Simple Starter Solder Station Setup (& Arduino)

Projects
30

Late to the party, but…

Solder wick. It’s basically just flat braided copper wire. Search Amazon for “solder wick”. It comes in a huge array of sizes, brands, etc.

You use it to UN-solder things. Basically you lay it on top of the solder joint to be removed, put your hot soldering iron on top of that, then when the heat soaks through, the solder will liquify and be pulled into the wick. Remove wick while still liquid, let harden and then cut the end off (with the solder on it).

Think of it the way you’d think of an eraser for pencil marks.
Good for fixing mistakes, and for occasionally salvaging components from random electronics.

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31

100% love this stuff. When I was soldering/repairing PCBs in a factory full time management kept buying me those plastic solder plungers and I finally convinced them to get me some solder wick. Much preferred that!

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32

I fell like @Pilgrimsmaster should split this topic out on its own if he feels like it :stuck_out_tongue:

Not because it is off topic, even if it is. But because it is full off enough good content that it deserves its own spot that is easier to search for.

Just my image

33

And furthermore…

disposable ziploc containers. Pick a size / style / brand, and get a bunch of 'em. Electronics as a hobby means you’ll collect a bunch of random “stuff”. You can’t just put it all in a pile.

Label with a sharpie, stack neatly.

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34

Partly why I come back to this one to post. People can follow my journey. Ha.

Just kidding

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35

Felt like it and done did it :cowboy_hat_face:

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36

Ohh noes, I should have though to ask you first :open_mouth: before suggesting it. If it helps there is a link from that to this.

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Nah, it was a good idea…Deserves it’s own thread, although it is just a more specific to @Backpackingvet than the already established Kinda/ sorta / a little replicatey of @Devilclarke Tinker lab setup

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38

Words on a website man. Don’t care.

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39

Yeah that is a good function, it puts a link in automatically, I often delete them if they have gone waaaay off topic, but this one, I left it in there

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40

I though that but this is more of a “where do I start to dabble” and the existing wiki is more of “How best to cave to the tinkering addiction” / “How best to become small time mad scientist”

source (3)

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Haha, it will eventually cover where to begin I.e. the small toys etc but I haven’t had chance yet :confused:

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42

cool cool

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We also have the ability to edit stuff. It’s called delegation to @Pilgrimsmaster :stuck_out_tongue: much easier

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45

I guess as a regular I should know that.

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47

35 posts were split to a new topic: Solder: leaded or unleaded

82

Also on the topic of cheapish soldering stations, what are people’s thoughts on TS100s? I lost my good Weller station in my last move and have been debating going kind of cheap for a replacement since I really don’t use it enough to justify throwing down hundreds of bucks on a new one.

Also this thread taught me that leaded vs unleaded solder is the EE equivalent of tabs vs spaces XD

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83

I prefer the ts80 but that’s personal preference (size of kit bag at a premium) but at home I love my ts100 does everything most hobbiests want to do.

It won’t solder massive tabs to massive ground planes for example, I’ve made several antennas in the past using brass and copper sheet as well as flex rigid/ rg405 coax the ts100 will solder the core fine to a small element but trying to solder the sheath to a plane was way too much for it (I did not expect it to work but wanted to try)

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84

I have one and it’s great. I’d definitely reccomend finding a different power supply though. It’s a common issue for seller to package a cheap power supply that causes bootlooping. Given that there’s many different manufacturers, it’s kind of a gamble in that regard.

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