Soldering iron help

clansley · Dec 16, 2014

I'm completely new to soldering so I need some help to workout if it's DOA or user error.

I've just got this 60W soldering iron: 60W Professional LCD Solder Station with ESD Protection | Maplin

But even when I put it on 350C I am able to rest solder on the tip without it melting - if I apply light pressure then it melts. Is this normal? Or is this busted?

Pi R Squared · Dec 16, 2014

I doubt if it is busted but it could be, be sure to give it time to heat up, also the size of the tip makes a difference.

Alan

starlight · Dec 16, 2014

My iron takes a couple minutes before it's hot enough.

clansley · Dec 16, 2014

Yeah I think it was user error. It seems there's a lot more to soldering than I thought!

Eudaimonium · Dec 16, 2014

clansley said:
Yeah I think it was user error. It seems there's a lot more to soldering than I thought!

Indeed, it takes a few minutes for it to heat up and act normally, but at 60W you'd think it'd heat up a lot faster than my unit at 35.

Also, you wouldn't happen to be using that "lead-free" crap, would you?

It absolutely sucks for manual soldering. Get your standard 60/40 with flux core, and you're good to go.

clansley · Dec 16, 2014

Eudaimonium said:
Indeed, it takes a few minutes for it to heat up and act normally, but at 60W you'd think it'd heat up a lot faster than my unit at 35.

Also, you wouldn't happen to be using that "lead-free" crap, would you?

It absolutely sucks for manual soldering. Get your standard 60/40 with flux core, and you're good to go.

It behaved more the way I was expecting (as a layman) after I put a bigger bit on.

The store I went to only had lead-free crap :-( I ended up with 4% silver, 95.5% tin and 0.5% copper. I will have to look online for something better.

Eudaimonium · Dec 16, 2014

clansley said:
It behaved more the way I was expecting (as a layman) after I put a bigger bit on.

The store I went to only had lead-free crap :-( I ended up with 4% silver, 95.5% tin and 0.5% copper. I will have to look online for something better.

Yeah, that's your problem.

Just search for some 60/40 or 63/37 flux core (or resin core) stuff on eBay, I picked up a few meters of it a while back, still have it.

This is one of the rare cases where you actually want to stay away from the cheapest stuff, there are quality differences.

You can tell cheap no-good solder by a few tell tales,
When you start soldering, it does not flow nicely across the surface but instead it appears as it was already "used".
It never retains shininess, no matter how quick or skillfully you make your solder joint.

Find a brand that works nicely, and stick with it.

EDIT:

I can't seem to find the seller or the solder wire I picked up a while back, but it was the best deal ever, it was only the wire in plastic bags, no plastic reel - saves on shipping, and it was a 2+1 action so why not.

Alternatively, DX. I seem to recall this being pretty damn good before I ran out:
http://www.dx.com/p/0-6mm-solder-wire-200g-4643#.VJCz7snvpdg

It's only 0.6mm so for 200g, makes for a LOT of length on it, and good for tiny finicky laser-y stuff

USAbro · Dec 16, 2014

Mine takes about 4 or 5 minutes to reach 500 F.

ARG · Dec 16, 2014

clansley said:
The store I went to only had lead-free crap :-( I ended up with 4% silver, 95.5% tin and 0.5% copper. I will have to look online for something better.

You poor soul. Leaded and non-leaded is a night and day difference. You'll probably have to order it online, leaded solder may be restricted where you are.

USAbro · Dec 16, 2014

Lead solder is better right? I use 40% lead solder with the flux already in it (not sure what that's called).

Bionic-Badger · Dec 17, 2014

Eudaimonium said:
You can tell cheap no-good solder by a few tell tales,
When you start soldering, it does not flow nicely across the surface but instead it appears as it was already "used".
It never retains shininess, no matter how quick or skillfully you make your solder joint.

For leaded solder having a shiny finish means you've properly soldered the joint. Lead-free solder doesn't necessarily have a shiny surface -- but that doesn't mean it's cheap or no-good solder (besides being lead-free). It's just how it works.

Still, I definitely prefer leaded solder. And yep, you guys in the EU will have to get it from China.

USAbro said:
Lead solder is better right? I use 40% lead solder with the flux already in it (not sure what that's called).

Though having any leaded solder is going to be better than lead-free, get 63/37 (eutectic) solder not that 60-40 stuff.

USAbro · Dec 17, 2014

Is breathing in the flux vapor smoke harmful?

3Pig · Dec 17, 2014

I'm fairly sure rosin flux is carcinogenic so I wouldn't recommend breathing in the smoke, a little shouldn't be that bad, just make sure you have some good ventilation.

USAbro · Dec 17, 2014

What about breathing in the lead? Are there lead fumes?

Pi R Squared · Dec 17, 2014

Yes of course the smoke and fumes aren't good for you, but we used to have lead pipes and they used to seal our canned food with lead solder and many other uses. Lead is toxic but not that dangerous, some people and governments are too green or too paranoid. Just use some common sense if you are one of the few people still fortunate enough to have any. They put restrictions on stuff like lead and yet poison us with Aspertame/Flouride/Mercury/MSG etc. Its crazy.

Alan

Eudaimonium · Dec 17, 2014

USAbro said:
What about breathing in the lead? Are there lead fumes?

No, the fumes you see from soldering is only from the flux core melting, and as far as I know that's not dangerous, only maybe a bit distracting.

Lead is dangerous in small airborne particles, caused by mechanical processes, not thermal.

If it were that dangerous, nobody would solder anything

Soldering iron help

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