New to the forum but not a noob... Well maybe a little

[Anakin Solo]

Hi guys I've been reading the forums a while and have built two sink tube sabers so far. My brother has a Luke MHS saber and I just ordered parts for my first saber with sound. Will have to wait on the actual board because the nano biscotti is out of stock. Very excited to finally be a part of the forum.

[Silver Serpent]

Welcome to the forums!

[Anakin Solo]

Thanks! Hey i have a quick question for any soldering wizards out there. So i knew i needed an upgrade from my cheap harbour freight iron before i got to work wiring up my new saber when it comes in, so i got a Benzomatic Butane powered iron from the home improvement store. Just curious how yall feel about butane vs electric irons and if the butane one is safe to use on a nano biscotte.

[Silver Serpent]

I find the butane soldering irons a lot less suited for electrical work. It's rather difficult to control the temperature of the iron. They work pretty well for stained glass, but not delicate electronics.

[Zahc Zi Phan]

Yeah that makes me nervous too. I got a sweet ESD safe station from Amazon for like 70 bucks. It's a lot but it will serve you well if you continue to build over time. I love it.

[Anakin Solo]

Thanks for the advice I nwill return it tomorrow and get an esd safe electrical powered one. it will be nice to have a good one finally so i can finish adding hasbro sound to my little bros stunt saber.

[Grimlock84]

I purchased the Hakko fx-888d at Fry's electronics for $ 69 a few weeks ago. It is esd safe and has a digital temperature control. You can also find replacement parts for it easily.

[Anakin Solo]

cool! i was looking at a hakko at a electronics store in town.

[Grimlock84]

I really like mine!
I'm sure there are a few others on here who have more experience with the Hakko than I do. Perhaps they will chime in.

[Silver Serpent]

The Hakko soldering stations are a good investment. They make a quality product at a good price.

I personally use a Weller soldering station, and it's a little more expensive than the Hakko. But I've rarely heard anyone complain about either brand.