Any other electronics geeks

[ironsniper1]

since radio shack does not carry electronic repair stuff any more anyone know of a place in nashville that sells stuff like solder, resistors, transistors, capcictors etc?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Hmmm, I don't go to RatShack much any more, but not more than a month ago my local RS had soldering stations and a fair assortment of parts. Maybe it varies by location. My store seemed to carry lots of hobbyist tiny computer boards, stepper motors, sensors, etc.

 

Dunno if you can find eutetic solder at RatShack, but IMO it is less frustrating to work with. Note that I'm such an out-of-date fogey, anything I say is likely wrong.

 

The 63 tin, 37 lead solder melts quicker and sets quicker, tins the iron better, just generally is more pleasant to deal with than the more usual 60/40 electronic solder. Or at least back in the stone age 60/40 was more common and you had to go looking for 63/37. Buy a big roll, will cost more than you want to pay but will be a long time before you need buy more. Beats heck out of running out of solder at 3am just when you get going good.

 

Back when I was fooling with it, they hadn't worked the bugs out of water soluble flux electronic solder, and rosin core solder was easier to work with. The disadvantage to rosin core-- It is harder to clean off circuit boards, needs alcohol or better yet acetone. But with water soluble solder just run the circuit board under a garden hose and scrub it a little with a toothbrush. (then make sure to dry it off real good). So you might want to find out if rosin core is still easier to work even today. If water-soluble is improved nowadays, get the water-soluble flux electronic solder, but both will do just fine.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

 

Unless you are soldering giant connections, it is much more pleasant and controllable to use small-diameter solder, rather than big-diameter solder wire. The big solder will take longer to melt when you put it to the hot joint, and then it is too easy to leave too much solder on a joint before you can stop the process. With tiny small-diameter solder, maybe on a bigger connection you might have to feed a lot in, but for the typical tiny joints, the solder melts near instantly and you don't risk leaving big blobs of solder on tiny joints, messy looking and inviting shorts on circuit boards, where the "too much" solder spreads out and bridges adjacent circuit board traces or adjacent IC pads.

 

You need a solder sucker, and solder wick braid to clean up messes and ease removal of components. And various little scraper probes and such. Same kind of "cheap dentist tools" they sell at gun shows for gun work.

 

Those illuminated magnifiers with a circle flourescent light surrounding the magnifier lens-- If you don't get one purt soon, much later on when you get one you will kick yerself for not getting one sooner.

 

There are various different models of panavise. Same deal as a magnifier light-- The sooner you get a panavise to hold the circuit board you are working on, the more you will thank yourself. Even for simple tasks. If you ever tried to solder up a standard XLR mic connector and the little sucker kept rolling around on you, then when it tries to get away from you and you grab it and it burns the carp out of yer fingers-- Just remember-- Panavise!

 

If there is much chance you will spend much time soldering over the years, $100 to $200 or more for a temp-controlled soldering station, with an assortment of tips for various tasks, IS WORTH EVERY PENNY compared to a cheap iron.

 

Digikey has about any part you ever wanted--

 

http://www.digikey.com

 

There are a couple of other big mail order places as good or better, but I'm pulling a blank at the moment.

 

One thing I've wondered about-- Back in the day, and even today, you can pay a couple of bucks and buy electronic pliers that won't hold a wire, and electronic cutters that won't even cut a dang wire, and strippers that can't even strip. There was one brand that lasted forever, and the pliers actually work, and the cutters actually cut-- XCELITE. They were expensive but about the only brand you could count on as being fit for purpose, unless you LIKE gnawing thru a stupid 22 gauge wire rather than simply snipping it as God intended. Now I don't know if there are additional brands of reliable electronic hand tools nowadays, and I don't know if the modern XCELITE tools are as good as they used to be. Just sayin...

 

 

[ironsniper1]

Hmmm, I don't go to RatShack much any more, but not more than a month ago my local RS had soldering stations and a fair assortment of parts. Maybe it varies by location. My store seemed to carry lots of hobbyist tiny computer boards, stepper motors, sensors, etc.

 

Dunno if you can find eutetic solder at RatShack, but IMO it is less frustrating to work with. Note that I'm such an out-of-date fogey, anything I say is likely wrong.

 

The 63 tin, 37 lead solder melts quicker and sets quicker, tins the iron better, just generally is more pleasant to deal with than the more usual 60/40 electronic solder. Or at least back in the stone age 60/40 was more common and you had to go looking for 63/37. Buy a big roll, will cost more than you want to pay but will be a long time before you need buy more. Beats heck out of running out of solder at 3am just when you get going good.

 

Back when I was fooling with it, they hadn't worked the bugs out of water soluble flux electronic solder, and rosin core solder was easier to work with. The disadvantage to rosin core-- It is harder to clean off circuit boards, needs alcohol or better yet acetone. But with water soluble solder just run the circuit board under a garden hose and scrub it a little with a toothbrush. (then make sure to dry it off real good). So you might want to find out if rosin core is still easier to work even today. If water-soluble is improved nowadays, get the water-soluble flux electronic solder, but both will do just fine.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

 

Unless you are soldering giant connections, it is much more pleasant and controllable to use small-diameter solder, rather than big-diameter solder wire. The big solder will take longer to melt when you put it to the hot joint, and then it is too easy to leave too much solder on a joint before you can stop the process. With tiny small-diameter solder, maybe on a bigger connection you might have to feed a lot in, but for the typical tiny joints, the solder melts near instantly and you don't risk leaving big blobs of solder on tiny joints, messy looking and inviting shorts on circuit boards, where the "too much" solder spreads out and bridges adjacent circuit board traces or adjacent IC pads.

 

You need a solder sucker, and solder wick braid to clean up messes and ease removal of components. And various little scraper probes and such. Same kind of "cheap dentist tools" they sell at gun shows for gun work.

 

Those illuminated magnifiers with a circle flourescent light surrounding the magnifier lens-- If you don't get one purt soon, much later on when you get one you will kick yerself for not getting one sooner.

 

There are various different models of panavise. Same deal as a magnifier light-- The sooner you get a panavise to hold the circuit board you are working on, the more you will thank yourself. Even for simple tasks. If you ever tried to solder up a standard XLR mic connector and the little sucker kept rolling around on you, then when it tries to get away from you and you grab it and it burns the carp out of yer fingers-- Just remember-- Panavise!

 

If there is much chance you will spend much time soldering over the years, $100 to $200 or more for a temp-controlled soldering station, with an assortment of tips for various tasks, IS WORTH EVERY PENNY compared to a cheap iron.

 

Digikey has about any part you ever wanted--

 

http://www.digikey.com

 

There are a couple of other big mail order places as good or better, but I'm pulling a blank at the moment.

 

One thing I've wondered about-- Back in the day, and even today, you can pay a couple of bucks and buy electronic pliers that won't hold a wire, and electronic cutters that won't even cut a dang wire, and strippers that can't even strip. There was one brand that lasted forever, and the pliers actually work, and the cutters actually cut-- XCELITE. They were expensive but about the only brand you could count on as being fit for purpose, unless you LIKE gnawing thru a stupid 22 gauge wire rather than simply snipping it as God intended. Now I don't know if there are additional brands of reliable electronic hand tools nowadays, and I don't know if the modern XCELITE tools are as good as they used to be. Just sayin...

i dont do a whole lot of soldering but when i do i use my cheapy ratshack soldering iron and desoldering iron though i plan to invest in something MUCH better in the future, i know about digikey, im getting ready to order a mosfet from there for the tv im fixing,

 

i am also order 0.5mm 60/40 rosin core solder, i have the thick stuff and after using it a couple of times and watching some youtube videos on soldering i have learned i was doing it wrong the whole time and it makes me feel bad, im hoping i might be able to fix a laptop motherboard i tried to repair a while back with this new solder but time will tell

 

also imo soldering and electronics repair is starting to become atleast in my eyes a lost art but thats just me

Edited June 3, 2014 by luke9511

[mikegideon]

Hmmm, I don't go to RatShack much any more, but not more than a month ago my local RS had soldering stations and a fair assortment of parts. Maybe it varies by location. My store seemed to carry lots of hobbyist tiny computer boards, stepper motors, sensors, etc.

 

Dunno if you can find eutetic solder at RatShack, but IMO it is less frustrating to work with. Note that I'm such an out-of-date fogey, anything I say is likely wrong.

 

The 63 tin, 37 lead solder melts quicker and sets quicker, tins the iron better, just generally is more pleasant to deal with than the more usual 60/40 electronic solder. Or at least back in the stone age 60/40 was more common and you had to go looking for 63/37. Buy a big roll, will cost more than you want to pay but will be a long time before you need buy more. Beats heck out of running out of solder at 3am just when you get going good.

 

Back when I was fooling with it, they hadn't worked the bugs out of water soluble flux electronic solder, and rosin core solder was easier to work with. The disadvantage to rosin core-- It is harder to clean off circuit boards, needs alcohol or better yet acetone. But with water soluble solder just run the circuit board under a garden hose and scrub it a little with a toothbrush. (then make sure to dry it off real good). So you might want to find out if rosin core is still easier to work even today. If water-soluble is improved nowadays, get the water-soluble flux electronic solder, but both will do just fine.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

 

Unless you are soldering giant connections, it is much more pleasant and controllable to use small-diameter solder, rather than big-diameter solder wire. The big solder will take longer to melt when you put it to the hot joint, and then it is too easy to leave too much solder on a joint before you can stop the process. With tiny small-diameter solder, maybe on a bigger connection you might have to feed a lot in, but for the typical tiny joints, the solder melts near instantly and you don't risk leaving big blobs of solder on tiny joints, messy looking and inviting shorts on circuit boards, where the "too much" solder spreads out and bridges adjacent circuit board traces or adjacent IC pads.

 

You need a solder sucker, and solder wick braid to clean up messes and ease removal of components. And various little scraper probes and such. Same kind of "cheap dentist tools" they sell at gun shows for gun work.

 

Those illuminated magnifiers with a circle flourescent light surrounding the magnifier lens-- If you don't get one purt soon, much later on when you get one you will kick yerself for not getting one sooner.

 

There are various different models of panavise. Same deal as a magnifier light-- The sooner you get a panavise to hold the circuit board you are working on, the more you will thank yourself. Even for simple tasks. If you ever tried to solder up a standard XLR mic connector and the little sucker kept rolling around on you, then when it tries to get away from you and you grab it and it burns the carp out of yer fingers-- Just remember-- Panavise!

 

If there is much chance you will spend much time soldering over the years, $100 to $200 or more for a temp-controlled soldering station, with an assortment of tips for various tasks, IS WORTH EVERY PENNY compared to a cheap iron.

 

Digikey has about any part you ever wanted--

 

http://www.digikey.com

 

There are a couple of other big mail order places as good or better, but I'm pulling a blank at the moment.

 

One thing I've wondered about-- Back in the day, and even today, you can pay a couple of bucks and buy electronic pliers that won't hold a wire, and electronic cutters that won't even cut a dang wire, and strippers that can't even strip. There was one brand that lasted forever, and the pliers actually work, and the cutters actually cut-- XCELITE. They were expensive but about the only brand you could count on as being fit for purpose, unless you LIKE gnawing thru a stupid 22 gauge wire rather than simply snipping it as God intended. Now I don't know if there are additional brands of reliable electronic hand tools nowadays, and I don't know if the modern XCELITE tools are as good as they used to be. Just sayin...

 

Xcelite is still around. I just replaced the case for my TC100, and bought the tools that were missing.

[ironsniper1]

just placed my orders cant wait for them to get here!

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c294/luke9511/order1.png

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c294/luke9511/order2.png

[tnguy]

i dont do a whole lot of soldering but when i do i use my cheapy ratshack soldering iron and desoldering iron though i plan to invest in something MUCH better in the future, i know about digikey, im getting ready to order a mosfet from there for the tv im fixing,

 

i am also order 0.5mm 60/40 rosin core solder, i have the thick stuff and after using it a couple of times and watching some youtube videos on soldering i have learned i was doing it wrong the whole time and it makes me feel bad, im hoping i might be able to fix a laptop motherboard i tried to repair a while back with this new solder but time will tell

 

also imo soldering and electronics repair is starting to become atleast in my eyes a lost art but thats just me

 

If you don't feel like going for full temperature controlled right away, consider the Antex. I got converted to these by a Frenchman a few years back. Much better than the Radio Shack ones and grounded.

 

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Xcelite is still around. I just replaced the case for my TC100, and bought the tools that were missing.

 

Thanks mike. I need to replace some of mine as well.

 

Have found some other good quality brands for electrician sized hand tools, but really am curious whether xcelite really is the only decent brand for tiny electronic handtools. If that really is true, it just seems very strange, considering how big the world is. All I know is that every non-xcelite set of mini sidecutters or end cutters I ever bought over the years, wouldn't cleanly snip small gauge wire even if yer life depended on it.

[ironsniper1]

If you don't feel like going for full temperature controlled right away, consider the Antex. I got converted to these by a Frenchman a few years back. Much better than the Radio Shack ones and grounded.

 

this is what i have currently

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

 

th desoldering iron is ok but you have to replace the tip cause they are junk, now if there was a better tip from another desoldering iron that would work with this one i would buy it in a heart beat

[mikegideon]

Thanks mike. I need to replace some of mine as well.

 

Have found some other good quality brands for electrician sized hand tools, but really am curious whether xcelite really is the only decent brand for tiny electronic handtools. If that really is true, it just seems very strange, considering how big the world is. All I know is that every non-xcelite set of mini sidecutters or end cutters I ever bought over the years, wouldn't cleanly snip small gauge wire even if yer life depended on it.

 

We went to flush cuts years ago. A number of folks make them (or label them as their own). here's one.

 

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?sku=70145428&mkwid=6kTPp5T7&pcrid=18584040739&gclid=CjkKEQjw5LWcBRCeh8uUlqqluN4BEiQAfr64cBtBG075j9EIvj1KNkERSKchfa-AQXbgyq7YkMjUMSvw_wcB

[Guest Lester Weevils]

We went to flush cuts years ago. A number of folks make them (or label them as their own). here's one.

 

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?sku=70145428&mkwid=6kTPp5T7&pcrid=18584040739&gclid=CjkKEQjw5LWcBRCeh8uUlqqluN4BEiQAfr64cBtBG075j9EIvj1KNkERSKchfa-AQXbgyq7YkMjUMSvw_wcB

 

Thanks Mike. I have some electrician-size klein tools that seem to be fine. I have an old flush cutter, some other brand, maybe rat shack, that look identical to the picture but doesn't work very well. It cuts skin or other stuff real well, just doesn't do a very good job on small wire. Probably there are other brands that work better.

 

OK, I forgot a brand that seemed pretty good, seems that the brand is still around. I only have a couple of XURON small tools, but they seemed top notch.

 

There is this XURON Crimp 670 flush cutter that's great for stuffing old style circuit boards, the ones with all the holes in them. :) -- http://xuron.com/index.php/main/industrial_products/10/62

 

 

You know all about this stuff. For others, this little tool, you stuff all the parts into a circuit board and clip the leads right at the board, and the tool makes a little wide crimp in each lead so the part won't fall out. So you can stuff the entire board, clipping/crimping as you go, then lay the board at a convenient angle and solder all the pads in a single sweep. Lots faster. The only downside, the finished board looks and works good, but is "snaggy" if you try to use cloth or qtips to clean off rosin.

 

Maybe XURON makes all its little tools as good as xcelite?

Edited June 3, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[ironsniper1]

Thanks Mike. I have some electrician-size klein tools that seem to be fine. I have an old flush cutter, some other brand, maybe rat shack, that look identical to the picture but doesn't work very well. It cuts skin or other stuff real well, just doesn't do a very good job on small wire. Probably there are other brands that work better.

 

OK, I forgot a brand that seemed pretty good, seems that the brand is still around. I only have a couple of XURON small tools, but they seemed top notch.

 

There is this XURON Crimp 670 flush cutter that's great for stuffing old style circuit boards, the ones with all the holes in them. :) -- http://xuron.com/index.php/main/industrial_products/10/62

 

 

You know all about this stuff. For others, this little tool, you stuff all the parts into a circuit board and clip the leads right at the board, and the tool makes a little wide crimp in each lead so the part won't fall out. So you can stuff the entire board, clipping/crimping as you go, then lay the board at a convenient angle and solder all the pads in a single sweep. Lots faster. The only downside, the finished board looks and works good, but is "snaggy" if you try to use cloth or qtips to clean off rosin.

 

Maybe XURON makes all its little tools as good as xcelite?

that sounds like the type of tool i need, though i do sometimes just tape the part on the board, solder it and cut the legs off or cut the legs first just depends on how i feel like doing it :P

[mikegideon]

that sounds like the type of tool i need, though i do sometimes just tape the part on the board, solder it and cut the legs off or cut the legs first just depends on how i feel like doing it :P

 

I have stuffed a LOT of circuit boards in my life. You don't need to crimp leads to hold components. I usually bend the leads on the solde side of the board enough to hold them in. If it's something that won't bend, I find another way. 

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I have stuffed a LOT of circuit boards in my life. You don't need to crimp leads to hold components. I usually bend the leads on the solde side of the board enough to hold them in. If it's something that won't bend, I find another way. 

 

You know lots more about it than me. I would bend the leads for a long time before got that little xuron cutter crimper. Probably me being dumb, but stuffing, soldering, then cutting-- On a dense board I couldn't stuff the whole board in one pass before soldering in one pass. There was too much a forest of wire sticking up out of the board to navigate the soldering iron to hit all the pads.

 

But as long as the circuit board holes were drilled close enough to lead size, with the little cutter crimper I'd stuff, cut/crimp, stuff, cut/crimp, one part at a time till the whole board was full, then hit all the pads with the soldering iron like a machine, left to right, top to bottom, then be done.

[mikegideon]

You know lots more about it than me. I would bend the leads for a long time before got that little xuron cutter crimper. Probably me being dumb, but stuffing, soldering, then cutting-- On a dense board I couldn't stuff the whole board in one pass before soldering in one pass. There was too much a forest of wire sticking up out of the board to navigate the soldering iron to hit all the pads.

 

But as long as the circuit board holes were drilled close enough to lead size, with the little cutter crimper I'd stuff, cut/crimp, stuff, cut/crimp, one part at a time till the whole board was full, then hit all the pads with the soldering iron like a machine, left to right, top to bottom, then be done.

 

Yeah. I just stuff until it starts getting dense, then solder and clip the leads. Commercial assemblers don't crimp anything. They prep the leads, usually by machine, stuff the components, and wave solder. Then they run it over a trim machine.

 

Now, most components are stuffed by robots. Most components arent really stuffed. Mostly surface mount.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Yeah. I just stuff until it starts getting dense, then solder and clip the leads. Commercial assemblers don't crimp anything. They prep the leads, usually by machine, stuff the components, and wave solder. Then they run it over a trim machine.

 

Now, most components are stuffed by robots. Most components arent really stuffed. Mostly surface mount.

 

Thanks Mike

 

If I ever get into electronics again, am gonna study long and hard on hand-operated surface mount techniques. I used to hate drilling boards. Drilling was one of the most annoying and error-prone operations, and I would break lots of the tiny bits. Would be great if maybe a person could just glue all the microscopic parts to a board then put it in the microwave or something. :)

[mikegideon]

Thanks Mike

 

If I ever get into electronics again, am gonna study long and hard on hand-operated surface mount techniques. I used to hate drilling boards. Drilling was one of the most annoying and error-prone operations, and I would break lots of the tiny bits. Would be great if maybe a person could just glue all the microscopic parts to a board then put it in the microwave or something. :)

 

That's kinda how it goes. You use solder paste, with little solder balls suspended in it. Put paste on the lands, stick the component down, and then hit it with hot air. i use one of these...

 

http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6681/0?gclid=CjkKEQjw5LWcBRCeh8uUlqqluN4BEiQAfr64cENlvMoYKVqfAMb4PivDt30XHAr5aDHZUo7u7G1IUJvw_wcB

[ironsniper1]

That's kinda how it goes. You use solder paste, with little solder balls suspended in it. Put paste on the lands, stick the component down, and then hit it with hot air. i use one of these...

 

http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6681/0?gclid=CjkKEQjw5LWcBRCeh8uUlqqluN4BEiQAfr64cENlvMoYKVqfAMb4PivDt30XHAr5aDHZUo7u7G1IUJvw_wcB

ok i want one!

[mikegideon]

There's a learning curve :)

[ironsniper1]

There's a learning curve :)

i like learning new things!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

That's kinda how it goes. You use solder paste, with little solder balls suspended in it. Put paste on the lands, stick the component down, and then hit it with hot air. i use one of these...

 

http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6681/0?gclid=CjkKEQjw5LWcBRCeh8uUlqqluN4BEiQAfr64cENlvMoYKVqfAMb4PivDt30XHAr5aDHZUo7u7G1IUJvw_wcB

 

That is a great gadget. Price ain't bad at all. There are all sorts of good looking stuff on that site.

[tnguy]

Thanks Mike

 

If I ever get into electronics again, am gonna study long and hard on hand-operated surface mount techniques. I used to hate drilling boards. Drilling was one of the most annoying and error-prone operations, and I would break lots of the tiny bits. Would be great if maybe a person could just glue all the microscopic parts to a board then put it in the microwave or something. :)

 

I worked for a place down in Tullahoma which did short-run RFID boards with SMTs. The assemblers just used one of those soldering irons I showed above. I guess a steady-hand and a magnifying glass are enough (I realize this won't work with some components).

 

I'm planning on trying some reflow soldering with a toaster oven. Seems people have been having some success with that.

Edited June 4, 2014 by tnguy

[mikegideon]

I worked for a place down in Tullahoma which did short-run RFID boards with SMTs. The assemblers just used one of those soldering irons I showed above. I guess a steady-hand and a magnifying glass are enough (I realize this won't work with some components).

 

I'm planning on trying some reflow soldering with a toaster oven. Seems people have been having some success with that.

I have used an iron. I don't anymore, since I have a real rework station.

 

Folks have been doing reflow with toaster ovens for years. It's not good for production. I like to use hot air for prototyping. Too easy to bump the board and move a component. I would rather stick them down one at a time

[mikegideon]

That is a great gadget. Price ain't bad at all. There are all sorts of good looking stuff on that site.

 

It's extremely Chinese. I use Weller stuff for most of my work, which is still mostly thru hole.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

this is what i have currently

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

 

th desoldering iron is ok but you have to replace the tip cause they are junk, now if there was a better tip from another desoldering iron that would work with this one i would buy it in a heart beat

 

Those will get the job done. I never had much luck pulling enough solder with those bulb-type solder suckers. Especially around IC pins. Some of the spring-loaded piston solder suckers will pull solder out of holes real good. In the old days, there were some maybe an inch in diameter that worked OK but didn't last very long, and some that were longer about a half inch in diameter that worked great and lasted a long time.

[ironsniper1]

Those will get the job done. I never had much luck pulling enough solder with those bulb-type solder suckers. Especially around IC pins. Some of the spring-loaded piston solder suckers will pull solder out of holes real good. In the old days, there were some maybe an inch in diameter that worked OK but didn't last very long, and some that were longer about a half inch in diameter that worked great and lasted a long time.

it works but if you look at the tip on mine you can tell it needs to be replaced and some people have modified these with a pedal activated pump to suck the solder dont know how well it works though