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Post by hottip on Nov 15, 2020 8:58:44 GMT 12
Can anyone suggest the 'best' soldering station for vintage radio work? I currently use, 25,40, and 80 watt irons but trailing power leads are a nuisance
and some of the irons don't last long.
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Post by dada on Nov 15, 2020 10:42:57 GMT 12
Excessive erosion of the tips suggests over-heating. One way to reduce this was to install a suitably rated diode in series with the iron and have it switched out on picking up the iron. Sometimes this diode was included in the iron handle and had a press switch to short it out. This allowed a warm (half heat) iron on constant standby which came up to full heat when the iron was off the stand (or the switch pressed). This saved the bit and reduced the power consumption.
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Steve
Society Members
vintageradio.co.nz
Posts: 727
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Post by Steve on Nov 16, 2020 11:40:46 GMT 12
I have used a Hakko FX-888 for the last 7 years or so (bought from China on the cheap to replace my old 25W Weller iron that I've had since I was a kid) and have been very happy with it for vintage radio work as well as modern electronics - I've gone through maybe 4 heating elements in that time, but these are readily and cheaply available, as are complete ready-to-plug-in handpieces (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32463632214.html) for around $16 if you don't mind something from a potentially questionable source - I use them and find them relatively reliable. And while 4 elements in 7 years might seem a lot, I have to confess there are times I've come back to my workshop to find the iron on... from a week or so ago! I'm not the best at remembering to turn things off.
The styling is something you probably love or hate - I don't mind it, and its got a pretty small footprint on the bench which is good.
I've only broken one handpiece which was my own fault for often pushing too hard sideways trying to melt into old joints. I also find the old solder and flux and sometimes high temps quite hard on the tips and so I find I'm replacing those annually at least, but these are also very cheap and readily available.  For chassis earth points the Hakko just doesn't have enough thermal mass to do the job properly, even with a 'big' tip fitted - so I have a big (very dodgy and a bit scary) cricket bat iron from Ali Express (300W version of this: www.aliexpress.com/item/32895868214.html) for the odd occasions I need to deal with that. The first time I used it there were actual flames and a lot of smoke coming out of it! But when the smoke cleared it started working normally and has been fine (!?) ever since. I DO NOT recommend this, despite using it. I do not trust it, and use it with great care while wearing welding gauntlets for heat and electrical safety. I definitely would not suggest anyone buy one, ever. But it does work very well. I've often wondered if it would be safer to use a small blowtorch (or a small thermonuclear device) though...  I bought that big scary one to replace an 80W Weller iron purchased specifically for chassis work but the Weller is actually pretty disappointing. It gets the job done but its very slow to transfer enough heat to melt solder puddles on a chassis - I think it needs a bit more power (it has a big copper tip, and has plenty of thermal mass). And by the time its hot enough the handle is also pretty darned hot. So I don't recommend the Weller one either... but having said that, it does actually do the job - but not well.
And, while I think about it - I bought the Weller one to replace the Fuller soldering gun I bought originally to do chassis work, but it was never ever up to the task, not even with heavier gauge wire tip fitted. So its sat in its case pretty much unused since I got it. I definitely don't recommend this one either! Its garbage.
I wish I still had my old gas-powered 'Engineer' brand iron - that used to get very very hot and probably would have done the job - it also had a little blowtorch tip... I suspect it would have gotten the job done. I loved that iron, but the starter failed and broke... it lasted 25 odd years though - bloody good little tool. If anyone has any experience with gas irons for chassis work I'd love to know - I would love an excuse to replace this in my toolbox.
Anyway, hopefully that is helpful... assuming you made it this far through my mental ramblings 
Cheers, Steve
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Post by hottip on Nov 22, 2020 18:37:00 GMT 12
All good thanks.
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