Soldering Iron Recommendations

[just strum]

a few more questions and any additional suggestions/recommendations welcome:

Solder: what size do you find is best to use for working on pups and pots?. Watching video and reading some articles it seems to run from 025 to 050, I was going to get something like 032.

Solder: 63/37 rosin is what I was planning on getting, but having problems locating the right solder - where do you buy yours and is this ok? The place where I am buying the station only has lead free.

http://wassco.com/Departments/Solder...re-Solder.aspx

Tweezers: I see them from a few dollars to $75, will something like this take care of the work I am doing?

http://wassco.com/Products/Tweezer--...-03-98100.aspx

Helping hands:

http://store.cs-sales.net/hh55.html

I've settled on this station (I think)

http://store.cs-sales.net/welowcosoirs.html

[tunghaichuan***]

Solder: what size do you find is best to use for working on pups and pots?. Watching video and reading some articles it seems to run from 025 to 050, I was going to get something like 032.

I use .031" for PCB and FX soldering, .062" for amps, pots, and guitar wiring. .050" would probably be okay. You don't want to glob on the solder, just enough to cover the joint.

Solder: 63/37 rosin is what I was planning on getting, but having problems locating the right solder - where do you buy yours and is this ok? The place where I am buying the station only has lead free.

http://wassco.com/Departments/Solder...re-Solder.aspx

You don't want solid core solder, you want rosin core. If you use solid core, you'll have to use flux in addition to the solder.

I'm not sure if this has lead in it or not:

http://wassco.com/Products/Kester-So...-01-02015.aspx

I use the leaded version. I bought a huge roll at a hamfest about 10 years ago and still have about half of it. Kester 44 used to have lead in it, but I'm not sure about now.

Tweezers: I see them from a few dollars to $75, will something like this take care of the work I am doing?

http://wassco.com/Products/Tweezer--...-03-98100.aspx

I dunno, I don't use tweezers, so I can't help you here.

Helping hands:

http://store.cs-sales.net/hh55.html

Those are very useful for holding two parts so you can keep them stable while the solder solidifies.

I've settled on this station (I think)

http://store.cs-sales.net/welowcosoirs.html

Looks like a winner.

You also might want to look into wire cutters and wire strippers.

tung

[Duff]

I use regular, not large, needle nose pliers with rubber handles. Never gets hot to burn my hand like tweezers might.

Use leaded solder. I get mine at Radio Shack in about 1mm diameter, no affilliation. Radio shack carries the rosin core and you can buy it in small quantities for about five dollars.

When removing your old pup wires from the pots etc. you may encounter the problem that the solder will not melt. Repeat, the solder may not melt with your iron.

If this happens what I do is hold my low power pencil type iron on the solder for a few minutes until it finally melts, sometimes a little flus helps or rocking the side of the tip of the iron against the solder joint.

Why is this? Because the new manufacturing standards require that the big companies use the new lead free solder that melts at a higher temp. At first the assemblers in the other parts of the world didn't know how to effectively do a quality solder joint with the new hard to melt lead free solder and many problems ensued, such as cracked solder joints, especially noted on the Hot Rod Deluxe amps. I had mine resoldered by a pro tech under warranty shortly after I bought my HRDx. Very smart preventative measure. On that Kid's old Hot Rod Deluxe page which is still refered to extensively today he has pictures of burnt out PCBs because of the cracked solder joints from the early days when those assemblers didn't know how to handle the lead free solder. Ruined many an amp.

So, be patient and don't be surprised if you burn yourself with the iron. Also try not to let the hot side of the metal on the iron touch any surrounding wires or it will definitely melt the insulation off of them, I've done it. Try to move non target wires out of the way of where you are going to be working with the iron, gently of course. Remember where any wires you knock, break off came from and resolder them back in the same place.

Label wires if you need to with masking tape or something, this way you won't forget what goes where.

I sometimes even take a digital picture of the inside of the cavity with everything in place stock before I start modding. That way if I forget something I can go back to the photos and see where I may have gone wrong.

If you see a wire stripped bare about 3/4 inches long just laying against the wood under the bridge, this is normal and should remain this way. This is a common way of grounding the guitar but not a substitute for grounding your pups to the top of the pot where all the other grounds are.

It should be fun even though it sounds like a lot to it, it isn't.

We are just trying to share our past experiences with you so you are really ready for the job. I'm sure after reading all of our comments you are going to be completely prepared to do an acceptable, if not outstanding job.

When are you going to tackle the project?

Duffy

[just strum]

When are you going to tackle the project?

Duffy

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I will start ordering equipment/supplies tomorrow. The pups in the next couple of days.

Once I get started I may be bombing this place with questions, but I'll do that in my P90 thread. I think I may have mucked up this thread a little with my posts.:

[Duff]

No way. You didn't muck things up at all.

I have a spartan set up that works fine.

I have an old, like 30 year old weller 20 watt =+- pencil type soldering iron - like the ones on the welding stations except it is just one power and just plugs directly into the wall with no control box.

The one with the variable power would be best if you are going to continue to do this type of thing. Otherwise an inexpensive weller pencil type about 20 watts would be fine.

The Radio Shack solder is about five bucks and the can of paste flux with brush comes in really really handy for a novice and it costs probably about two dollars.

So for about fifty dollars you can have a top notch single power soldering rig with supplies with no problem. Why waste money? You might not enjoy doing mods. But then you could turn over a nice soldering rig really easy I'm sure right here on the fret.

I know quite a bit about soldering in pickups and might be able to help you just before you dive in. You can call me at 570 764 5705 any time. Sometimes you have to solder and tape off some wires you will not be using unless you are going to coil tap the pickups and get pots designed for coil tapping. This is a way bigger job than just putting in humbuckers or single coils because instead of substituting where wires go you have to dissassemble the whole pot, desolder all the wires and get them right on the new, different format pots. I have not split my coils yet because I usually just use the existing pots. Like two nights ago when I put a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special bridge pup in my '07 walnut stain Squire Standard Tele. Sounds unreal.

Duffy

[just strum]

So for about fifty dollars you can have a top notch single power soldering rig with supplies with no problem. Why waste money? You might not enjoy doing mods. But then you could turn over a nice soldering rig really easy I'm sure right here on the fret.

You have a point, this could be my first and last mod or I may only do one or two a year. If I go to another level, then I can look at a station. So if I do that, 20 watt is where I should be looking?

[Ch0jin]

I spent many years as a bench tech working on electronic goods so (for once) I have an informed opinion to share!!! Woo!!!

Sadly though, It's the same as everyone elses :

Nothing new from me, but for what it's worth, everyone in our old workshop used temp controlled Weller irons. Many of us had different preferences to favourite tips and solder even doing the same kind of work. My main rig was a dual iron Weller setup with a very thin iron for SMD/LSI work that was temp critical like the CMOS chips the old CCD camcorders used to use, and a 'normal' sized iron for 90% of my day to day needs. I also used a Hakko de-soldering station (like a soldering iron with a hollow tip and a vacuum pump). I used flux/resin cored solder exclusively. Some guys swore by the super thin stuff for fine work (working under a magnifier) but I hated it because there was bugger all flux in the core and I preferred to use thicker solder and rely on technique to avoid applying too much. Eventually as I found myself doing more and more SMD work I switched to solder paste and a specially made heat gun type of iron made specifically for this purpose.

So long story short.

- Back in the day Weller was most definitely the weapon of choice for pro's. Hakko was also regarded, but we never seemed to actually buy them.
- Thick solder is easier to use IMO as it contains more flux so is likely better for beginners. As I said though, amongst Pro's I worked with, thick/thin was a personal preference.
- Tips wise. Make them last longer by keeping your sponge wet and the crap off your tip. Probably not an issue for the casual user, but we had a beer penalty system in place for any of use who left irons turned on when we were not using them as tips burn out fast. Especially small ones. Sometimes I'd just wind the temp all the way down in between jobs though instead of turning it off.
- Temp controlled stations. I used them almost exclusively, but I definitely could have got away without one for most work. I also had a big old higher wattage iron in the drawer that I pulled out if I needed serious heat. If I were to buy another iron I doubt I'd spring for a temp controlled station just to work on amps and pedals.
- Direct powered Vs "Station" style. Whilst my current iron is a direct powered (power cable goes into the handle) Weller. I don't recommend them for anything other than very occasional work. The big fat thick power cable just gets in the way and has a habit of knocking stuff over, and off the bench. The irons that have the soft flexible cable from the base station to the iron are MUCH nicer to use and I lament the loss of mine every time I use my current one.
- Do use needle nose pliers, alligator clips or proper heat sink style clips whenever possible to stop whatever you are soldering getting too hot. When I soldered CMOS devices or Germanium Diodes/transistors I often use my fingers, not as a heat sink (although it works) but as a heat gauge. Too hot to hold means too hot for the device.
- If you buy a hand held solder sucker (a good thing to have by the way) here's a tip that may not be all that practical these days, but just in case. They all come with a slightly heat resistant plastic tip. If you use them often, the tip will melt and get clogged with solder and stuff and you'll eventually replace it. I repaired a heck of a lot of things with CRT's in them in the day and every time I replaced a HT transformer I'd cut the HT lead (the thick one with the big rubber cap) in half because the rubber (OK not rubber but some kind of silicon I guess) cap that was on the other end of the lead (where the lead goes into the transformer) is a perfect fit for the tip of a solder sucker, is highly heat resistant, and very soft and flexible so you can get some good suction happening. Because it's so soft after you've removed the solder, you can generally just twist the rubber tip between your fingers to clean out the solder thats been collected. I do not suggest trying to source your own by performing surgery on TV's left out for the rubbish man as CRT tubes contain voltages that can kill. Even if they don't kill you they hurt like a mofo if they get you, I know first hand. If know any TV repair dudes just ask them if they can score some for you.

OK thats enough for now, work beckons.