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Point me to the right soldering iron please!!!!!

What's Hot
vizviz Frets: 10645
edited September 2013 in Misc £

The element on mine's shagged. Started cooling down when i was on the job - took ages to understand wtf was going wrong with my soldering.

So please, Gurus, give me linky to the one I should have - thank you! My old one was a 40W draper, it would be nice if my tips fit the new one, but not essential (especially if the new one comes with a tip).

Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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Comments

  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    I'm bumping this mofo coz I've changed the title and things.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534

    If you use it regularly it's worth investing in a station where you can control the temp, i.e. make it cooler for normal stuff, make it hoter for backs of pots etc.

    I have one of these and it rocks.

    http://www.maplin.co.uk/60w-professional-lcd-solder-station-with-esd-protection-511927

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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    I'm looking for something that will be stable, thank you.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Found this little beauty for 15 quid at Maplins. 50W, temp controlled. Was intrigued by the instructions - apparently if the temp is too high the flux will be bumed?? http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/image_zps700ca4d4.jpg
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I've been using an Antex 18w one for years without problems


    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Interesting thread : I'm about to start doing some pickup swaps etc and was thinking about getting solder just for that really. Is that Antex 18w or the one linked by @viz any good for that?
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  • An 18W iron will struggle soldering ground wires to the back of pots, a 25W one will just about cope in my experience.
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    Definitely need more than 18W for wiring guitars.  The back of a pot acts like a heatsink so you'll need something beefier.  I think the one I use for this is 30W.  I have an 18W Antex for pedals etc.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Well I used mine this evening, made 4 cables, was fine. Don't know about heating the backs of pots but it cut through the large blobs on the jack plug earth lugs like ... butter.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • You can just get away with 18w and a big tip. So to speak. If you're careful..too much heat will damage a pot, so too small an iron for too long or too large an iron for too long will cause trouble.

    I used to use Antex before I tried others, which I did when I started destroying them. I need something a bit more industrial these days.

    Weller TCP for me, but Adcola or Xytronic are also good.
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I guess mine must be putting out a bit more than 18w, by the sounds of things, as I've soldered hundreds of pots without any problem :)

    I do use "proper" lead/tin solder rather than the awful lead-free stuff though, maybe that helps ;)
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    @Viz, If you're still looking, text me tomorrow, and I'll see what I can conjure up. I currently have a Sealey Iron, and it's great.

     

     

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Thanks - but I'm sorted now - cheers :)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    viz said:
    Found this little beauty for 15 quid at Maplins. 50W, temp controlled. Was intrigued by the instructions - apparently if the temp is too high the flux will be bumed?? http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/image_zps700ca4d4.jpg
    I just grabbed one of these - nice little iron for the price - thanks for the heads up! :)
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Good!
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • EdGripEdGrip Frets: 736
    I've got an old PACE SensaTemp, the one with a big knob rather than a digital display. It's cracking, if you can find one.
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  • viz said:
    Found this little beauty for 15 quid at Maplins. 50W, temp controlled. Was intrigued by the instructions - apparently if the temp is too high the flux will be bumed?? http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/image_zps700ca4d4.jpg

    They're very good - but they don't last.  I go through about three a year but I probably use mine for a couple of hours per day.

    Maplin must be getting fed up with me taking them back every couple of months.... ;)

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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Mine's lasted 10 days so far, no problems whatsoever! (to be fair I haven't used it for 9 days)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I had one, it didn't last more than a couple of months. The Antex has lasted ages, though I have had to buy a couple of new tips.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Reigniting this post as I have an 30W (i think) and I am struggling to remove wires from my volume pot on my Tele.  Is it the iron or the tip (do tips "expire?") or both?  How long on average would you expect to heat the pot to melt the solder and remove the wires?
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