Soldering Equipment
by Mickey Bates
There are many different tools to choose if you want to solder your photo etch or scratch building. Each type has different features that will need to be considered before using. The most common soldering irons are powered by electricity, and are rated in watts. Tip temperatures are not standard, but in general 15w irons heat to around 650 , and 30w irons around 700 -750 . It's important to use enough heat, but too much may cause problems. Try a 25w for all-around use. Some have adjustable temperature ranges.
Another heat source is butane. It's the same liquid fuel that cigarette lighters use. The advantage to these irons is their lack of cord or need for an electrical outlet. They also come in varying sizes and some are self-igniting, others not.
Battery-powered irons are are also cord-free, but lose juice fairly quickly, and don't typically come to a very high temperature.
A new player in the market is the “cold heat” types that rapidly come to temperature and then cool down in 1-3 seconds when removed from the surface. This technology is different than traditional irons in that it uses resistance across two points to conduct a high amount of current only when the circuit is made.
Keeping the tips clean is crucial to use an iron effectively. “Tip Tinner & Cleaner” is sold by Radio Shack for this purpose. Metal oxidizes over time and will prevent the liquid solder from flowing. A good flux is used to clean and prepare the surfaces to be soldered. It comes in pastes and liquids. The liquids are extremely useful for clean bonds.
Solder is a metal formed from many formulas, depending on the use. Our modeling needs usually require something with 60%-tin/40%-lead composition. Finally, if (or is that when) things go bad and a joint has to be deconstructed, use a desoldering braid to wick away the hot, liquid solder. Alternatively, use a “solder sucker”, which is just spring-loaded plunger.