Hey guys.
I wondered if someone could give me a little more advice please on the tinning procedure of soldering.
If anyone has read my last few posts it was about a faulty soldering station which I managed to get a refund.
So ... I have just got back from town and unboxed this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/60w-professional-lcd-solder-station-with-esd-protection-511927#accessories
I am hoping this will be a good iron, I bought it based on these glowing reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B004X25LW8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
I also bought extra tips that work with this iron:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009LEDSPK/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk
So onto my questions, because this is a new iron I want to do this right from the start and have good practice skills for when I solder.
Q1. Firstly with this being a new tip, am I right in thinking that I need to dip the tip in flux and wrap some 60-40 solder around the end of the tip and switch on the iron ? let this melt and wipe off and that is done ? do I do this every time or first time only ?
Or is it a case of just swtich it on and wait for it to get up to temp and with 60-40 solder that would be enough to tin the tip without the use for flux ?
Q2. Once the tip is tinned, how do I know when to tin again and what procedure do I use ? in the past when I have tried to use lead-free solder it just heats into a ball and falls off, maybe this wouldnt happen with 60-40 solder ? how would you recommend I go about keeping the tip tinned.
Q3. 60-40 solder comes in different sizes, would say 1.2mm diameter be ok or do I need a thicker solder for circuit boards ?
Q4. The flux I used twice in a failed attempt to tin gave off an aweful smell, it says on it that its proven to cause birth defects and cause cancer or something, so that worries me, as does breathing in the fumes from the 60-40 solder. Can anyone tell me a way around this, is there a certain mask that I need ? or would a fume extractor do the job ?
I am going to resist turning on the solder station until I know what I am doing lol that way I can start off on the right footing and get busy making cool things with electronics
Thanks ever so much in advance to anyone who can help me with this thread.
Matt
I wondered if someone could give me a little more advice please on the tinning procedure of soldering.
If anyone has read my last few posts it was about a faulty soldering station which I managed to get a refund.
So ... I have just got back from town and unboxed this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/60w-professional-lcd-solder-station-with-esd-protection-511927#accessories
I am hoping this will be a good iron, I bought it based on these glowing reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B004X25LW8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
I also bought extra tips that work with this iron:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009LEDSPK/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk
So onto my questions, because this is a new iron I want to do this right from the start and have good practice skills for when I solder.
Q1. Firstly with this being a new tip, am I right in thinking that I need to dip the tip in flux and wrap some 60-40 solder around the end of the tip and switch on the iron ? let this melt and wipe off and that is done ? do I do this every time or first time only ?
Or is it a case of just swtich it on and wait for it to get up to temp and with 60-40 solder that would be enough to tin the tip without the use for flux ?
Q2. Once the tip is tinned, how do I know when to tin again and what procedure do I use ? in the past when I have tried to use lead-free solder it just heats into a ball and falls off, maybe this wouldnt happen with 60-40 solder ? how would you recommend I go about keeping the tip tinned.
Q3. 60-40 solder comes in different sizes, would say 1.2mm diameter be ok or do I need a thicker solder for circuit boards ?
Q4. The flux I used twice in a failed attempt to tin gave off an aweful smell, it says on it that its proven to cause birth defects and cause cancer or something, so that worries me, as does breathing in the fumes from the 60-40 solder. Can anyone tell me a way around this, is there a certain mask that I need ? or would a fume extractor do the job ?
I am going to resist turning on the solder station until I know what I am doing lol that way I can start off on the right footing and get busy making cool things with electronics
Thanks ever so much in advance to anyone who can help me with this thread.
Matt