Best Solder and soldering irons
What is the best type and gauge of solder to use for the wiring of a saber? My Home Depot did not offer the right type at all...plus I have tried to get away with using a 7 dollar soldering iron...but it performed like it was 7 dollars...I'm ready to upgrade...and suggestions on a decent one?
Quite a few people here seem to have good results with the Aoyue 469 soldering station, it's an adjustable temp unit for about $30 on amazon.
I just bought one recently to replace a radio shack iron that was too old for it's own good, haven't tried it out yet.
As for solder, rosin core is the way to go for electrical (maybe you already knew this). Plumbing work is the only time I know of
where using acid core solder is appropriate...
I generally like 60/40 (tin/lead) for it's somewhat lower melting point and 1mm diameter (or smaller) helps with not over-applying.
You don't want to end up with big globs of solder possibly bridging 2 (or more) pads on a circuit board.
Some people use 70/30, others 63/37... buy a few small inexpensive packages and experiment a bit, see what works for you.
Lastly: It's my understanding that lead-free solder is a pain to work with, so maybe you'll want to avoid it.
Edit to add link to soldering iron:
https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variabl...ords=Aoyue+469
Last edited by TwinMill; 11-13-2016 at 12:10 PM.
Do you hear that?
That is the sound of a thousand terrible things headed this way.
I personally use a Hakko FX888D soldering iron it's definitely not a cheap one at ~$100, but it makes soldering a breeze. Prior to this I had used irons in the $15-$20 range which worked alright for soldering wire or even to some switches, but I did not trust them on $70+ soundboards. They would not heat joints nearly as fast as the Hakko soldering iron.
I'm currently using .015" diameter 63/37 solder. I chose 63/37 solder because of its eutectic properties which means, if I remember correctly, that it has a defined liquid and solid state, but less of a "plastic" state in which cold solder joints can form. I've also used 60/40 which is pretty close, in either case just don't disturb the joint while it is cooling and you should be alright. After soldering, I highly recommend cleaning the joint with isopropyl alcohol (91% or 99% for electronics since it evaporates faster than say 70%) to remove the residual flux from soldering.
I can't say these are the best soldering iron and solder because of my limited experience with both, but these are what I currently use and recommend.
I'm a big fan of the Aoyue 469. For $30 it will do everything you need it to do. I just got home from Micro Center where they had it for the same price as Amazon.
I was in this same boat earlier this year. Did a search on here for the same topics and after reading the suggestions, I got the Aoyue 469. It didn't cost much, I don't use it much. It worked great. Have done about 3 sabers this year for friends and its really been nice for not having to spend much on it. Bought it on Amazon along with some extra tips.
I've also had good luck with the Aoyue 469. Works great. Good price.
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