Tip when working with mini toggles

[thearabianmage]

Hey y'all,

As some may know, I recently bought a Jackson RX10D and have been modding it. Made a new input jack, put in a tone pot, and then I was putting in a mini-toggle for a kill-switch. The first two went so smoothly without any hitch. The final ended in disaster and another 2 mini-toggles (just in case) on order.

So I had drilled the 3rd hole in my Jackson and had placed the mini toggle in its position. I wanted to test my soldering chops by keeping it in its hole and connecting the wires from there. So I did the hot lead - fine. And then I started working on the ground. As the cavity was cramped, I couldn't see 100% what I was doing, so I made a nice little 'hook' with the wire, put it through the hole, and gave it a steady, but very gentle tug to make sure it was connecting. Then I got the iron and dove in, with an approximation of its destination. I held it down for about 5-6 seconds or so and go to lift it up. When I lifted the soldering iron out of the cavity, a smoking lump of solder was attached to it with a blob sticking out. I made the connection, but there was a problem. . .

I had overheated the lug, and it came right out of its melted slot. :

People always warn to watch out when soldering not to overheat the components. . . But I never expected that!

Funniest thing: I was just up at a friend's earlier boasting about how much better I thought I had gotten with the old iron. Then I get home and do that!

Sod's Law

Joe

[marnold***]

You're not really a solderer if you haven't destroyed something and/or burned yourself.

[thearabianmage]

You're not really a solderer if you haven't destroyed something and/or burned yourself.

That's good to know!

[duhvoodooman***]

You're not really a solderer if you haven't destroyed something and/or burned yourself.

....Preferably at the same time!

[tunghaichuan***]

My $.02 on soldering irons:

I would encourage anyone interested in DIY projects to purchase a temperature controlled soldering station. I have this one:

http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_936.html

They are about $85-$100 online. That's the price of a new pedal.

Avoid cheap irons like the plague. The don't deliver consistent results, and the tips wear out fast. They're okay if you only have one or two projects.

HTH,

tung

[thearabianmage]

My $.02 on soldering irons:

I would encourage anyone interested in DIY projects to purchase a temperature controlled soldering station. I have this one:

http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_936.html

They are about $85-$100 online. That's the price of a new pedal.

Avoid cheap irons like the plague. The don't deliver consistent results, and the tips wear out fast. They're okay if you only have one or two projects.

HTH,

tung

Nice tip!

Just a few questions:

How does the soldering iron affect the life of the tip?

What is the advantage of having a temperature-controlled iron?

As I'm in England, the link you gave me is somewhat useless, so what should I look for in a good quality soldering iron so I can find a decent one in the UK (I could order the one in the link, but, one: the plug is different and two: voltages are different in the UK as opposed to the US)

Cheers!

Joe

[tunghaichuan***]

Joe,

Nice tip!

Just a few questions:

How does the soldering iron affect the life of the tip?

Cheap, crappy irons have cheap, crappy tips. The plating comes off after a few uses and you continually have to scrape the oxide off and re-tin the tip. Good quality tips, like the Hakko ones, have good solid plating. I have two tips that I use for my iron: a skinny long one for PCB work and a short, fat, thick one for eyelet board and point to point work. I got my iron about ten years ago, and the tips are still going strong. The only hassle with the Hakko in the States is that tips are not available locally, so they have to be mail ordered over the 'Net. But it really isn't an issue as the tips I have show no signs of wear.

What is the advantage of having a temperature-controlled iron?

The main advantage is that the electronics in the iron keep the tip at a precise, preset temperature. This keeps the tip from getting too hot and accumulationg lots of oxidization which fouls the tip.

As I'm in England, the link you gave me is somewhat useless, so what should I look for in a good quality soldering iron so I can find a decent one in the UK (I could order the one in the link, but, one: the plug is different and two: voltages are different in the UK as opposed to the US)

Here you go:

http://www.dancap.co.uk/soldering/936.htm

You will want to order a few extra tips as the one that comes with the iron really isn't good for anything guitar/electronics related. The handpiece is the 907 and uses 900-M tips.

For PCB work I use the 900M-T-2LD. For amp/eyelet board work I use the 900M-T-2.4D.

When I first started out, I used crappy Radio Shack irons with only OK results. I got a Hexacon iron at a hamfest that was a definite step up, but it wasn't a temp. controlled iron. It wasn't until I got my Hakko that I noticed nice, consistent results in my soldering and solder joints.

If you plan on doing a lot of soldering and DIY guitar projects, a temperature controlled iron is a great investment.

The Hakko is fairly low end, but works well. Here in the States you can buy a Metcal station, which is one of the best, for about $600US. The Hakko, at $80-$100 is a real bargain.

HTH,

tung

[tunghaichuan***]

Here's another tip, get one of these:

http://www.dancap.co.uk/other%20products/599b-02.htm

The bronze wool cleans the tip, but doesn't lower the temperature like a wet sponge. :

Also, if I were you, I would try to track down some solder with lead in it, if it is even legal over there in the UK. I know there is the RoHS directive which affects all of the EU, but lead-free solder really sucks. It is very hard to work with, and requires higher temperatures which increases the risk of thermal damage to the components.

tung

[bigoldron]

You're not really a solderer if you haven't destroyed something and/or burned yourself.

I should be a freakin' PRO then! :

[ted s]

+1 on Tung, lead free solder sux huge beyond belief, I had to do some plumbing with that crap, very frustrating.

[tunghaichuan***]

+1 on Tung, lead free solder sux huge beyond belief, I had to do some plumbing with that crap, very frustrating.

Thanks for pointing that out, Ted. This brings up a good point: don't ever use plumber's solder for electronics work. It has an acid core to bite into the copper pipe. This acid core will eat away at electronics. Only use solder that is made for electronics work. This solder has a rosin flux core.

tung

[thearabianmage]

Thanks for pointing that out, Ted. This brings up a good point: don't ever use plumber's solder for electronics work. It has an acid core to bite into the copper pipe. This acid core will eat away at electronics. Only use solder that is made for electronics work. This solder has a rosin flux core.

tung

Mate, Tung - most excellent advice, my friend! :

Thanks a lot!

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