Soldering temperature
- Thread starter AtariYinzer
- Start date
I work 350 on Fx888D and honestly never find I need more. Using a bevel tip for pad clean ups and an angled point the rest of the time but that's just preference.
This can all be subjective too given the solder composition
This can all be subjective too given the solder composition
I solder ridiculously hot, but I do it very quickly. It's just how I like to do it. Don't follow my lead though, high 300ºs sounds good.
Depends on the solder and the gauge of it - i use Kester 0.4mm 63/37 and 350 to 360 degrees is fine, although if a chunky ground plane is involved, then i just set the station to YES.
I use 62 (Sn)/36 (Pb)/2 (Ag) low melting point (LMP) solder at 320°C. For 60/40 or 63/37, I'd recommend 360-370. 400 is too high IMO; flux may evaporate away too quickly. Thermal linkage is important when it comes to speed: https://www.circuitrework.com/guides/7-1-1.html
On the FX888 I used 350-370 for most tasks. Im using a Metcal MX500 now which doesn’t have heat adjustment. I’m using their 370° cartridges which have worked very well.
As Bruce’s post indicates, your ideal temp may differ due to the iron and work youre doing along with your own preferences. As long as you’re getting good joints and not destroying your tips from high heat, use whatever temp you like.
As Bruce’s post indicates, your ideal temp may differ due to the iron and work youre doing along with your own preferences. As long as you’re getting good joints and not destroying your tips from high heat, use whatever temp you like.
I also do 350 on my FX888. I can't remember what solder brand I've got ATM. I've been using chisel tips, but I'm slowly coming around to bevel tips for general use after teaching myself drag soldering with the bevel.
Related, I've recently become a convert to the "push and twist" method of cap removal. I was a "sidecutter" guy before, but I did the twist method on the last (not so valuable) board I did, and it worked great and was much faster and less fussy. Old dog, new trick!
Related, I've recently become a convert to the "push and twist" method of cap removal. I was a "sidecutter" guy before, but I did the twist method on the last (not so valuable) board I did, and it worked great and was much faster and less fussy. Old dog, new trick!
T..... Twi..... TWIST!?
You know the lyrics to the Beatles song "Twist and Shout"? It's about twisting caps and breaking pads, first you twist.... then you shout!
If you need a soldering "iron" hotter than 350°C, then something is probably wrong. It's too easy to overheat sensitive components when you go to 400°C with an iron (especially solid Tantalum capacitors). Some people do it and have no issues, but 350°C is a good rule of thumb to stick to.
I realize ground planes act as heatsinks, but that is why preheating a board with either heat gun or a hot air station often helps. I myself only recently acquired a hot air station thanks to a kind recommendation from @Kai Robinson. I believe @Branchus at one point told me he goes to 400°C and beyond with his hot air station, and I believe it too because I am not very good at desoldering components, even with small tips, on my hot air station when set to only 350°C. But even if you use a hot air station at 350°C, you still have to be very, very careful not to melt plastics. That's why I still am mostly using irons. I don't have many accidental meltings with soldering irons..
I realize ground planes act as heatsinks, but that is why preheating a board with either heat gun or a hot air station often helps. I myself only recently acquired a hot air station thanks to a kind recommendation from @Kai Robinson. I believe @Branchus at one point told me he goes to 400°C and beyond with his hot air station, and I believe it too because I am not very good at desoldering components, even with small tips, on my hot air station when set to only 350°C. But even if you use a hot air station at 350°C, you still have to be very, very careful not to melt plastics. That's why I still am mostly using irons. I don't have many accidental meltings with soldering irons..
There are also dedicated board preheaters too. I recently got one and it’s been helpful in reducing time applying much higher heat.
One of the benefits of the Metcal solder stations is that you get constant perfect temp even on big ground planes without needing to adjust anything. It’s been awesome when working on things like battery holders.
One of the benefits of the Metcal solder stations is that you get constant perfect temp even on big ground planes without needing to adjust anything. It’s been awesome when working on things like battery holders.
Yes, the push and twist method is my favorite for removing the little SMD can capacitors. Never ripped a pad.
Did someone say twist and push?
On topic, it's usually around 300-340C for normal slow everyday soldering.
When I am doing assembly and want to do things very quickly I rise the temperature to 350-380C.
Both with 60/40 solder.
On topic, it's usually around 300-340C for normal slow everyday soldering.
When I am doing assembly and want to do things very quickly I rise the temperature to 350-380C.
Both with 60/40 solder.
I see the twisting in that video but not the pushing!
Even so, I'm partial to my Hakko hot tweezers. They aren't for everybody due to price, but I've yet to lift a pad by accident with them.
I keep a supply of modeling clay handy. If there are other components very close to where I'm going to use hot air, I make liitle clay snakes and cover the nearby components. This is mainly to avoid blowing away SM resistors and caps. The first time I used a heat gun on a motherboard to remove a CPU I lost half a dozen unidentified components. Live and learn. That was about 20 years ago.
But creative use can also protect plastic components. I think there's a captan (?) tape or foil that is sold for the purpose as well.
These days I'm using an unbranded 853D from Ebay, which is identical to the Zeny unit we have at work. So far it's been great. I have the pencil set to 330 and the hot air set to 440. I don't usually put the hot air right up to the board, so by the time it blows through a couple inches of intervening air, it's probably considerably cooler.
We also have Weller, and the other big name that escapes me at the moment at work, but I found that more than half the time I couldn't get the soldering pencil to activate when I took it off the stand. I don't need that kind of frustration, so I got the cheap one that works.
Personally I normally have my iron set to 350°C but will go up to 400°C or even 450°C on occasion when more heat is required. 450°C will damage older boards really quickly in my experience so I wouldn't recommend going that hot when working on older stuff but I haven't had any issues using those temps on modern boards, the only "issue" I have found this causes it the flux in the solder evaporates really quickly so you will need to add extra
For hot air I used between 350°C and 450°C depending on the application. on modern boards I pretty much exclusivley use 450°C, for older boards I work at the cooler end of that range but haven't had any issues useing higher temps for normal work (I did delaminate a LC board using 450°C but I was stripping it for reverse engineering so had the hot air on the board for much longer than you would in normal soldering)
For hot air I used between 350°C and 450°C depending on the application. on modern boards I pretty much exclusivley use 450°C, for older boards I work at the cooler end of that range but haven't had any issues useing higher temps for normal work (I did delaminate a LC board using 450°C but I was stripping it for reverse engineering so had the hot air on the board for much longer than you would in normal soldering)
Fascinating... and thank you!
I am now envisioning a "Play-Doh & Hot Air" special on YouTube!
Should I ever do that video, you will of course receive the credit, @trag!
That's because it happens so quickly
*Sidenote* I did overdo it in the video on purpose, it should be noted this was not going to be a tutorial of any sort.
It looked rougher than it actually was. No pad was harmed in the process
Someone good at physics should some day calculate how much strain this really puts on the pads... I imagine that wiggling it back and forth is worse than just going one quick twist in one direction. Heat does weaken the (theoretically to some extent) heat resistant (30+ year old) epoxy that holds it all together too.