Correct soldering temperature.

[Nordic]

Hi guys I want to start up my new soldering station.
Never had one with temperature control before.

I have some cheapass solder, probably high lead content... I have read the booklet and understand how to go about setting it up etc... but I don't know what temperature to set it to.
any suggestions?

[I_Forgot]

It depends on what you are trying to solder. Surface mount components sit on pads that are easy to burn off the PCB, so for things like that keep the temp down to 600-650F or so and work fast.

If you're soldering to a terminal strip in a tube amp and there's a lot of metal connected to the thing it will draw the heat away fast. You'll want to set a high temperature for that sort of thing.

If the solder has a lot of lead it will melt at a lower temp than if it is silver solder.

You just have to play around a bit. You're more likely to do damage using too low a temperature than if you use too high a temperature, so err on the high side.

I_F

[anatech]

Hi Nordic,
I generally run around 300 °C and change the tip type for different work. Heavier connections are better done at higher temperatures. You will get a feel for the work you do and your personal style of soldering. For instance, when doing surface mount work, I tend to use a wide screwdriver tip at 300 °C. Same tip and slightly higher temperature for heavy work. Stuck with the normal screwdriver type tip, I have to run hotter for large jobs.

The trick with surface mount is to get in and out quickly. The wider tip allows me to do this more efficiently, but you may find that you can't use the bigger tip.

-Chris

[Nordic]

leaded components on silver immersion pcb

[bulgin]

Hi Nordic

As was said, it's job-dependent. For general electronic work, I run at between 350 and 360 degrees C. The iron I use is a Magnum/soldering station with led temperature display.

Hope this helps

bulgin