[sdiy] what temp do you solder at?

[Benjamin Riggs]

i solder at 350 degC, seems a good trade off between transfering heat too
slow that everything gets too hot before the solder melts and too fast that
you can't pull the soldering iron away before anything gets too hot. was a
bit of play and get feel before i settled on that. hotter temps destroy tips
quicker too.
 
<gripe mode>
funny though, being an electronics tech in two part time jobs (mondays,
tuesdays and every second wednesday one, every first wednesday, thursday and
friday the other), today i sat at my workbench at work to repair some of the
lab equipment that students love to blow up. pulled out a new roll of solder
and did a few solder joins, heaps of smoke, so cranked the extraction fan up
thinking it was the new solder, did a few more. then realised someone had
cranked my (work) iron up full to 450 degC. not the first time, i never know
who touches my workbench when i'm not around. i have marked in permanent
marker the temperature setting to use, do not remove the iron from the
bench, and USE ONLY AT 350degC in permanant marker all over it. i hate
coming in mondays someone decided to use my nice new side cutters to cut a
nail (or screw whatever it was), took my pack of precicion screwdrivers and
left one in each room in the building, or used my soldering iron at full
power to solder two pieces of 2mm thick steel plate together (this was my
morning). the worst bit is it's the other technical staff and academics that
do this, not the students.
 
ok, deep breathe... in, out...
</gripe mode>
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Brett Maddaford
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 1:59 PM
To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: [sdiy] what temp do you solder at?



Hi all sorry i have checked the archives but couldnt find much there and
everything i do read seems to be different.
 
I was just wondering what temp people recommend soldering standard kinda
parts at....1\4 resistors, electro caps and trannies etc on standard printed
pcbs like the oakley and cgs type. 
 
I am obviuosly getting better as time goes on with so i am pushing the iron
a bit higher in temp so that i can get each joint done fatser and move onto
the next...from what i read a higher temp for a shorter period can be better
than a slighty lower temp but for a longer time on certain components, is
that true?
 
Most of what iread suggest start at 260c and go from there, depending on the
part im working with im usually at around 305-320c is that about right? 
 
Ive never had a project or part die on me so i assume im doing right but its
been buggin me to get the right answer on this and obviously id rather find
out now if im doing something wrong rather than yeasr later when joins etc
go wrong on me etc
 
thanks
Brett
 
Brett Maddaford

IPFX - Previously known as Performance Solutions

Tel: 1300 737 367 (Aus Only)

Support: 1300 737 367 (Aus Only)

web:  <http://www.ipfx.com/> www.ipfx.com

 

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