Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [soldering-iron-station]

A device used to control the temperature of a soldering iron and hold a soldering iron when it is not in use.

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What makes a good soldering station

I am a hobbyist looking to buy a soldering station. The market for soldering equipment ranges from $10 to $1000. This begs the question: * What is the reason behind these huge price differences? * What attributes should I look for in a good…
Lefteris E
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Wet Sponge or Brass Sponge for solder tip cleaning?

There seems to be a lot of differing opinions out there on what is best practice. A lot of people seem to be shying away from the wet sponge due to the thermal stress it imposes on the tip. I have personally always used the brass sponge only, but my…
CC268
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Why can't solder stick onto the tip of my iron?

I can't tin the iron properly, because feeding solder onto the tip has it flow downwards and collect into a blob before splitting off and creating a mess. My iron may not be calibrated. And I don't know how to measure its temperature without a…
Altoban
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Can "lead free" tips be used with leaded solder?

I've just purchased my first soldering iron, an Atten 8586. The item description claims it is suitable for lead free soldering, however I have no interest in using lead-free solder at this point. I've read through Are some soldering iron tips…
aaronsnoswell
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Older Weller soldering iron won't heat?

I inherited a Weller WTCPL soldering station a while ago: It was my grandpa's, and although I can't find a direct reference to it anywhere on the net, I'm guessing it's anywhere from 40 to 60 years old. It worked for some time, but sadly, it…
Alex
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Mysterious piece of metal shipped with a soldering iron

This piece of metal was packaged with my new soldering iron. Does anybody know what is it ? Is it a stand ?
JonathanD
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Does solder expire?

I have some solder that is past the "expiration date" on it. How does solder expire? Is it still good? What happens if I use it? It seems odd that solder could expire, so I'm just looking for some clarification. Thanks!
Stremdawg
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Are Hakko tips cross-compatible?

I've got a Hakko FX-888D soldering iron which takes T18 series tips. However, there are some very interesting SMD-type tips in the T15 series and T12 series. Since Hakko don't seem to publish detailed specification sheets to show the inner diameter…
Polynomial
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25 W soldering iron not working properly?

I have a FULGORE soldering iron (quite an unknown brand, isn't it?) and I think it is not working properly but I would like to hear the opinion of experts. The iron, as mentioned in the title, operates on a nominal power of 25 W, but I have found it…
Severo Raz
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Can I use steelwool for soldering iron cleaning

Wondering should I use steel wool for cleaning my soldering iron tip. Is it bad? Will it impact my tip? Will it clean the black oxidization off?
Moana Springfeild
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Do some soldered components use solder that only melts in temperatures higher than 480 °C?

(solved - solution added at the bottom) I have a power jack I can't remove. I tried a hot air gun set on 480 °C and a soldering iron set to 480 °C. While some solder seemed to have melted on a few pins, the other pins didn't seem to be affected. I…
soundslikefiziks
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using plumber's copper solder as a "solder paste" for SMD components

Can I ? :D It is what I currently have plenty of lying around and, well... it says S-Sn97-Cu3 at composition If not, could I use regular solder wire, coat the SMT pads with it, apply flux afterwards, place the SMD part and hold it into place, then…
kellogs
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Fan vs. Fume Extractor for Soldering

I solder about once or twice a week, and I use leaded, rosin-core solder from RadioShack(bought it before they went under). I do notice that their are flux fumes rising from the board when I solder something on, and I am aware that they can cause…
Enthurzan
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What metal is recommended for soldering iron tip wire mesh cleaner - brass, copper or steel?

There are many low-cost options out there for metal wire mesh tip cleaners. Three types of wire metal are dominant - steel, brass and copper. I was wondering if there is a metal that is superior to others, and one that should be avoided, and why?
ysap
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What is the "temperature code" of a soldering tip?

I am looking for a replacement tip similar to the ones below on the picture. On the bottom of my tip there is a number 6 which might be this "temperature code" that I found next to these types of tips on certain sites. I already found out that these…
whitezo
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