Will a cheap soldering iron suffice ?

TECHNOKID

Interesting artical I found while searching for the brand we use at work; http://www.technick.net/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=how_to_solder

Toolfan66

I thought Farm Boys just used bailing wire to fix things??

TECHNOKID

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

I thought Farm Boys just used bailing wire to fix things??

Soldering iron no good for that, you need to use arc welding, fixes the drivers once for all! You are giving him ideas to make sure H9's post is truth, right?

TECHNOKID

The above is what I bought for our office few years back. I was a little sceptical since it was not weller quality but we have been using it for maybe 5 years now without any issues. It is not used extensively but on the other our shop people don't know what they are doing when it comes to soldering and are quite abusive of tools still no issues.

For someone that doesn"t want to pay too much but wouldn't be satisfied using a "hot pen" for soldering and still want a decent soldering station a decent pricing, this is definitely it. I am personally picky and usually want the best tool for such job as soldering but I have to admit this station does the job very nicely at friendly pricing! :cool:

http://www.edsyn.com/index.php?Mode=piw&pn=951SX

kolbywhite28

if it's for one time usage only it might be ok but remember that quality always comes at a price..

stuwee

I guess I've missed some of PFB's threads, sir why are you having to solder the wires on the Logan's? You are starting to make me a little upset, you need to take a break from having them, you're going to ruin them, may I ask what you hope to accomplish?

You don't know the first thing about taking care of a fine set of speakers like those, let someone who does please!!!

TECHNOKID

stuwee wrote: »

I guess I've missed some of PFB's threads, sir why are you having to solder the wires on the Logan's? You are starting to make me a little upset, you need to take a break from having them, you're going to ruin them, may I ask what you hope to accomplish?

You don't know the first thing about taking care of a fine set of speakers like those, let someone who does please!!!

IN PLEASE (I'm NOT mad, I'm shooting out of JOY!)! :cool: No worry, I'll take the time to fix them PFB!

cristo

I was half expecting discussions on which power cord should replace the iron's original one and which power conditioners are best to plug the iron into.

P00r

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I have just received a bunch of parts to fix up a center channel bought from ebay and all that is left to do is solder a little wire onto the electrostat panel . My question to the DIY dudes is ...Can a cheap soldering iron such as this get the job done http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WPS18MP-Performance-60-Watt-Soldering/dp/B0013U9R1E

Its only $24 and I dont want to spend a bunch of cash on it because it is only going to be used for this task . Is there special material thats used in soldering audio conections ? I was thinking I could just maybe grab on of the wifes silver earing's and melt it down as she would just think she lost it

This seem to be a correct unit, it probably use the same tip than battery operated one based on the heating speed, if it is 60w then I would be more concerned by the fact that you do not seem to know how to solder than by the actual tool.. (just practice with a few wire this is easy to get)

just remember that the solder need to melt on the heated part not the inverse and you can put a bit of solder on the tip to 'wet' the part and bring it faster to the melting temp of the solder...

Also make sure you use 60/40 solder with rosing flux or no clean solder also lead less could work but some type may not be compatible with other already on the board you are soldering to...

good luck!

chadam44

Spend a little more and get somehting nice. Cheapo irons take a long time and usually give up the ghost if you use them frequently.

pitdogg2

TNRabbit wrote: »

This an EXCELLENT temp-adjustable soldering station for only $30:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/soldering-station.html

Tip cleanliness/tinning absolutely makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE when you solder.

I have purchase several items from Circuit Specialists & highly recommend. Excellent customer service.

I have no other affiliation with this company. For anyone wanting to report me for the link/recommendation/SPAM, eff off.

just bought one of these and i must say it was MUCH better quaility than i expexted for a 30.00 station. Holds temp and stays at temp very very well not to mention that when you set the dial for 400 it is 400 not 396 or 405 it's 400... may just Karma off my 12.00 station from Parts Express.....

polkfarmboy

I did get round to fixing that speaker and used a gas powered snapon brand soldering iron. The speaker works perfect and sounds awesome but I did however.....(wait for it).......... burn and smelt the cabinet of the speaker leaving big horrible bubbles of a thumb size print. I think I really devalued the resale price of this speaker. I was not going to post this but since the thread was resurrected I just thought I would share. I should never have solderd at an angle and should have went straight down ontop with the iron. I can post a pic but would rather keep these blunders a secret from now on :eek:

audiocr381ve

pitdogg2 wrote: »

heres one Ben turned me on to.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=374-100

I was a little leary because it was so cheap, but it has done many many soldering duties over it's two years I have had it. I do know Ben swore it was the best for the money I will not go that far(the best) But i will say it has not let me down yet.

I bought this one too but I just can't get it working right. What are you setting the temp to for say, working on PCB? Seems the only way I can get it to work is to crank it full blast but then the tip oxidizes to fast, obviously. Maybe my tip tinning technique needs help?

pitdogg2

audiocr381ve wrote: »

I bought this one too but I just can't get it working right. What are you setting the temp to for say, working on PCB? Seems the only way I can get it to work is to crank it full blast but then the tip oxidizes to fast, obviously. Maybe my tip tinning technique needs help?

I've never had mine up more than 3/4 of the way. Since it is color coded i can not speculate on the temperature. I can say you should of called parts express to explain your situation it may be faulty. Have you tried tinning with the stuff from Radio Shack? I never did before but when i seen the post earlier in this thread i picked some up when i bought some desoldering braid it works well smells but works well.

pitdogg2

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I can post a pic but would rather keep these blunders a secret from now on :eek:

Oh come on it can't be as bad as the binding post.....post the picture

SDA1C

Get yourself a small dish of flux. When the oxidation gets bad rub the tip vigerously on the wet sponge then dip it a bunch of times in the flux dish;

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=soldering+flux&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13899082265562658609&sa=X&ei=Di7hTs05ouDRAaj3_M8H&ved=0CIEBEPMCMAQ

Don't solder with it and be sure it burns off completely before going to a circuit board and don't burn a hole in the bottom hehe big mess! That should bring the tinned tip back to life. Worst case scenario...when its cool, sand the tip clean and retinn.

pitdogg2

SDA1C wrote: »

Get yourself a small dish of flux. When the oxidation gets bad rub the tip vigorously on the wet sponge then dip it a bunch of times in the flux dish;

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=soldering+flux&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13899082265562658609&sa=X&ei=Di7hTs05ouDRAaj3_M8H&ved=0CIEBEPMCMAQ

Don't solder with it and be sure it burns off completely before going to a circuit board and don't burn a hole in the bottom he he big mess! That should bring the tinned tip back to life. Worst case scenario...when its cool, sand the tip clean and re-tin.

Have you used that? The description says for non electrical I have used that for my plumbing jobs but i personally wouldn't use it on my electrical solder station. There is other flux for electrical stuff.
my .02

mrbigbluelight

CSI has a soldering station one step up from the one that TNRabbit had success with;

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/soldering-station-60-watt-3dlf.html

Haven't had personal experience with either one, but it has some additional features that I'd go with if getting a cheaper station.

Like the digital readout: a straight dial gives you a "hoped for" temp, IMO. A digital readout gives you more a feeling of confidence of actual temp.

Has a little higher voltage to the iron: 28v versus 24v. Along with the PID control circuit, it would seemingly give a faster heatup and/or recovery time. The station Technokid mentioned operates with a higher iron voltage and wattage and, I imagine, can solder all day long without the "got to let the tip heat back up" problem.

No biggee, but the $49 CSI station also has a "non-spring" iron holder. If you're soldering (which I haven't for a long while) and frequently putting the iron back in the holder, with a "spring" holder be prepared to play the "Spring's-now-sitting-on-the-iron" game. :rolleyes: The $49 dollar station holder ain't coming out.

A question for you all who do solder frequently: do you prefer a "Set the iron to the proper temp, and sneak up on the solder" or do you prefer a "Set the iron to a too hot temp and get on, get off" ?

Reason I ask is I'm comparing electronic soldering (which I haven't done for a while) with plumbing silver-soldering.
With plumbing, you can slooow solder, in which case you get a boatload of surrounding piping hot or you can fast solder with a torch that's just short of being a cutting torch. With the latter method, get on, get off before you heat the whole building up. :redface:
Just curious.

inspiredsports

JimAckley wrote: »

Maybe I'm in the rare group who does fine with a cheap iron?

I use this iron from RadioShack without any problems. I've been using it for at least a year and a half, relatively frequently, without any problems. I keep the tip pretty clean... i guess that's what makes the difference.

If you are going cheap, use a $25 25W/40W Radio Shack unit http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750

I've used one on many small projects over the past 3 years and it has performed well as long as you patiently allow it to warm up and have a new (or clean) tip installed.

The best bet was that $100 deal from MArk, but the RS unit will work if you want to conserve cash.

Esreuter

I love Polkfarmboy.
I am not some genius either but I love his posts.
He is the true incarnation of Plato and dialectics.
Thesis and antithesis, and I suppose he has synthis.
Thesis, cheap solder iron to fix.
Anti, expensive and broke.
Synth, expensive iron and a mishap resulting in a functional yet improper fix.

Now, wether you borrowed the iron is not known, but I found it funny you would get a snap on tool of $179, when you stated cheap iron will do.
You are pure funny. Keep em commin.
Esr

dudeinaroom

I've got a 23 watt weller I bought over 15 years ago and have never had a problem. Think I paid like 9 bucks for it. But I also already knew how to solder(thank you Bay-Arenac skill center). It has seen a lot of use over the years. I really do need to get a new tip for it though. Like every one else said practice practice practice. The guide liked above is a really good thing for you to read first, don't think about it, read it! There are some good point and advise for how to solder about half way through. Don't just rush through your project take time and practice first. You could also see if a local repair shop would let you watch someone solder just so you can get an idea of how it's done, crap you might even be able to find a you tube video. Just make sure the video is in a shop, or by someone who knows what they are doing and not some flake the heats some thing up for 5 minutes and uses half a roll of solder just for a single small joint. Good luck, make sure you ask questions if you need more help or advise.

pitdogg2

Mr blue did you read my post the dial is VERY accurate. It also has a calibration port for your multi meter to check the temp if need be, but mine was spot on at all parts of the dial.

mrbigbluelight

pitdogg2 wrote:

Mr blue did you read my post the dial is VERY accurate.

Well .... I kinda read it and got side-tracked looking at links :redface:

Having FULLY read it, .... :redface: