Lead Free Soldering Iron

What is the best temp for a soldering iron tip ?

How does a tip stay "tinned" with lead free solder ?

Does anyone have a good site on the basics of lead free soldering.

Thank you

hamilton

Reply to
hamilton
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On a sunny day (Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:34:04 -0600) it happened hamilton wrote in :

260 C will do for 60/40, and most other stuff as a maximum perhaps.

Dunno, never use it, still have plenty of 60/40, why take chances.

It so happens I was reading the soldering part of the MPU6050 data sheet (for reflow). It lists all the temperatures, and the temperature curves needed to solder the package. That is a MEMS chips, so for other stuff look at the relevant datasheets.

?

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

It's not that simple. You care about the temperature of the joint. With today's tiny components, you typically end up with a tiny tip with small heat capacity trying to raise the temperature of a larger area. The ground plane end of a cap is typically much harder to solder than the free end.

Cheap irons attack the problem by raising the tip temperature so you can melt the solder with the heat capacity available in the tip.

Weller irons have the temperature control mechanism right at the tip, so it can turn up power relatively quickly.

Irons like the Metcal use RF and get VERY tight coupling between power input and temperature. First time I used a Metcal, I was amazed at how quickly a lower temperature tip could melt the joint.

Plated tips don't stay "tinned" with lead solder either.

Reply to
mike

In my experience 230 deg. C is by far the best setting for lead free soldering. Leaded soldering isn't as picky as lead free soldering. The basic mistake I see most is using a tip which is too small for the soldering job at hand. Most people crank up the temperature to compensate for the poor heat conduction of the top but that will burn the flux from the solder too fast so you get bad joints due to insufficient flux. A good lead free solder joint should be a little less shiny than a leaded solder joint.

So make sure you get 3 or 4 different sizes of tips and get a soldering iron which allows to change the tips quickly. I myself have an Ersa iron which uses a spring to hold the tip in place. I often change tips while putting a 'project' together.

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Reply to
Nico Coesel

At work we have a couple of Metcals at our soldering station. Each has two devices attached, an iron and a desoldering widget (tweezers and a solder sucker). There are also a variety of tips for desoldering SMT devices. Even with four "irons" connected, I'm always waiting for one to heat. ;-) ...and I don't do RoHS solder (but have to desolder the crap).

Reply to
krw

Are you trying to be green, or do you really need to use lead free solder? The amount of eco-waste Joe Experimenter can make won't significantly add to lead in the ecosystem.

Reply to
miso

Metallic form leaded solder has NEVER "added lead to the eco-system".

Metallic form lead is NOT dangerous. Never was.

Euro-retards caused the entire industry to take a set back and the entire world to take a price hit as a result of their inane measures.

Idiots casting their own fishing sinkers have a higher potential to have done more 'damage' over the decades and nobody has pissed and moaned about them.

The world is full of idiots.

Reply to
TheQuickBrownFox

"Jan Panteltje"

** Are you nuts ? 370C is the normal tip temp for regular, hand soldering.

... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

"Nico Coesel"

** Again - are you nuts ?

230C will barely melt Pb free solder.

The normal setting on a good iron like the " Hakko " is 370C or a tad more for Pb free.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

"hamilton"

** The one that works well.

** Lead free solder is mostly 99% tin.
** I suggest that novices keep well away from Pb free solder.

Most of it is a real PITA to use and getting good results is very tricky.

The stuff with 1 or 2% silver is best, but a bit expensive.

... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Well... up to a point.

Hahahahah... I like it.

Why? They should have no opportunity to escape the realm of the novice?

Also not exactly true.

I have found that the 2% Gold stuff is pretty good.

I posted a picture of some. I had one roll then. Now I have several.

Reply to
TheQuickBrownFox

The theory is the old electronics ends up in the landfill and the lead leaches out eventually. Of course, reality could be different.

Reply to
miso

Products at work are Rhos.

As a firmware/hardware guy, I need to solder onto some of these boards.

Most of the time I let the techs do it.

But lately I have been trying to do it myself.

I to am from the old school of soldering and this lead free stuff is very UN-satsifying.

hamilton

Reply to
hamilton

(...)

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Metcal! The best.

--Winston

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*/
Reply to
Winston

Well yeah, when the work!

Reply to
miso

We would have seen huge "lead-in-the-water-table" differences around landfills, and "favorite fishing holes", and especially around police firing ranges.

Fact is... We do not.

Reply to
MrTallyman

The solder probably wants you to learn how to 'spell' "RoHS"

Reply to
MrTallyman

Mine always work properly. For years and years. :)

I take it you've seen reliability problems? What symptom(s)?

I was really pleased with Metcal support when I experienced a (cough) pilot error early on.

Were they helpful in troubleshooting the issue(s) you identified?

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

Mostly harmless:

Who shot the tomatoes?

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Jasen Betts
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You left an 's' out of the penultimate word.

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Adrian Tuddenham

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