VintagePlus
Super Member
What is the appropriate heat setting for soldering and de-soldering on circuit boards?
Appropriate heat setting for soldering?
- Thread starter VintagePlus
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For soldering using 60/40 tin/lead solder I set mine to 700 degrees F.
For desoldering my gun temp is 800 degrees F because it will melt it quickly and suck it up before the components and pads get too hot.
If you are desoldering lead free solder with solder wick or a solder sucker I would add some flux to the joint then add some 60/40 solder. This will lower the melting temp of the lead free solder and make it easier to remove.
For desoldering my gun temp is 800 degrees F because it will melt it quickly and suck it up before the components and pads get too hot.
If you are desoldering lead free solder with solder wick or a solder sucker I would add some flux to the joint then add some 60/40 solder. This will lower the melting temp of the lead free solder and make it easier to remove.
bhamfal
Active Member
Depends on the solder, there's plenty that melts below 400F.
Rick Vestal
Have a nice day and duck!
I bounce between 600 and 700 degree tips, depending on the application.
Try desoldering anything built recently at 400F or try making a good joint with 60/40 solder.
AAA3330
Super Member
At a place that I used to work as a tech at, we set our soldering stations to 750F, which is fine for most circuit board work, except for ground planes where more heat is usually needed. You don't want too large of an iron for most electronic work as you'll destroy the traces on your boards. For at home I use a cheap 25 Watt iron from Radio Shack and is generally sufficient for most of what I do. For the times that I need more heat, I use a 180 Watt heat gun from Harbor Freight. It generally gets the job done, but would easily destroy most of the delicate traces on a circuit board.
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bhamfal
Active Member
Try desoldering anything built recently at 400F or try making a good joint with 60/40 solder.
I wasn't saying 400f is a good tip temp just pointing out that many solders (including 60/40 at around 375F) actually melts below 400F, you stated it won't.
Sorry wasn't trying to be snarky, I remember having a 15w ratshack iron that was on the way out and only heated to around 400f. Tried it on my 640P and it wouldn't even melt the solder, let alone make a joint.
palasr
Active Member
Yup, lead-free solder melts at a higher temperature. Despite the fact both elemental tin and lead have melting points higher than 450 degrees F, as an alloy (solder) their melting point is lower, around 365 degrees F. However, this is not the optimal tip temperature, which is typically between 600 and 700 degrees F.
http://kester.com/SideMenu/TechnicalSupport/AlloyProperties/tabid/177/Default.aspx
http://kester.com/SideMenu/TechnicalSupport/AlloyProperties/tabid/177/Default.aspx
Naptown Rob
Ponographer
60/40 Tin/lead (Sn/Pb) melts at 370 °F (188 °C).
63/37 Sn/Pb has the lowest melting point (361.4 °F or 183 °C) of all the tin/lead alloys.
Lead free solders melt @ 10 - 40 degress higher...
So my tip needs to be significantly hotter than the melting point....
63/37 Sn/Pb has the lowest melting point (361.4 °F or 183 °C) of all the tin/lead alloys.
Lead free solders melt @ 10 - 40 degress higher...
So my tip needs to be significantly hotter than the melting point....
Your tip needs to be much hotter around 700f IMO, you need to be able to heat up the pads and leads hot enough to melt the solder and make a good joint.
You need enough heat to do this quickly so you don't fry the components as a cooler iron temp takes a lot longer to heat everything up and all that heat is traveling through the component.
You need enough heat to do this quickly so you don't fry the components as a cooler iron temp takes a lot longer to heat everything up and all that heat is traveling through the component.
Mchaz
Outputs roasting on an...
600-700 F here, and I work quickly. It's counter-intuitive, but there will actually be less heat penetration into the part by running a hotter iron and working more quickly. The heat stays more localized in the area you are making the joint. Occasionally I'll bump it up to 750 F for ground plane work, but if that is needed the tip is probably to small for the job. The former is my experience with PCBs both surface mount and through-hole. Jobs with larger wire and connection points will need more heat. With big gauges (12+?) you are probably better off with a soldering gun, but I lack a lot of experience in the larger stuff.
Ideally I will have a few different sizes/shapes of tips around. Super fine point conical for the really small stuff (mostly surface mount), a medium conical that comes standard with most stations, and a larger chisel. I like chisel tips for desoldering braid especially.
If you are holding the iron on the joint for more than a second or two to melt the solder something is wrong. You could have tip corrosion/debris (heat not transferring), lack of flux, the tip may be inappropriately sized for the job, or your iron may not be hot enough. Taking too long to heat a joint can cause damage to the surrounding components, lifted traces, and all sorts of nastyness which you don't want to deal with.
...And remember, FLUX is your FRIEND!
*Edit, I unintentionally parroted some of the information from the two posts above me. Sorry, I should read the whole thread next time!
Ideally I will have a few different sizes/shapes of tips around. Super fine point conical for the really small stuff (mostly surface mount), a medium conical that comes standard with most stations, and a larger chisel. I like chisel tips for desoldering braid especially.
If you are holding the iron on the joint for more than a second or two to melt the solder something is wrong. You could have tip corrosion/debris (heat not transferring), lack of flux, the tip may be inappropriately sized for the job, or your iron may not be hot enough. Taking too long to heat a joint can cause damage to the surrounding components, lifted traces, and all sorts of nastyness which you don't want to deal with.
...And remember, FLUX is your FRIEND!
*Edit, I unintentionally parroted some of the information from the two posts above me. Sorry, I should read the whole thread next time!
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Hot works best..:yes::thmbsp: So used to my Weller WTCPT.Its a 60watt station with no temp. control. Turn it on,it gets hot and I solder by watching the solder wicking and flowing behavior. I've only been using one,practically daily, for the past 30 some years or so. I have never had to replace a tip.
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jaymanaa
RIP 1961-2018
Yeh, I guess so, it's the yellow numbers on the Hako scale. I bet you are exactly right, I just never looked really close.
MikeCh
Super Member
Ditto....love the WTCPT for the ability to allow me NOT to think about temperature or have it runaway and create un-tinable tips like so many others I've had in the past. I also like that it heats to operating temp in 30 seconds or so, though I just generally leave it on (without worry) when sitting at the bench.
I like the 700f tips for general work and haven't really found a need to change to another when bouncing between PCB, point to point, or cable termination work.
So, to the OP....700f is a good temperature that allows you to do most all things with solder IMO.
Best,
Mike
