Hi,
Looking for a little help and unsure of what a decent soldering iron can do, currently I have a £6, 70W and it is a right pain to use, have to wait ages and then, bang heat is there get job done quick and then wait for ages again, somewhat of an unknown when and how hot.
I'm looking at the possibility of a OKI PS-900 as am thinking I may actually start work on the amp in the kitchen, upgrading odd bits and bobs, resistors, caps etc just for fun, not even dared with my current iron.
The other job that is on the list is to de-solder my bi-wire speaker cables and re-solder extra spades back on to enable me to bi amp. The spades are:
CGMS 9 (Spade)
which are quite chunky and I am wondering if a decent iron would have enough heat transfer to get a nice solder joint..?
Appreciate any comments / help
Many Thanks
DC
Looking for a little help and unsure of what a decent soldering iron can do, currently I have a £6, 70W and it is a right pain to use, have to wait ages and then, bang heat is there get job done quick and then wait for ages again, somewhat of an unknown when and how hot.
I'm looking at the possibility of a OKI PS-900 as am thinking I may actually start work on the amp in the kitchen, upgrading odd bits and bobs, resistors, caps etc just for fun, not even dared with my current iron.
The other job that is on the list is to de-solder my bi-wire speaker cables and re-solder extra spades back on to enable me to bi amp. The spades are:
CGMS 9 (Spade)
which are quite chunky and I am wondering if a decent iron would have enough heat transfer to get a nice solder joint..?
Appreciate any comments / help
Many Thanks
DC
Some tasks simply take a lot of flux, two reasonably hot irons, and a heatgun.
In this case, you use the heatgun from a distance to warm the groundplane.
Hopefully not using the heatgun in a focused way that threatens to directly
melt anything or require extensive masking.
Also see a lot of problems caused by trying to use too fine a tip and too small
amount of solder for fine small work. Sometimes its better, faster, and maybe
less stressful to roll a big blob of solder over the area and wick excess away.
Simulate the action of a wave solder process.
Using gravity and the draw of heat from one or both of your irons, tease away
the excess, not usually needing wick or braid. Wipe your iron occasionally, but
re-apply fresh solder and flux to the work if the blob you are trying to get rid-
of becomes immobile.
When you do need wick or braid, NEVER use it from the roll, but cut away 3/4
inch of braid and flux it well. Use both irons to melt the blob, then keep molten
with one iron while using the other iron to push the braid into the work. This is
also an effective way to quickly clear a through hole with wick. You may think
a hole impossible to clear with simple wick, but technique is everything...
Reasons not to use braid directly from the roll: 1) its a heatsink 2) Contaminates
a pointless length of braid with solder and corrosive flux, forcing you to cut away
ruined braid anyhow. 3) Doesn't saturate with anywhere near as much volume of
solder as can actually hold. 4) You are wasting one of your hands to hold the roll
that could be holding a second iron to better effect.
Soldering with one iron is a waste of time, and likely to damage the work piece.
A cold joint will still burn everything around it while you are playing with solder
that doesn't flow properly.
In this case, you use the heatgun from a distance to warm the groundplane.
Hopefully not using the heatgun in a focused way that threatens to directly
melt anything or require extensive masking.
Also see a lot of problems caused by trying to use too fine a tip and too small
amount of solder for fine small work. Sometimes its better, faster, and maybe
less stressful to roll a big blob of solder over the area and wick excess away.
Simulate the action of a wave solder process.
Using gravity and the draw of heat from one or both of your irons, tease away
the excess, not usually needing wick or braid. Wipe your iron occasionally, but
re-apply fresh solder and flux to the work if the blob you are trying to get rid-
of becomes immobile.
When you do need wick or braid, NEVER use it from the roll, but cut away 3/4
inch of braid and flux it well. Use both irons to melt the blob, then keep molten
with one iron while using the other iron to push the braid into the work. This is
also an effective way to quickly clear a through hole with wick. You may think
a hole impossible to clear with simple wick, but technique is everything...
Reasons not to use braid directly from the roll: 1) its a heatsink 2) Contaminates
a pointless length of braid with solder and corrosive flux, forcing you to cut away
ruined braid anyhow. 3) Doesn't saturate with anywhere near as much volume of
solder as can actually hold. 4) You are wasting one of your hands to hold the roll
that could be holding a second iron to better effect.
Soldering with one iron is a waste of time, and likely to damage the work piece.
A cold joint will still burn everything around it while you are playing with solder
that doesn't flow properly.
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In my opinion something like a Metcal 5000 series (now 5200 series I think) or JBC with the appropriate tip could do both. The OKI PS-900 appears to use a heater coil and the heat conduction from the element to the tip could be worse. I have seen them used at work and they appear to able to cope with ground planes and the like so it would probably be OK but I have no direct experience of that model.
Thanks Salas, good tip ;-) about the shorter ones being more powerful, I shall remember that when ordering one for the spade job
Could be as it does seem rather random, mind you I always seem to remember it being somewhat frustrating to use even from brand new. I may be inclined to put it down to just being a bottom of the range product, and I am thinking a far better one will make soldering a much nicer thing to do...
Wow I have a lot to learn! Thanks for the explanation and pointers on how to do what, and what can be achieved in time and practice, I think I may find some more reading on the subject and maybe have a little look on utube and some professional soldering there too, rather than trial and error learning as there seems to be a lot to learn,
A little knowledge and be dangerous a! I bought a spring suction thing for removing solder, seemed pretty good to me but I was told a little while ago that using the wick was far far safer as the amount of suction buy the spring thing could suck up a track from a delicate board, then I would have been in trouble.
Thank for all the tips!!
PCHi and Salas - So we are both sort of thinking the PS-900 should manage with a short 5mm tip... yes?
I am a plumber by trade and so use a blow torch pretty much every day, heating up the copper end feed fittings & pipe, feeding in the solder as soon as the copper is hot enough to melt the solder upon contact. I could see that the audio spade could be the fitting and the solid core speaker cable the pipe But I'm thinking soldering in audio is much more refined ;-) and should have a much more controllable source of heat. I guess this is where a hot air thing may come in handy to pre heat allowing the iron to do the accurate bit..
Many thanks for all comments so far, I will research how to solder a little more me thinks.
Cheers
DC
The PS-900 will go to sleep mode when placed back to its stand. It has a shorting magnet there that cuts down the 470kHz energy transfer from the coil to the responding metallurgy of the special sleeve type tip.
1.2mm wire would be even more efficient of course but it will not do for more general stuff. A lighter roll in stock for such heaviest purposes only maybe.
1.2mm wire would be even more efficient of course but it will not do for more general stuff. A lighter roll in stock for such heaviest purposes only maybe.
once tried 0.5mm solder with a 5mm tip, doing heavy stuff
it ate my solder very fast
ofcourse that was not clever
recently bought 500gr 1.2mm(lead/tin, with silver)
I think it cost something around 35EUR
and 1mm cost much more
not sure, but maybe it was twice as much
250gr finer 0.5-0.8mm solder cost about the same
saving up for that until next order
could look like the prices are calculated by length, and not weight
it ate my solder very fast
ofcourse that was not clever
recently bought 500gr 1.2mm(lead/tin, with silver)
I think it cost something around 35EUR
and 1mm cost much more
not sure, but maybe it was twice as much
250gr finer 0.5-0.8mm solder cost about the same
saving up for that until next order
could look like the prices are calculated by length, and not weight
I'll try to find time to experiment with the Metcals at work tomorrow and hopefully provide an answer.
OKi PS-800 test results
The unit at work is an OKi PS-800 whcih looks similar to the PS-900. I used what must have been about a 3 mm tip and it was able to tin some wire with ease that look like the largest that would fit the spades. So the answer is I think so. The finer tips would be OK for surface mount components. The general feel and construction quality weren't as good as the larger Metcals and possibly the heat conduction capability may not be as good but that could be just a feeling.
The unit at work is an OKi PS-800 whcih looks similar to the PS-900. I used what must have been about a 3 mm tip and it was able to tin some wire with ease that look like the largest that would fit the spades. So the answer is I think so. The finer tips would be OK for surface mount components. The general feel and construction quality weren't as good as the larger Metcals and possibly the heat conduction capability may not be as good but that could be just a feeling.
Hakko is another sane option, I just picked one up for £60 at a rally, very nice it is too.
Cartridge elements so somewhat expensive as bits go, but 70W so having the temperature set way back when you put it on the stand is not a problem, and they will last ages that way.
Not as nice as the RF metcals (but very little is), but available and cheap as good tools go.
Regards, Dan.
Cartridge elements so somewhat expensive as bits go, but 70W so having the temperature set way back when you put it on the stand is not a problem, and they will last ages that way.
Not as nice as the RF metcals (but very little is), but available and cheap as good tools go.
Regards, Dan.
Wonderful, really appreciate all the comments, I had a feeling the larger solder would be better but had no idea in the price difference in the different thickness's, will check in to that when ordering.
Thanks for the answers and tech tips! Salas, and actual testing PChi.
I can't possibly go wrong ;-)
I got the feeling the PS-900 was not going to be the same build quality as the more expensive metcals simply by the difference in price, the decent ones on ebay do look somewhat knackered (risky I thought) so I thought a nice new bottom entry metcal would be a nice treat going up the range is too much money for the little diy it will be used for.
A mate who repairs quite hi end hifi would not be without his metcal (expensive one) so I thought I'd go along with his recommendation of manufacturer, just to keep things simple.
Many thanks, can't wait for some money to come in, so I can spend it, then practice soldering on the old pc
Many thanks again!!
Cheers
DC
Thanks for the answers and tech tips! Salas, and actual testing PChi.
I can't possibly go wrong ;-)
I got the feeling the PS-900 was not going to be the same build quality as the more expensive metcals simply by the difference in price, the decent ones on ebay do look somewhat knackered (risky I thought) so I thought a nice new bottom entry metcal would be a nice treat
going up the range is too much money for the little diy it will be used for.A mate who repairs quite hi end hifi would not be without his metcal (expensive one) so I thought I'd go along with his recommendation of manufacturer, just to keep things simple.
Many thanks, can't wait for some money to come in, so I can spend it, then practice soldering on the old pc
Many thanks again!!
Cheers
DC
One PS-900 just arrived
Watching a few youtube videos to gather tips on how to solder properly...
Hope to fire it up soon and practice on a few bits, maybe speaker internal cable and crossover, before I attempt the 5mm tip for speaker cable re-termination.
Thanks again for the helpful advice!
Watching a few youtube videos to gather tips on how to solder properly...
Hope to fire it up soon and practice on a few bits, maybe speaker internal cable and crossover, before I attempt the 5mm tip for speaker cable re-termination.
Thanks again for the helpful advice!
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