[Elecraft] Soldering temperature

[Don Wilhelm]

  Good points Greg.
While you are quite correct, changing tips often is a pain, so I usually 
settle on a 3/32 inch screwdriver (chisel) tip.  It has enough heat mass 
for most jobs, and the side of the screwdriver tip can be used in 
situations where a conical tip would actually be better.  If I need a 
wide tip, I have a 700 deg F temperature controlled Weller soldering gun 
(not the old uncontrolled Wellers) with a 1/4 inch wide tip that I use 
to heat up large objects like the shell of the K2 microphone jack (for 
grounding it), or the BNC jack on the KX1 transceiver.

It takes both time and heat to damage a board or a component.  If you 
use the 2 to 3 second "rule of thumb", you will not damage either the 
board nor the component.  Both can be damaged by "heat soaking" with a 
too small or too cold soldering iron because it takes more time for the 
pad and component to come up to the point where solder will flow.  If 
your soldering takes more than 7 or 8 seconds, you are certain to cause 
some damage somewhere.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/29/2010 7:10 PM, G. Beat wrote:
>
> David -
>
>
>
> An additional point to Don's answer,
>
>
>
> You should ALWAYS match the MASS (1/32" - 1/4" typical in increments of 1/64") and
>
> PROFILE (screwdriver, single flat, conical, flat conical, etc.) of the Soldering Handpiece Tip to the work being performed.
>
> This is true for irons, desoldering/suction handpieces, as well as tweezers.
>
>
>
> TEMPERATURE is the third variable in the Soldering Triad.
>
>
>
> The most common mistake I have seen, is that novice and beginners will "turn up the heat"
>
> on the adjustable temperature soldering stations.   That is often the worst step they could take -- damaging the underlying board.
>
> and component.   
>
>
>
> Greg
>
> w9gb
>
>
>
> ===
>> David,
>>
>> Assuming a 2 lead component --
>> I would use 750 to 800 deg F to remove the component - heat each end
>> alternately until it moves and then "flick" it away from its solder pads.
>>
>> When installing the new component, 650 to 700 deg F should be adequate,
>> but that depends on the solder - if you are using lead-free solder, you
>> will have to increase those temperatures.  The soldering of any one
>> connection should be complete in 2 to 3 seconds, if it takes longer than
>> that, the soldering temperature is too low, but if it takes less than 2
>> seconds for the solder to flow, the iron is too hot.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>>> On 12/28/2010 9:13 PM, David Christ wrote:
>>> I have to replace a surface mount RFC on my K3.  Any suggestions on
>>> what tip temperature to use?  The same for removal and replacement?
>>>
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