Regulated Solder Station Question

[roundmidnight]

For years I have used an unregulated 30W Weller and burned up tips 2-3 times per year.

I just purchased a Hakko regulated soldering station and would like input on what temperature setting is appropriate. Usually use 63/37 solder on everything from guitar pickup building, guitar effects to building amps.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

RM

[Bruce Johnson]

Well, the optimal temperature setting for soldering a particular joint will vary, depending upon the amount of metal that has to be heated up, the type of metal, the specific type of solder, and a few other factors. That's why they make them adjustable! The best setting for terminating magnet wire to an eyelet is going to be different from the setting for soldering a buss wire ground to a pot housing. The size of the tip surface and the wattage of the iron will also play a part.

Do some experimenting, trying different temperatures on typical joints that you would normally do. You'll be surprised at how small differences in tip temperature can make a big difference in how the solder flows and bonds. Too cold, and the solder doesn't fully melt and spread out. Too hot, and the solder cooks and gets filled with impurities. As a rough rule of thumb, with a clean iron tip and clean parts, you should need to hold the iron against the joint for 1-2 seconds, and the solder should flow out smoothly in one shot.

For most guitar hookup work with 22-24 ga wire, and using lead-free solder, I have my iron set at 740 degrees. For more miniature work, I'll go down to 700. That's what its dial says, anyway. My soldering iron isn't anything high end, so there's no guarantee that those temperatures are accurate.

[PremiumPlus]

I usually run my Weller at around 725 degrees.

[roundmidnight]

Thanks for the replies. It sure is nice to have a regulated station. Amazing how quickly the iron heats up on power up and they way it responds to load.

RM