is important.

Unfortunately the context went missing as soon as the "rule" started making it around hacker/maker internet.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#168

Post by bityard »

squarefoot wrote: post #104

If I may, I would complete a few points in the article. Soldering iron: Get a decent one. That doesn't mean you must throw a boatload of money, just avoid the crappy ones, which almost always are the cheaper ones. A notable exception is the Pinecil by Pine64.org, which is truly a great iron despite being cheap. Pinecil aside, you can snatch a used Weller or Hakko on ebay without spending too much, but beware of the m…

> A notable exception is the Pinecil by Pine64.org, which is truly a great iron despite being cheap.

I have a Pinecil and I like it, but I feel that it's not a good recommendation for a first soldering iron. The UI may be confusing for some, it doesn't come with a power supply, the tips are fairly expensive, and there's no place to rest the iron while using it. Instead, I would tell a newbie to get a middle-of-the-road temperature-controlled soldering station. They don't cost that much more and are generally ready to go out of the box.

I would certainly recommend the Pinecil as a second soldering iron, though.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#169

Post by schoen »

squarefoot wrote: post #104

If I may, I would complete a few points in the article. Soldering iron: Get a decent one. That doesn't mean you must throw a boatload of money, just avoid the crappy ones, which almost always are the cheaper ones. A notable exception is the Pinecil by Pine64.org, which is truly a great iron despite being cheap. Pinecil aside, you can snatch a used Weller or Hakko on ebay without spending too much, but beware of the m…

> Get leaded solder when possible. It's easier to use and joints are a lot less subject to tin whiskers.

If you do use leaded solder, be extra-sure to wash your hands after soldering.

Re: How To Get Started In Soldering

#170

Post by mwbajor »

bambax wrote: post #24

> just be careful not to overspend on your first iron. I first learned how to solder on an ultra-cheap hardware-store unit, and you should, too I beg to differ. I used to suck at soldering, and while I'm still no expert, swapping my €20 basic soldering iron for a serious Weller unit (starting at €150) changed everything. The Weller heats up almost instantly, goes up as high as you want, and stays at a constant temper…

Cheap isn't bad in this case because of the iron: it gets hot and melts solder. Many people including myself learned on $10 radio shack irons.

What people like adam savage are overlooking in their explanation is details, in this case, cheap irons dont have the selection of tips you need. To most people "cheap soldering iron" is what you get at home depot now which has a tip the width of a pencil, hardly suitable for component soldering.

Also, here is another tip, adjustable temperature is not needed, its a useless feature. You want to get heat into a component and off. You'll fry a component more quickly if you heat it up a million times at a lower temperature setting trying to solder that pulldown resistor to the huge ground plane. In the end, your temperature setting will always be at maximum and you'll just need to hit it quick with the iron: on and off.

Along those lines, a the perfect iron has no temperature setting but can sink alot of heat into a component. Metcals are 40W or 80W in power and are used extensively to solder 0402 and below. The tips come in different heat settings but are really meant for leaded vs. non-leaded solder which flow at different temps. Overkill? no, again, get the heat in, flow the solder and off as quick as possible even when you are soldering to a plane.

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