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Thread ID: 136741 2014-04-09 04:28:00 Soldering Supplies DeSade (984) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1372342 2014-04-09 04:28:00 So I have decided to buy what I need to get started with soldering my own connectors.
It looked easy enough when I got it done.

I need a soldering iron a stand and a holder thing
What consumables should I get, what solder, flux, desolder stuff etc
What sizes and types.

Also advice on brands please? 		DeSade (984)
1372343 2014-04-09 05:28:00 Hakko is a great brand :) Zippity (58)
1372344 2014-04-09 06:26:00 What types of connectors do you want to solder?

I've been soldering for ummmm............more years than I'd like to remember, and still do so regularly for my hobbies and general repairs. I have a Weller temperature-controlled station (the old sort where the temperature is set by the tip you put in) that I've had for about 35 years, a selection of smaller irons and a couple of big mothers usually used for plumbing. They are all electric, but I'm not averse to getting the electric whoppers up to speed faster with a gas torch! :D

I can't really offer serious advice without knowing what you intend top work on, but I have a few different sizes of resin-cored solder and they suffice for almost everything I do, but I do have a couple of solder sticks and some resin-paste flux in case I need do do some copper plumbing repairs.

Flesh out your needs and we'll take it from there. The top end is occupied by reflow stations and other gear for SMD devices (I have a tiny tip that is good enough for my rare forays into SMD land.)

Download the JAYCAR 2014 catalogue (it's free) or view it on line and you'll soon see what is available.

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :thumbs: 		Billy T (70)
1372345 2014-04-09 07:18:00 Its solely or at least primarily for changing connectors on Lipo batteries and RC models. DeSade (984)
1372346 2014-04-09 08:12:00 Step son uses a solder sucker when he needs to unstick something from circuit boards gary67 (56)
1372347 2014-04-09 09:58:00 For desoldering components, especially for those "through-hole" mounted,
a solder sucker as previously mentioned should be an essential part of
your solder toolkit. They are cheap enough to buy and make the job so
much easier and clean.

5669 		blanco (11336)
1372348 2014-04-09 10:48:00 A soldering station is very worth while and for soldering LiPo leads to deans connectors, you need an iron with a beefy sort of tip - not the delicate ones used on circuit boards. I have soldered a fair few Deans connectors over the years until I outgrew them. A higher than normal temperature is needed to allow making a good joint without softening the plug body. my solderstation is a Duratech TS90 from Jaycar. I am very satisfied with it; the biggest tip they have does a good job on the connectors
I have gone to XT60 connectors now as multicopters with 4 ESCs and their input capacitors are prone to burning up the leaves on Deans connectors with the plug-in surge. Once one of those Deans leaf springs lands across the connector pins you can lose any residual affection for the infernal things. The aim with the soldered joint is to make a mechanically and electrically sound connection. Lead free solder is kind to trees perhaps, but it does not lend itself to making good joints so get the tin-lead variety. 60:40 is standard to seek, with a rosin core. Ersin multicore is good; their savbit is even better (It has a dash of copper in it.)
Neither the flux nor the solder emits user-friendly fumes, so arrange for a fan to suck the fumes away. People have lead/tin soldered with might and main for many years and survived even without high vis hard hats. Hobby soldering is just not going to put you in an at-risk group, 40 hours a week of tin-lead soldering for 30 years is not a good idea though. If you really want to be safe, use lead-free and resign yourself to bad joints quite frequently causing failure. 		R2x1 (4628)
1372349 2014-04-09 10:57:00 I'd take a look here: Soldering LiPo ( . google . co . nz/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=qBRFU6KYBqmN8Qf7hYGYDA#q=soldering+connectors+t" target="_blank">www . google . co . nz o+lipo+batteries)

It will tell you or show you just about everything you need to know .

There are only six basic soldering faults:

Too much solder

Too little solder

Too much heat

Too little heat

Dirty connection

Dirty iron tip

After 50 years practice, that just about sums it up .

All other problems are simply combinations or subsets of those issues .

When you can solder to aluminium with 60/40 resin-cored solder, you have pretty much reached the pinnacle .

Cheers

Billy 8-{) 		Billy T (70)
1372350 2014-04-09 21:51:00 I would second what Billy 8-{) says, but add the "new" fault : - Poor quality or wrong solder type.

(I have some lead free solder that I kept just to give to those people who perpetually beg for supplies they are too mean to buy for themselves. I also have some plastic tubing a florist supplied; it looks like heat-shrink, but it is just heat-melt. It goes to the same people. Good luck to them :)) 		R2x1 (4628)
1372351 2014-04-09 22:28:00 I have a Hakko FX-888D and I love it . Its a digital model with temperature control, temperature pre-sets (if you end up doing similar jobs alot) and a sleep mode . Plus when I was doing my research I found a lot of people are still using their older Hakko stations, which led me to believe they are a good reliable brand that will last . I tried to find where I got mine and couldn't . . . but I did find this one:
. gotopac . com/Hakko_FX888D_23BY_p/fx888d-23by-hak . htm . " target="_blank">www . gotopac . com There are also accessories for it like a tip cleaner to make sure your tip is clean . I have found that very helpful in caring for my solder tips and extending their life .

You will also want to remember to clean and tin your tip before each project . That will keep your tips from oxidizing and therefor they last longer and you won't have to replace them as often . (Saving money is never a bad thing, right?)

I know you can find a lot of tips for the Hakko FX-888D too . Which is another reason why I purchased it . Otherwise Just get a good rosin core solder (That means it has flux already inside of it) and practice . Practice really does help alot . Hope that helps you . Good luck! 		kt425 (17244)
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