What kind of soldering iron should I get?

[Master Rel]

So, Rel, not to threadjack, but rather in the spirit of further education for all, is rosin core solder bad or just not the best thing for our use in saber smithing?

I am not doubting you at all. I am just curious. You have me second guessing everything I have soldered with rosin core. With the exception of a few, my sabers are mainly for looks only.

As always, thanks for your input. It is always helpful.

Rosin core is ok for small contact soldering.  It will not clean your soldering iron, it will not clean away surface contacts, so you will need to apply alcohol to remove residue before you solder...you will need to clean your iron...etc.

If you want an easier route, use flux.

If you are working on a bench with everything setup you can get away with rosin core, a quick touch of an iron and done...if...the surface is clean...if...the solder is clean...if...the iron is clean...if...(insert a number of potential issues).

Flux.

A cold solder joint will almost always be dull or grainy.  A clean solder joint will be shiny and smooth.

In this pic, the left is a clean solder joint and the right is a cold joint...the flux transfers heat instantly thus preventing differential between the surfaces...a cooler surface will cause a faster plastic stage and thus it will pull away or crack...

[dhenwood]

Just for the record the gas soldering iron I bought was totally awful. Worse than bantha poodoo, i bought a new 30w soldering iron instead for £7 from aldi and it works like a charm.

[Master Rel]

Sweet!

[XtheXcodeX]

on the topic of soldering irons, do you guys think a small blowtorch (kind of like the ones you would use as a chef) with a soldering tip work?

[Master Rel]

These are butane torches and yes with a proper fitting tip section they make great soldering irons, fast to come up to temp...will burn the crabballs out of you so be careful.

[XtheXcodeX]

These are butane torches and yes with a proper fitting tip section they make great soldering irons, fast to come up to temp...will burn the crabballs out of you so be careful.

hahahaha, nice. never heard anyone say burn the crabballs out of you before XD.

[dhenwood]

the gas powered one I tried out sucked but it was a cheap one at about 20 quid. I suspect it was the shell tips that came with it that were really the problem though.

[XtheXcodeX]

the gas powered one I tried out sucked but it was a cheap one at about 20 quid. I suspect it was the shell tips that came with it that were really the problem though.

cheaper is never better. trust me

[Master Rel]

Especially when dealing with tools...you get what you pay for.

 

[dhenwood]

24 gbp it was which is about 40 dollars. Not cheap enough to be completely useless for soldering. I dont know the cost of high end irons though.

[Master Rel]

Best I ever used...a workhorse at about $130-$160





A basic model that is just fine for small jobs at $25-$30

[Darth Drakshere]

Hey maybe you could answer a quick question. My soundboard gets hot after having it on for a minute or so. Ever had this problem or any advice?

I have taught electronics for the military, in specific soldering...flux...that is the word that you will want to remember.

Not rosin core solder, flux.

Think of flux being soap.

While you can take a shower/bath without soap, you will be hard pressed to get clean.  At least not without extra time and effort.

Heat equals damage to electronics, so you want in and out when soldering.

A touch of flux will strip away oxidation and impurities from the solder, the wires/component, and your iron.

You would never cook with a dirty pot/pan and food encrusted spoon/spatula...it is like that.

Lead in lead-tin solder is dirty.  Lead free is still loaded with trace metals and carbon, these elements equal dross or burnt residue.

Without a cleaned surface it will take longer to heat up and it will nearly always be a broken or cold solder joint...this is bad, and the common result will be connections overheating or breaking loose upon carry through kinetic contact.

Flux is your friend.



It is usually $4 and will last you for a thousand solder joints...you only use a touch.

The damp sponge is used when you dip your hot iron into the flux just before use or after soldering, it will have a puff of smoke, then touch it to the damp sponge, wipe...this will change your dirty tip into a shiny tip...shiny is clean, clean means hot, hot mean quicker connection.

Wire and component soldering is again, just a touch of flux to the target point, apply heat, puff, apply solder, heat wicks the solder into place, liquid/plastic/solid...done.

[Jediseth]

https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Station-heating-element-937D/dp/B005TI1282

This is a great iron. If your going to do any soldiering with a sound card your going to want an ESD safe one like this so you don't ruin your electronics.

[Rathayatra]

Thanks for asking the question. point. i needed to know also.

[Jediseth]

Scratch that last post I recommended. I have been looking around at what other saber builders have been recommending and this is the one. That last one is still good though, but more recommended this one.


https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465524154&sr=8-1&keywords=Aoyue%2B469&th=1&psc=1