Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Soldering questions

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ah, okay.

Desoldering braid is the ticket when doing surface mount. DIY PCBs often develop solder bridges across SMD ICs when assembling.

My kit manual thingy says to swipe the iron across solder bridges to get rid of them. Is that wrong?

What kind of solder do you guys recommend? I want lead-free, but what thickness and all of that, and where should I get it?
 
The ease of removing solder bridges depends on the solder. Those with a solidus and liqudus points far apart are more difficult.

See: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...kbP95b5HA&sig2=OPoL6Z7YlEiwtwxDqbnyqg&cad=rja

A possibility for you is Sn42/Bi57/Ag1 if you can find it. It actually has a lower melting point than tin-lead. I've been using Sm48/Bi52 solder paste for SMT work.

I hate Sn96.

Ideally, you need a non-acid flux core. In terms of size, about the diameter of the joint. 0.050" diameter is TOO big.
 
I understood nothing in that PDF..

Is Sn42/Bi57/Ag1 solder paste?

I was looking at the csi-60w. Are there replacement tips for it? I can't find any.
 
OK, makes sense. I'm using this alloy NC600/Sn100E, https://www.qualitek.com/experts_choice_NC600-Sn100e.pdf which is not too bad on 0.032. You don't want anything thicker than that. I got it in 1 1/2 lb spool.

Here, https://www.qualitek.com/experts_choice_NC600-Sn100e.pdf is something you can read.

I could not find Si42/Bi57/Ag1 in wire solder, but somewhere I found Sn43/Bi58 in wire form. Both are basically a low temperature alloy and would be child's play to solder with.

Some wire solders have a 3 year or so life with some water soluble fluxes.

You don;t want paste UNLESS your doing surface mount. Why? They need to be shipped refrigerated ans stored in the fridge, be warmed up before use and have a 6 months life. I really like the Si42/Bi43 in paste form.

In order to find where to buy, we need a general area like US.

Replacement tips: https://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi-60w.html Note that on the page 1.2 mm is the biggest and that seems too small.
 
Oh, okay.

Is water soluble flux a good idea?

I'm in US, Missouri.

I don't see replacement tips in that link, except for on the side under "related products". Is that it?

And how do you put them on?
 
Well, the users manual says "they" stock a variety of tips, bit when you click on the "related items" the CSI-60W isn't listed. Probably typical website and people don;t care combined with "What's true on the Internet". So, write and *****.

In any event, I've seen this attachment mechanism before. It's a long hollow thin walled tube that "clamps" the other end of the tip against the ceramic element.
the nut near the handle removes loosens.

When it's loosened, the tip won;t fall out. To replace the tip, you wait for the iron to cool and remove the nut at the end of the handle with the tip facing the ground. The tube will then contain a loose floppy tip. Turn the tube 180 degrees and the tip will fall out. From here, you can figure it out.

I'm one of these guys that will use anti-sieze compound on hot stuff providing it's thermally conductive.

Water based flux means it's easy to wash off and that's a good thing,. It also may mean a limited life when part of the solder core.
 
Yeah it probably is. I emailed them, we'll see.

In any event, I've seen this attachment mechanism before. It's a long hollow thin walled tube that "clamps" the other end of the tip against the ceramic element.
the nut near the handle removes loosens.

When it's loosened, the tip won;t fall out. To replace the tip, you wait for the iron to cool and remove the nut at the end of the handle with the tip facing the ground. The tube will then contain a loose floppy tip. Turn the tube 180 degrees and the tip will fall out. From here, you can figure it out.

Ah. Why so complicated? I saw something in the manual about loosening the tip to clean it?

I'm one of these guys that will use anti-sieze compound on hot stuff providing it's thermally conductive.

What?
 
Removal isn't complicated. It should be straightforward when in front of you especially after you loosen the nut.

Anti-sieze compounds are available at your local automotive store in small quantities. Most are Moly and Copper based. See Here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...EpZ2j-1XVtB94fA&bvm=bv.68445247,d.aWw&cad=rja

Oxygen sensor threads are coated with a high conductive anti-sieze paste. This allows the oxygen sensor to be removable instead of rusting together. Moly short for Mo-lib-din-um (phonetic) has been used for exhaust systems like the headers etc. Silver has lower electrical resistivity (a property) than Copper. The bulk property of resistivity and the cross sectional area and the length allow one to calculate the resistance of wire knowing it's dimensions and resistivity.

So, for screw in soldering tips, it's a good idea to use it.

Dielectric grease is used on light bulbs to help keep water from corroding the light bulb base. Petroleum jelly works in a pinch. I always use a thin film on lamp sockets, especially ones used outside.
 
Removal isn't complicated. It should be straightforward when in front of you especially after you loosen the nut.

I mean compared to screw ones, but yeah.

I should put anti-seize compound on screw in soldering tips?
 
Honestly, I'd like you to get one that's about 2x bigger for components with leads/ 2.4 mm is about the width of two 3x5 index cards. 2.4 mm MIGHT be OK. 2.4 is definately OK fro SMT stuff.
 
Honestly, I'd like you to get one that's about 2x bigger for components with leads/ 2.4 mm is about the width of two 3x5 index cards. 2.4 mm MIGHT be OK. 2.4 is definately OK fro SMT stuff.

Is it measured by how thick the end of it is or how wide the flat part is?

The guy in the video Mickster posted in the first page recommended 2 mm ones for through hole.

I would. The tips on the soldering station your looking at - no. These https://www.newark.com/weller/pl113/tools-soldering-tips/dp/33F681?CMP=KNC-GPLA yes and then there are some tips with male threads.
Okay.
 
The whole point is you don't need a pound. That's the usual quantity it's sold in. Solder paste is like $20 and has to be shipped 3 day, has to be refirigerated and has a lousy lifetime. I'll keep looking. I can drop about 10 to 15 feet in the mail for you if you would like?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top