7 ms·
Oh boy, nice idea, but this looks complicated and time consuming. I recommend to get some good equipment first: - solder fume extractor (see below) - extra
by sandreas 4y ago
Oh boy, nice idea, but this looks complicated and time consuming. I recommend to get some good equipment first:
- solder fume extractor (see below)
- extra thin high quality tin
- a desoldering pump AND desoldering wire
- high quality flux
- a TS 100 soldering Iron with KU tip from ali express for 50 bucks
- optional: USB-C Power Adapter for your existing power supply (so you don't have to buy one)
- optional: a soldering mat (normaly blue colored)
and you have a near professional equipment for about $120. Now flash IronOS[1] on your soldering Iron, and it works even better.
Instructions:
- turn on solder fume extractor
- heat iron to 370° Celsius (but be careful depending on your workpiece)
- Tin both ends beforhand
- better slightly more flux to put on (but not for small works)
- if flux has been applied, cleaning up with e.g. toothbrush & isopropyl alcohol after you're done maybe a good idea
However, the most important peace of hardware is a solder fume extractor... I'm surprised that so many youtube "professionals" don't put a hint on this - never play with your health. This can even be done DIY (see youtube tutorials).
High quality flux is also important because of your health. Chinese sellers often don't care about ingredients...
High quality tin is much easier to work with and costs 5 bucks more than low quality tin. It is worth.
[1]: https://github.com/Ralim/IronOS https://github.com/Ralim/IronOS
- lapetitejort 4y ago> Now flash IronOS[1] on your soldering Iron I got to here and thought this was some elaborate joke, and expected the github page to continue on with the joke. An operating system for a soldering iron?? But no, it seems 100% serious. Somehow soldering iron tech passed me by.
- racnid 4y agoAnything more than your basic soldering iron is probably running a PID loop to control temperature. I don't know if my hakko is supported by IronOS but I could easily see it as a useful option. It's the flashlight guys who have really run amok: https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/xopqft/prob_a_good_idea_to_have_this_inside_flashlight/ https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/xopqft/prob_a_g...
- outworlder 4y agoI just need a firmware that will connect to Home Assistant so it can track my soldering habits. Just joking... mostly.
- lapetitejort 4y agoAs someone who has left their soldering iron run overnight, this might be useful...
- linker3000 4y agoMost soldering iron firmware includes a sensor routine that turns them off if movement stops for a set period.
- GravitasFailure 4y agoThe Pinecil V2 has a new processor with Bluetooth. I'm a little fuzzy on whether it offers WiFi as well, but Pine64 suggested it could be used to automatically activate a fume extractor based on the tip temperature. Home Assistant integration wouldn't be hard.
- nathan_f77 4y agoI actually did set up a smart plug for my soldering iron in Home Assistant [1]. I set it up with a timer and presence detection (using my phone and watch) so that I don't leave it on by accident. After reading this thread, it sounds like I need to get myself a better soldering iron and install IronOS [1] https://imgur.com/a/asZbVP7 https://imgur.com/a/asZbVP7
- sandreas 4y agoEverthing is better with open firmware :-) Glad you like it.
- snvzz 4y agoPID controller and a bunch of menus. The "OS" part is a bit of a joke. It's just an embedded application, AIUI they didn't write their own RTOS.
- sottol 4y agoOr get a $25 Pinecil that comes with IronOS pre-installed and is by all accounts almost as good as the TS-100 [1] (it's $40 on Amazon now :/). I got one, was so impressed that I got another. One big upside over the TS-100 for me is that it can be driven by both a beefier USB-C (which I always have around anyway) and DC-plug PSU. Plus, it's running Risc-V, and they even sell an breakout to use the "logic board" as a RISC-V dev-board! [1] https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/ https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-solde...
- Zekio 4y agodamn, you made me notice they've made a V2 of pinecil
- sandreas 4y agoDo you know where I can get a Pinecil V2 for 25$ in Germany? The TS100 was about 40$, when I bought it...
- snvzz 4y agoYou say "almost as good", but isn't it actually better? What advantage, if any, would the ts-100 have?
- sandreas 4y agoOnly advantage I know of is availability... The Pinecil is not available everywhere...
- accrual 4y agoAs someone aspiring to solder more, thanks for this list! Do you have any thoughts on the TS 100 vs the Pinecil? I thought the Pinecil was a slightly newer and more refined iron but curious if you have an opinion. https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/ https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-solde...
- belval 4y agoNot the original commenter, but the pinecil has been serving extremely well for a while now. I ordered it when it launched and probably use it every two weeks. Full disclaimer I know some people had trouble with the USB-C power input so YMMV, but considering the price it's probably the most cost-effective tool I ever bought.
- sandreas 4y agoNo, I did never own a Pinecil, but the TS100 is just awesome, but the KU tip is even more important. It looks too big for fine work, but it isnt. I soldered a broken backlight fuse for my T480s with this (that's proably the tiniest thing ever soldered without a heat gun).
- ThatPlayer 4y agoI did have issues with 2 Pinecils breaking on me. The first one they replaced under warranty. I still use a 3rd I have, so I don't mind recommending it because I can get a Pinecil for cheaper than a TS100, and I doubt you'll get better support for a TS100 if something does come up within the warranty period. Oh I should mention I have both the TS100 and Pinecil, and the Pinecil does everything the TS100 does.
- fifteenforty 4y ago100% on the fume extractor. Avoid the cheap little "carbon filter" models though. You need particulate filtration and a bit of organic vapour extraction, so HEPA +/- carbon if you are going to recirculate it within your work environment. Don't take my word for it, it's all explained in the NIOSH and OSHA handbooks.
- GuB-42 4y agoYou don't get the same exposure from working in a shop soldering all day than from the occasional hobby project. And if you have a simple fan, you are already doing more than most hobbyists. Safety is not priceless. Regulators carefully calculate how much impact various safety equipment and practices have relative to their cost. And you too should consider how much you need it. Solder for hours a day, get the best fume extractor you can find, do a hobby project every other month, you can go cheap. Anyways, I wonder if a simple small desk fan fitted with a surgical mask you probably have too much of would be a good compromise of simple, cheap, and better than nothing for hobbyists.
- buescher 4y agoI have never bothered, personally, even when I built more of my own prototypes myself. Hobbyists should consider their personal risk and go in increments. If you are not in a situation where setting up monitoring for exposure to flux per the NIOSH handbook is appropriate, you probably don't need much mitigation either. Putting solder assemblies at a level where flux smoke won't go up into your face is a good idea and practically free. A fan is a good idea, especially if you have one already. If you're fixated on getting yourself a fume extractor... well, to each their own.
- outworlder 4y agoWhy is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often? I took a look at it, ultimately got a TS80P. It's smaller, and fed via USB-C. Seems to work perfectly fine. > solder fume extractor How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder?
- linker3000 4y agoThe fumes come from the flux, and they're not that great for you in quantity. Soldering temperatures will not vaporize lead or the metals in unleaded solder. There is also some conjecture that the fluxes used in unleaded solder produce more aggressive fumes.
- sandreas 4y ago> Why is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often? Higher temp lighter faster heat up easier temp adjustment See https://oscarliang.com/ts80-soldering-iron-ts100/ https://oscarliang.com/ts80-soldering-iron-ts100/ > How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder? Depends on solder, but spending $40 for not risking your health is affordable in my opinion...
- ThatPlayer 4y agoThe TS100 tips are not compatible with the TS80P last I checked. The TS100 uses generic T12 tips that are easier to get. Same as the Pinecil too.
- snvzz 4y ago> How big of a deal is solder fumes of unleaded solder? Worse than leaded solder, because the temperatures are higher. The lead in leaded solder doesn't go up in fumes. Contamination is from touch. You should wash the board after you're done (with e.g. IPA) and your hands. You also should try and not solder where you eat, and the other way around.
- snvzz 4y ago>Why is it that the TS100 gets recommended so often? Because it's a good iron. So is the TS80p. Pine64 has the Pinecil, a TS100-compatible improved replacement that is RISC-V based.
- gw99 4y agoOh please not the flux over everything argument. This is completely wrong. Buy a decent iron (metcal - get a second hand one off eBay) and some decent solder (felder 62/36/2) and you don’t need it. Also don’t use a toothbrush with isopropyl. They tend to dissolve and leave crap all over the board.
- sandreas 4y agoI modified the "advice" a bit... What would you recommend to clean up?
- gw99 4y agoKimwipes soaked in isopropyl pushed around with some guaranteed 100% nylon brushes (usually the black ESD brushes are fine for this). Toothbrushes bristles may melt. Not all of them are nylon and if they aren’t they will go sticky and this will wipe off on the surfaces.
- sandreas 4y agoThanks, I keep that in mind for the next soldering project.
- linker3000 4y agoCheck out 'Acid brushes' for use with IPA.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- buescher 4y agoAgreed on the flux, agreed on the metcal. And oh yes, silver bearing solder is really nice. I only use it for repairs of solder joints that have failed mechanically. If you use it for everything, that solves that problem... but a little rich for my blood. Hobbyists and technicians get obsessed with cleaning off flux. Hobbyists have no business cleaning flux off boards. It's very easy to wind up freeing corrosive salts from the rosin matrix. Then they smear all over the board to corrode and conduct. My rule of thumb is if you can't measure the cleanliness of your board, don't clean it.
- larrywright 4y agoDo you have a recommendation for a home hobbyist fume extractor?
- sandreas 4y agoNot really, I bought a used one with a simple replaceable active carbon filter and place it near the open window. The most important thing is, that it is powerful enough to really EXTRACT and filter the fumes, not spread them in the room. If you are in the basement without window, you probably need a better one with HEPA + active carbon. I would say for hobbyists you should spend around 20 - 50 bucks for a used one. Maybe also care about the loudness... these things are really bad ;)
- arcticbull 4y agoThe TS100 is apparently not recommended for IronOS according to their README. Curious why you chose that one over, for instance, a recommended TS80P or better a Pinecil V2? Full disclosure: I have a 15 year old Weller WD1 so I don't know much about this.
- sandreas 4y agoThe TS100 was just the only one of these I could buy for an acceptable price in an acceptable time period. Mine was 35 bucks. I ordered mine as used device here in Germany. Aliexpress would have taken weeks and Amazon was just to expensive (cheapest about 80 bucks).
- arcticbull 4y agoThanks! Yeah the IronOS site says the TS100 is only not recommended because of some knockoffs. IronOS is very cool, I’ll probably pick up a Pinecil.
- friendzis 4y ago> heat iron to 370° Celsius This sounds like way too much. Yes, with an iron you don't have the luxury of going just above melting point. It's a balance between heating up workpieces quickly (so that heat does not conduct too far) for what you need higher temperatures, not burning the flux and solder solidifying as quick as possible, because any movement in solidifying solder WILL reduce quality of the solder. Lower temperatures are almost always better than high temperatures. You are better off getting powerful iron with good temperature control rather and keeping temperatures in working range rather than heating iron to very high temperatures and having it cool down during soldering if the iron cannot keep up with cooling. For soldering wires to a breadboard it may not be much of a problem (sans insulation burning off), but I would not risk damaging silicon with temperatures that high. With 60/40 solder temperatures around 300 [290-310] are usually more than enough, depending on workpiece size.