Solder and Soldering Irons

Discussion in 'DIY' started by JK47, Nov 28, 2015.

  1. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I hope you cleaned that post between words with an alcohol wipe? Goof grief... is this the proper way of doing things? It's a wonder they ever get anything off the ground.

    I think so. But not as much as I thought: steel glowing temperatures.

    Here's a hint for when doing the stuff that needs to glow: work in a very low light!
     
  2. winders

    winders boomer

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    Is there a consensus on what is the best Hakko FX-888 tip for making RCA and XLR interconnects? I currently have the T18D16P tip. I will be using 20 gauge wire.

    Also, what is the best temperature to use with Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder?

    Thanks!
     
  3. Xen

    Xen Friend

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    The T18D16P is like the middle of the road for wedge tips. 1.6mm wide is a good size for most through-hole. For XLR, a bigger wedge tip may be better because the cups are relatively big. RCA depends on how much room you have to work with. For the ground, a bigger tip. For the cup, a smaller tip. Either way, the T18D16 will do the job.

    No recommendation for that solder as I have never used it. It's has silver in it so a higher temp than 63/37, maybe start at 350 C (662 F)?
     
  4. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    It works fine for me at about 640-645°F.
     
  5. winders

    winders boomer

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    Thanks, guys. I will report on how it all goes after the RCA connectors, XLR connectors, and wire show up and I build some cables.
     
  6. winders

    winders boomer

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    The T18D16P tip worked perfectly as did the Cardas Quad Eutectic solder at 650°F. The Hakko FX-888D is one easy to use soldering iron. I was blown away at how quickly it heated up and how easy it was to get the solder where I wanted it.

    I made one set of RCA and one set of XLR (2 wire) unshielded interconnects using Duelund DCA20GA wire. I rolled them into my 2 channel setup and right away I liked what I heard.
     
  7. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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  8. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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  9. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    :cool::p:D
     
  10. Telstar

    Telstar Bottom 1% of posters on SBAF

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    Metcal. Everything else is for amateurs ;)
    A bit extreme, but the sentence is not mine.
     
  11. bobboxbody

    bobboxbody Friend

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    Hakko 936 clone from partsconnexion up and running nicely
    [​IMG]
     
  12. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    My old iron died while i was moving house - guess it took one drop too many.

    Got a good deal on a Weller 1010, their newish semipro thing 888D competitor.

    As reported on reviews the instruction manual is shit. Works fine though, and the interface is dead easy unlike the venerable 888D, so you don't actually need a manual.

    Provided stock chisel tip just the right size to work on audio DYI, except I would say get the longer tip that has more mass.

    Am blacksmith, can confirm.
     
  13. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Am impressed! :bow:

    Was, just as a hobby, a bit of a jeweller. I kept fairly low light in the workshop, with an anglepoise lamp shining directly on the work in front of me. Turned it off for soldering or heat treatment. I guess I worked that out for myself at the time, but was interested to see it recommended by a real pro on youtube recently.
     
  14. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Technically, at the kind of temps we work with (red to bright orange) you can see most things just fine with the lights on, but the exact shade you're looking for only looks the same with the exact same lighting conditions (luminosity, white point, spectral composition).

    Working at night with the lights off is just the easiest way to get 100% reproducible lightning conditions.

    With a modern, properly designed iron there's no problem running it hot, mind you.

    You just need to clean the tip more, as you create more oxides.

    I mean technically you're turning the surface of the steel soft as you're leeching the carbon out and turning it into scale but you'd have to replace the tip before that became an issue anyway.
     
  15. Ardacer

    Ardacer Friend

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    I found out that all one needs for 99% of everything is a solid all-metal (cheap, expensive, no matter) soldering iron with at least a reliable analog temp. regulation using chisel tips, in combination with very thin flux multicore solder.
    Very small SMD's and fat wires excluded.
     
  16. tomchr

    tomchr MOT - Neurochrome

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    Assuming we're still talking about soldering irons: The long-life tips in use today will oxidize to the point of destruction if you leave them on without using them for significant amounts of time. It usually takes a day or two for the tip to degrade (at 600-700 ºF), but once degraded, the tin won't stick to the tip and life becomes miserable. Sometimes you can rescue the tip with a tip tinner, but often it's a goner.

    If your soldering station does not have an auto-off feature, I suggest picking up a mechanical timer, J-box, and outlet and fashion yourself a timer which turns the power off to the soldering iron after a preset time. An hour timer would work just fine for this.

    Tom
     
  17. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Thought I just had to Deoxit microswitch contacts in my mouse the other day, which is tricky enough (and which I did anyway) but found a disconnected wire.

    The conductor was about the thickness of a hair or three, and all I have is an old-fashioned pair of wire strippers. How do you guys handle those really fine wires?

    Anyway, at least, this time, I had a pad to solder to, not a fine copper trace, and it looks as if I, maybe, possibly, actually learnt the it only takes a moment lesson, as, all of a sudden, there it was, connected again. I can't speak for the quality of the joint, but... the mouse button works.

    Getting there. Slowly. :)
     
  18. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Distilled vinegar and 800 grit.

    Though, with grade that fine, it takes long enough by hand - especially with the care needed to make sure the acid only works on the tip, and that you don't damage the tip's stem - that if your time is anything but free is usually cheaper to just buy a new one, unless you have a good variable speed belt grinder handy.
     
  19. tomchr

    tomchr MOT - Neurochrome

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    Carefully... :) I have a pair of Knipex P/N: 1101160 wire strippers. By adjusting the setscrew so that the tool just nicks the insulation, it's possible to score the insulation without cutting into the wire strands. Once you've scored a line in the insulation, you move the strippers back on the piece you want to remove and pull it off. It'll break where you scored it.
    Those who make wire assemblies typically use a hotwire stripper.

    Amazon has the Knipex tool I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/Knipex-1101160-End-Type-Wire-Strippers/dp/B003RWS8RU
    [​IMG]

    Tom
     
  20. Ardacer

    Ardacer Friend

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    [​IMG]

    this

    it's an automatic stripper, works really good.
     

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