Soldering iron tips

OK, to partially answer my own question, I jest found a full tech pdf for that entire rig, with all part numbers and specs. Cool! With it, I discovered I can still buy a PTR6 1/16" narrow screwdriver tip which runs 600°F (#6). That's approx 315°C. Is that low enough to do SMT, safely? The entire Weller station is in excellent condition. nb

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Reply to
notbob
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On 3/30/2012 11:37 AM, qrk wrote: snip

Which model are you using? Everything I've read says they're 13.56MHz.

Reply to
mike

Solder isn't sold on "reels" idiot.

AND it expires quite a bit before three years have passed.

You ain't real bright... at all.

Reply to
Archimedes' Lever

The SP200 operates at 470kHz.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

It is a STEEL tube, and the 400kHz is INSIDE that FARADAY cage.

NONE of it is "getting out".

I wish folks who claim to be in my industry would not be so stupid so often.

Reply to
Archimedes' Lever

Which even LESS of which would "get out".

Reply to
Archimedes' Lever

On a sunny day (30 Mar 2012 22:11:52 GMT) it happened notbob wrote in :

For the Weller 'magnestats' there is a number engraved on the backside of the solder tip. That number indicates the temperature the tips will have (the curie point where they lose their magnetism). This thread explains the numbering, and some more stuff:

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The tip codes refer to the breaking temperature in deg. F (5 = 500F, 6 = 600F etc.). A

So maybe you can get a lower temperature tip. I only have experience with this type of Weller.

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

Yes. The WTCPS station tips range from 6 to 8, and I can still get a 600°F (315°C) tip (#6) for about $5-6.

After watching a buncha tutorials on SMT soldering, specially Dave Jones, that tip in 1/16" screwdriver should be spot on (I'm even starting to talk like him) for 0602s and SOICs. I love this Jones guy. Whatta hoot and clearly an excellent resource. I have one browser window watching him and another googling up all the stuff he talks about. I can actually understand much of the info he discusses, despite my mere hobby level knowledge. Some one here said, if I'm having fun, I'm doing it right. Dave clearly makes it fun, some of his comments leave me ROFLing. He certainly erased my fear of soldering SMT. "Stevie Wonder could solder a 1206!". LOL....

nb

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Reply to
notbob

How do you guys place parts?

If I start with clean pads, put down solder paste, place the part then reflow it with a tiny heat gun, it works well.

Anything else requires four hands and considerable manual dexterity.

I've tried several kinds of tweezers. I keep a tape demagnetizer handy 'cuz any magnetism and the resistor won't let go of the tweezer. As the chips become thinner, it's hard to grab 'em in such a manner that I can place them flat on the board. I've tried thinning the tweezer tips. Any misalignment and the part goes flying into the ether, never to be seen again.

When I do get it in the right place, I have to hold it down with a scribe and grab the iron with the other hand. NO third hand for solder, so I have to rely on the blob of oxidized solder that is stuck to the plated iron tip. Then I try to solder the other end using the iron and solder. Works if you're quick. If the other end doesn't melt, the part probably isn't flat. If both ends melt, surface tension can suck the resistor onto the iron tip.

I've rarely had to deal with anything smaller than an 805. Can't imagine routine work with 402's.

A video showing how to solder a huge SOIC to a virgin board doesn't tell the whole story.

Reply to
mike

Use a very fine tweezer like this one:

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Also works for 0402.

Put solder one pad, solder the part on one end so its fixated and then solder the other end.

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Reply to
Nico Coesel

On a sunny day (Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:56:39 -0700) it happened mike wrote in :

I have soldered many SMD part that were magnetic by picking them up with a strong bar magnet, moving them in place (weight bar magnet keeps them located), and then soldering one end. Pull away magnet, solder other end

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smaller ones I use tweezers, solder one end first.

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

strong

And here I thought that exposure of your stupidity level could not get any worse.

Reply to
Klinger

For passives, I place a solder blob on ONE pad. I generally make this pad to the right, as I'm right handed. I place the part with bent-tip tweezers at the blob, and reflow the blob when positioning the part. Often do a row of parts like that, and then turn the board 180 degrees and add solder to the other pad.

For small chips (so-16, for instance) I put solder on the lower right corner of the pattern, and position the part with the tweezers on the body of the part, reflow that pad as the part settles onto the board. Then, turn the board and resolder the rest of the pins.

For large chips, I put a tiny solder blob on two diagonal corner pads, reflow those an then check the chip for good alignment all around before soldering the rest.

Anything smaller than SO-16 is done under a stereo zoom microscope. I have done a lot of 128-lead square chips with 0.4mm lead pitch this way. These are custom chips so our boss doesn't want them reflowed in the oven.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Not again fer Chrissake!

You're thinking of Multicore's Savbit Alloy, which contains copper, and doesn't comply.

"Multicore" is a brand name of a UK company, who make all sorts of solders, from cored wire in a variety of gages, up to extruded stick for use in wave soldering machines.

They make both 60/40 Sn/Pb, and 63/37 Sn/Pb in all formats, as well as speciality alloys for special applications.

Various fluxes, including Type R, RMA, and RA.

They're the UK equivalent of Kester. Probably the largest manufacturer of solders in the UK, with Alpha Fry's second. Not many people, over there, have even heard of Kester.

AFAIK, 60/40 is still allowed under MIL spec, as it is under NASA standards (60/40 or 63/37 with R or RMA flux)

This was talked to death a while ago. Please check your standards and cite appropriately before pontificating.

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Reply to
Fred Abse

On a sunny day (Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:32:36 -0700) it happened Fred Abse wrote in :

Cassini spacecraft experienced a short in one of the instruments, they think it is solder wiskers, should you not want to kill those poiliticians who drive in big cars with lead batteries? (Was my thought).

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

That would explain why I've been unable to find any of it here in the USA. I'd settled on MM01022, Multicore's 60/40, 0.024" DIA, in a

1/2lb role. No joy. Newarks lists it, but has none available. It's back ordered or unavailable everywhere else in the US, too.

I'm gearing up for my first run at SMT soldering. I even found I already have a 600° 1/16" chisel tip (PTA6) for my old Weller. It looks like it might be TOO small, it barely discernable from a fine cone tip. I think I'll buy a 3/32" chisel tip and a 1/16" chisel tip. Regardless, I guess I must go with Kester, as I can find no MM01022 available anywhere, even online.

nb

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Reply to
notbob

Probably nowhere near my experience with solder attached circuit components.

Appropriately? I notice you made exactly ZERO 'citations'.

What the "mil standard" now has is simply a WAIVER or EXEMPTION with which to ignore RoHS 'legally'.

However, it is nearly impossible to actually manufacture production level runs of NON-RoHS product, because all the chips have to be re-balled, and various other reasons. It is actually now cheaper to contract an RoHS assembly than a non-RoHS build, because ALL the CMs are all set up for RoHS now too and charge more for line changes required to perform a legacy run.

So, WE can make a board with RoHS (and we do). If it needs repair, we can use old technology solders which are not RoHS.

While you SAY NASA 'accepts' both, they rarely contract for any processes other than 63/37, or the now current RoHS method. It would simply cost too much to remove the other listing from the standard.

So, despite being "exempt", mil contractors are going RoHS, even though it is not required.

Our stuff gets hard conformal coating and thermal matting for conduction cooled design paradigms. The traces are not even Copper.

Even if 60/40 is 'on the books', it doesn't mean that ANYONE (other than a few dweebs over there apparently) uses it.

Reply to
Archimedes' Lever

Hopefully, you had enough brains to buy the 63/37.

Reply to
Archimedes' Lever

You're wrong about everything else, AlwaysWrong. You're probably wrong about that, too, since you didn't even know 60/40 is used for electronics.

Because you can't read doesn't mean that you aren't wrong, AlwaysWrong.

Reply to
krw

As novice as I am, I've enough brains to pretty much disregard anything you have to say.

nb

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Reply to
notbob

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