[Elecraft] re: soldering suggestions?

[Mike Scott]

"I'm using a hakko 936 and I have a .05" chisel tip. The solder that I'm
using is kester SN60PB40 #66/44 .025. (It is my intention to use this solder
and the .05" tip when working on the K1.)"
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Robert,

I thought of two items when I read your post. The first one is the tip the
second you have already picked up on from other posts about touching the
solder to the tip to get the solder to flow quicker if needed.

I haven't timed my solder joint contact time but I would guess it to be 2-3
seconds plus or minus.

I don't know what a Hakko.05" tip is. When I look at all the Hakko tips, all
measurements are in millimeters and .05 inches (1.27mm) doesn't cross to any
of them. Are you using the small handpiece, medium or large? Medium would be
common. It does not have a spring for cord strain relief and no holes for
heat dissipation in the element cover and the tip base outside dimensions
are 6.5 mm (0.256")

There are many tip options in the Hakko line. Getting some mass behind the
tip means to me to using the tip whose conical shape is shorter, not the 25
mm cone but 17 mm. There are tips where the tip quickly reduces to a narrow
1.5 mm cylinder then 15 mm later forms a chisel tip. If you are using one of
these you are not transferring much heat. You should have a continuous
conical shape all the way from the cylindrical tip base to the tip and the
cone is 17 mm (.669") long.

I measured the tip that I use for Elecraft kit building. It is identical to
your station I believe (Hakko 936) with medium handpiece. I use the 1.6 mm
tip (.063") with 17 mm continuous cone. I am not exactly sure as I have been
using mine for years and the tip has some solder on it so my measurement may
be off. I actually measured something closer to 2 mm and eyeballed what some
cold solder on the tip was doing to my measurement.


Mike Scott - AE6WA
Tarzana, CA (DM04 / near LA)
QRP-ARCI #12326/ KX1  #1311/ Swan 350C
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