For those unfamiliar with isopropanol, it’s the same thing as isopropyl alcohol. Which term gets used is a regional thing. The closer to 100% the better, rubbing alcohol is next to useless.
The different formats for tips have always been a mystery to me. I have seen T12 being mentioned, but I’m not sure what other formats exist or how to figure out which ones a specific iron needs.
I recently saw this soldering iron being recommended (I think by Lightbringer), with this one as a low cost alternative, although I wouldn’t know what advantages the more expensive iron has over the cheaper one. When I search for ‘Yihua’ things become even more confusing, as they have quite a large range of products.
If someone can help me understand these things, it will make the choice (and the determination to get started with soldering) a lot easier for me. I only just found out this year - at the age of 46 - that I’m on the autistic spectrum, which explains a lot about why certain tasks which others can complete with ease have always seemed incredibly daunting to me, while I can easily handle a range of highly complex topics which most people would severly struggle with - it’s just the way my brain is wired. Soldering and electronics in general definitely fall into the first category, but I’d really like to find a way into this exciting hobby!
When I search for ‘SGD Electronics’ on YouTube, the search results only turn up one channel with the name ‘SGD’ which doesn’t have any content. Do you have a link?
I’ve seen mention of T12 soldering stations, and combo soldering / hot air stations.
What is the use case for each and reasons to use one instead of the other?
Some 0603 soldering with regulated iron
First the usual without adding flux at the beginning, the rosin core gets very nice results and perfectly tin first pad,
but 2. Pad is not fully soldered, even when flux added and more soldering time used
2. adding some SMD flux at the beginning the tinning of first pad is a bit slower
I use a relative aggressive form of getting the resistors off, I highly recommend this only when the left side is a solid copper plane that completely surrounds the pad, in very few cases that ripped a pad off with just s small trace connecting it
As a CIS I gotta say, this is pretty good. As someone with an AET, I hope you add a little about ESD.
I just ordered a tube from that supplier. I have not been really happy with my flux, I like the Kester liquid but my paste did not work as well as I wanted. What solder paste do you use? I need to order some as mine is getting old and thick.
Pad soldering
Hardware
- 295°C Weller WSD81
- Felder 0.5mm Sn62Pb36Ag2 with 3.5% flux (one with relative much rosin core flux, general use not SMD which has less flux %)
Preparations
- clean PCB with Alcohol and cotton swab
- twisting the wires end (helps to prevent splicing while soldering)
- cleaning tip in sponge
1.
- pre tinning pad and wire
- heating up pad and stick the wire end into it
- same as 1. just adding extra flux (for example if you use a SMD solder wire with only 1% flux)
- directly solder wire to the pad (not recommended but works fine with a solder wire with 2.5% or more flux)
in the video I look without any magnification to the soldering, just the camera records
I use Chip Quik solder paste SMD291AX50T3 purchased from Digikey.
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/chip-quik-inc/SMD291AX50T3/SMD291AX50T3-ND
I generally do not use ESD on the builds I do, the flashlight stuff is pretty ESD safe
I have a silicone mat covering my desk
old and thick can be a few times refreshed with a tiny amount of IPA
if you have to use it every time you open the can it’s time to get new stuff
IPA? You mean 99% isopropyl alcohol? I keep a jug of that around all the time.
yes
At my previous workplace, they had an interesting method for soldering(correcting) smd pcb parts. They main orders were machine assembled, but there were some pieces here and there that must be done by hand, or corrected manually.
The whole pcb was kept on a heated metal plate, which was hot to the touch, but certainly not in the solder melting range. When they installed/replaced a part, a lot less heat input was requied, than heating up everything from room temperature. It worked good as far as I know.
Btw, I also use a KSGER v2.12S soldering station with the black coated tips, and they work awesome. The controller may produce unstable temp readings over 420Celsius depending on the exact tip used, but I almost never had to use that much heat, and the tip still stayed at the set temp, apart from the jumping numbers on the controller.
Subscribed!
Thanks for the videos Lexel. You have very steady hands especially when things are magnified. I love how you guys make it look so easy. 
Can I buy this version. Thanks so much my friend
I spelled it wrong, its SDG Electronics. I think it was his flux review where he did a bunch of board soldering that brought up a bunch of good soldering video thumbnails. There’s tons of good videos out there, but seeing how the experienced guys choose equipment, prep things and go about the actual soldering is a big help. Lexel’s videos are pretty good, although I’d have to stop drinking coffee for a week to do things his way.
I have both of those soldering irons you mentioned. I want to like the TS100 and I’ve spent enough money on replacement tips for it but for some reason the tips keep getting awful dirty and it only seems to work well at higher temperatures. Also the combination of tiny handle and long distance from the handle to the tip bothers me, most days my hands aren’t steady enough to use it for fine work… If you are willing to spend that kind of money its probably time to look at a KSGER or an iron/hot air station. I used the PX-988 often until I started playing with the small 0402 components. Its pretty good if you can find genuine Hakko tips, better yet with the good Mechanic tips. Banggood has started selling them but the listing is messed up at the moment. I’ve never had much luck with those pointed conical tips. I like as big a chisel tip that will fit the application and like the knife tips even better. Lots of thermal mass and conductivity and you can sneak the point onto some really small components. Hakko has a really good page on their website about tip selection.
My solder station is a Yihua 8786D, it works pretty good and the hot air handle uses a band clamp for attaching the nozzles. The twist and turn style has a much more limited selection of nozzles but will work just fine. If you plan on reflowing led’s or assembling drivers a hot air gun is quite helpful. Even when I’m just soldering wires I’ll preheat the board with hot air while I’m waiting for the iron to heat up. Hot air isn’t a necessity, but it sure makes things easier.
Ear swabs work great for cleaning flux. Don’t soak it so it leaves a puddle when you touch board, just get it damp so it picks up the flux residues.
Too much solder?
Use thinner diameter solder?
Not at right temp?
Time for new tip?
Just add a little flux and hit the joint with a clean tip and it should flow better. The access solder will go on your clean tip. Repeat until tail is gone.
too low temp on the solder connection when you remove the iron
- the heat may get soaked away very fast like on MCPCB
or
- not enough or already burned flux