Care and feeding of my desoldering station?
Okay, I want to back up my brag that I kept my soldering station working (actually the tip, this station was beat up 30 years ago but it's gotten worse). SO I have this cheap Aoyue desoldering station. I've been keeping the spring and the nozzle clean but I'm puzzled as the why the large tube of silicone? It doesn't really explain in the manual how to maintain the station and the large tube seems a bit much for the vacuum attachment at the based. Any hints tips, or clues? -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry@linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies
SO I have this cheap Aoyue desoldering station. I've been keeping the spring and the nozzle clean but I'm puzzled as the why the large tube of silicone? It doesn't really explain in the manual how to maintain the station and the large tube seems a bit much for the vacuum attachment at the based. Any hints tips, or clues?
Probably for lubricating all of the rubber surfaces. Additionally, if the tips like to stick on your soldering/desoldering equipment, a dab of C5-A hi-temp copper antiseize lube will fix it (commonly available at auto parts stores in small tubes, ask for copper antiseize or "that stuff to keep exhaust bolts from sticking"). Cleaning is really the key to keeping your desoldering station going. I've got a Hakko 472D and frequent filter changes, tip clean-outs, and running a small drill through (especially when desoldering old stuff with a lot of flux!) makes life better. You can reuse the springs many times, but the ceramic paper filters shouldn't be reused. You *can* soak them in alcohol and peel off the top layer if you absolutely must reuse one. Thanks, Jonathan
On Feb 1, 2017, at 3:18 PM, Systems Glitch via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
SO I have this cheap Aoyue desoldering station. I've been keeping the spring and the nozzle clean but I'm puzzled as the why the large tube of silicone? It doesn't really explain in the manual how to maintain the station and the large tube seems a bit much for the vacuum attachment at the based. Any hints tips, or clues?
Probably for lubricating all of the rubber surfaces. Additionally, if the tips like to stick on your soldering/desoldering equipment, a dab of C5-A hi-temp copper antiseize lube will fix it (commonly available at auto parts stores in small tubes, ask for copper antiseize or "that stuff to keep exhaust bolts from sticking"). Cleaning is really the key to keeping your desoldering station going. I've got a Hakko 472D and frequent filter changes, tip clean-outs, and running a small drill through (especially when desoldering old stuff with a lot of flux!) makes life better. You can reuse the springs many times, but the ceramic paper filters shouldn't be reused. You *can* soak them in alcohol and peel off the top layer if you absolutely must reuse one. Thanks, Jonathan Aside from the copper lube with which I am not familiar, I agree with everything Jonathan said. I used a Hakko at work for many years and it always worked extremely well. Other guys that I worked with would make fun of me because I was so meticulous, and yet they would come to my bench to use mine because theirs didn't work as well. A tip about desoldering: add fresh solder to the joints that you want to desolder before using the sucker. It dilutes the alloy that likely won't melt as easily as new solder, plus it adds a little flux which also helps. Also, hold board up in the air with the gun pointed up to let gravity help. Might not seem like a big deal but it helps. Another tip: move in a circular motion to get solder from all around part leads. If you don't hear air sucking through the board, that is bad. Especially important when removing large ICs. A small amount of solder residue doesn't seem like much on a single pin, but multiplied by 20 can cause problems. Chris
Other guys that I worked with would make fun of me because I was so meticulous, and yet they would come to my bench to use mine because theirs didn't work as well.
I stuck with soldapult style tools and solder wick for *years* because of poorly maintained Hakko stations at a previous job. They were so buggered up I brought my own soldapult to use. I just assumed they were total wrecks to operate, since every single one was like that, and if supposedly one of the best was that bad, I figured it was something I didn't need! That, and they used the gun shaped handles. I bought the pencil shaped handle to go with my 472D and IMO it's a much better choice.
A tip about desoldering: add fresh solder to the joints that you want to desolder before using the sucker.
Floats the scale/dross.
plus it adds a little flux which also helps.
I also will swab boards with flux if they're being particularly stubborn.
A small amount of solder residue doesn't seem like much on a single pin, but multiplied by 20 can cause problems.
I take a knife or blunt nose pliers and poke each/every pin to the other side of its hole, if the IC doesn't fall right out. You'll hear a little pop as whatever solder is left in the through hole lets go. Another point on cleaning: get a tip polishing bar, and use it. I currently have a Weller WPB-1: http://www.weller-toolsus.com/weller-wpb1-polishing-bar.html The usual suspects (Plato et al.) have their own, I suspect they're all whitelabeled products, they're even the same dimensions. Good for both soldering iron tips and desoldering station tips. You can use them with hot or cold tips, but if you're running the iron really hot, you'll wear the bar down faster. Small investment for the extended life you'll get from tips! W.R.T. the desoldering station, I always leave a ball of solder completely covering the suction hole when I shut it down. Not only does it help reduce corrosion while the iron is cooling down, but if it won't easily take fresh solder, I know it's time to polish it. Thanks, Jonathan
participants (3)
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Chris Fala -
Neil Cherry -
Systems Glitch