Question About ESD safe soldering Stations.

[scooterg2]

i have Weller wlc 100 a cheaper station. i like it, but, doesn't say ESD safe. I finished my first nano biscotte soldering job with no problems.
i wondering first how important is ESD safe in an station . should i re invest in a better one? i really don't need 2 stations. thanks for any advice

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

ESD safe stations are pretty much mandatory if you:

1. Plan on doing more than 1 or 2 builds -OR-

2. Do not like shorting out boards (or other electronics) you are working on.

[cvsickle]

You'll probably struggle to find a soldering iron that will have "ESD SAFE" stamped on it. Truth is, nothing will ever remove ALL possibility of ESD, but there are things you can do to minimize it.

When selecting a soldering iron, make sure you get one that has a ground pin on it's wall plug (3 pins rather than two). That will provide a path for the electricity to prevent static buildup. I've actually taken a soldering iron that only had two pins and wired the tip into the ground pin of a dummy plug that I ran into the wall before I could afford to buy a better iron.

The other things to be concerned about with regards to ESD are your work area and you. I have a static mat that I do all my soldering on and a bracelet that connects to it. This helps prevent static buildup between you and the work surface. I took an extra step and wired the bracelet/mat into the ground pin of a dummy plug which is plugged into the wall to connect it to the ground of my soldering iron. That just helps to prevent static buildup between the iron and me or my mat.

At the end of the day, ESD can happen if you're not careful, but taking steps to reduce it's chances go A LONG WAY.