Recommendations, Anyone?

[MoonDragn]

I use a cheap $10 radio shack soldering iron. It works. Thats all you need it for.

I rather spend my money on saber parts.

[Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie]

I'd hate to bork a $185 CF by using a cheap iron, but that's just me...

[Novastar]

I'd hate to bork a $185 CF by using a cheap iron, but that's just me...

I use a Weller iron myself, and I'm going to trust X-Wing that it's a good one, since he's soldered quite a bit more than myself. J-Lo's probably done more soldering than most all of TCSS members put together... twice. Apparently, she can spell a lot better as well.

But that's neither here nor there... (heheh)

My point is... uh... well, *MY* Weller has a tip that is the size of a Burnt Sienna Crayola Crayon, and anyone who says differently can watch poor Gundamaniac solder with it in the CF Wiring Guide vids. It looks like he's holding a bloody crescent wrench when I zoom in.

Granted, he does just fine, but that doesn't distill the pure torture I put him through which equates to doing fine needlepoint work with a friggin' Halberd from "300".

Still. So, fine. I've also wired up CF with what I consider to be a set of "Og's Tools"... so... if I can do it, so can other cro-magnon-saber-sapiens.

[MoonDragn]

I'll have you know I worked on $400+ camcorders at sears with said cheap soldering iron.

All a soldering iron has to do is work. If you tin it properly and it heats up consistantly then its useful. Doesn't matter how expensive the iron is if it can't do that.

So $10 iron really is no different from a $100 iron in that respect.

Novastar, I have one of those old Wellers with the big tip. It has been sitting in a box for the last 20 years unused, because it is clunky, you have to hold down the trigger for it to heat up, and it gets too hot for modern electronics. It works great on Vacuum tube circuits though...

I bet I've done more soldering than J-Lo Novastar. Electronics has been my hobby since I was 13. I worked for Sears for 3 years while going to college and did ALOT of vcr, camcorder, stereo and TV repairs. I think I've sniffed so much of that lead solder that I'm permanantly brain damaged, but thats a different story

I actually own about 10 different soldering irons, from the cold heat to wood burners to the Wellers. I've never really seen much difference between the standard plug in ones. The cold heat one is annoying, takes too long to heat up and doesn't solder well. Thats the only one I wouldn't recomend.

[samurai_rob]

Thanks again for all the info, guys! I'm gonna order one next week after I get paid and every little bit helps! Did you guys check the link to the one I was considering? I've got one recommendation for it so far, but would like to know what you guys think, too. I live in a rural area and have to drive 45min to 2hrs to get to any REAL stores so I'm kinda stuck ordering most of my stuff online. We have a local radio shack, but it's a TOTAL joke! The guy who runs it is a total @$$ and doesn't hardly stock anything worth buying. I don't know how he stays in business. Is there any place you guys would recommend for ordering tools or electronics components from other than TCSS? Tim's store is always gonna be my first stop, but I would like a few backup options for when he's out of stock or for items he doesn't carry.

[xwingband]

I bet I've done more soldering than J-Lo Novastar.

Actually... JLo is a professional at soldering. Like whip out the microscope and wear the white clothes to keep hair out soldering in a clean room. I want to say she used to do it for Motorola or something, but I may be imagining that.

You are right that cleaning and proper care of any iron goes a long way but having to solder 1mm wide legs with a radioshack iron would make your life way harder than you need to. I used to use a Radioshack iron before and I kept my tips clean, but eventually they would be eaten away and start pitting.

If you're just doing wires and resistor and only a few sabers then certainly, get a Radioshack iron. It's not really worth it, BUT if you're soldering any of the lightsaber boards we have in the hobby the $40 or so is WORTH it many times over.

Also unrelated, CFs are $143 and change. USD is better now!

[MoonDragn]

Well of course you get the needle tip if you are gonna solder 1mm leads. But you can just use a hot air iron and solder paste to do that.

Yes those are expensive. But look around for a DIY hot air iron mod that is under $20.

Also unrelated, CFs are $143 and change. USD is better now!

Cool if we could jump on it before they are all sold out when he finally puts out some more.

[virus692]

here is a thread on mine...
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...ead.php?t=4208
I have had it for a while now and it is great and was under $20 USD

you can find it in X's links I love it.

[Kant Lavar]

I picked this 61-piece kit up for my first set - and being that it's the start of my tool collection (unless you count the Gerbers I've collected over the years) I think I got my money's worth. When I get to a location where space isn't as much of an issue (I'm living out of a foot locker and wall locker in Kuwait at the moment), I plan on picking up an actual Weller station and a few extra tips, but for a starter kit - or a travel repair kit, perhaps? - it's pretty good. (The solder that comes with it is crap, though, but that's a minor thing.)

[MoonDragn]

When I first took electric shop in Highschool back in the 80s. We had these big clunky soldering irons similar to this one:



They were fine for vacuum tube projects, but those circuits were no challenge for me so the teacher let me work on a solid state circuit project with some integrated circuits.

Try soldering ICs with an iron that had an almost 1/2" diameter tip.