Soldering Iron Recommendations?

[DarthRevanIsImmortal]

I've been reading into building a lightsaber, but I lack the soldering iron to put the electronics together. Any recommendations?

[Silver Serpent]

I'm partial to Weller, but you can get the job done with a 25w iron from Radio Shack. Get one with a fine tip on it (or replaceable tips if possible) and then get some 60/40 rosin core solder. I use 0.032 diameter myself, as I find the thinner gauge is easier to control than the thick stuff.

Some people will recommend lead-free solder, but I find it's harder to work with as a beginner. Just don't eat the scraps, keep your bench clean, and wash your hands before you eat. You'll be fine.

[IndustrialAction]

I have an FX-888 by Hakko which has been with me for every build I've done. It is a great product though there are lots of options out there. It is discontinued but the newer version looks very cool (FX-888D)

[cvsickle]

Just make sure you take precautions to prevent ESD. Even a tiny bit of static electricity can ruin a soundboard. I recently had a soundboard repaired for me that was damaged most likely because of ESD. Not too surprising, considering I only have an "economy" prices soldering iron. In order to prevent ESD in the future, I did grab some spare stuff lying around to through this together.
IMG_20141009_180935462_HDR_zpsf6sv3f9o.jpg

The cookie sheet, soldering iron tip, and the copper bracelet are all connected to the ground of the wall plug. This helps make sure everything is at the same potential so no voltage will be tempted to jump. I tested each piece of this for continuity with the ground plug. Just something to think about if you're on a budget

[DarthRevanIsImmortal]

I'm pretty sure ill have to worry about ESD, but I'm thinking this should work:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000AS...&pi=SY200_QL40