http://nintendoage.com/forum/ -Sqooner http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-11T19:13:07 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9 http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-11T15:39:54 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9
You might not want to shell out for a smoke absorber, but I wish I'd had one. Accidentally inhaling solder vapors is probably going to give me cancer down the road. ]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-06T18:18:05 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9 http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T20:47:28 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9 radioshack has a cheap dual wattage that works pretty well (15 & 30 watt) ]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T17:26:31 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9
One question though: Does the wattage of the soldering iron make a big difference? Is there a particular wattage iron that is right for dealing with circuit boards and chips? ]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T15:54:08 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9
For desoldering DIP chips the vacuum suckers are good. Some will have a spring tube instead of a bulb like http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360027822963 ]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T15:31:36 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9 The solder metal without lead need more heat to melt and make a lot more smoke.
It's easier for a beginner to make a good solder using solder metal with lead.
Trust me, I use the crappy solder metal without lead everyday ]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T15:06:38 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9
For de-soldering, use something like this from radio shack:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731&cp=&sr=1&origkw=desoldering&kw=desoldering&parentPage=search

For soldering, it doesnt matter (at least not to me. I have one made by black and decker that's lasted quite well. You really dont spend a lot of time soldering compared to desoldering.

Most people also agree not to use solder that has lead.

Take a crappy cart (like silent service), take it apart and practice de-soldering the chips. Then try soldering them back in again. Theres several chips on there, so dont worry if you wreck one. You'll discover things like burning the board, pulling up traces and lots of other things that take practice to avoid.

things to keep in mind:
1) Wait until the iron is hot (either de-sodlering or soldering). You are wasting your time otherwise. You can test this by touching it against some fresh solder. if it melts on contact you are ready to go.
2) If a pin wont de-solder cleanly, try "adding" some new solder to it and then de-solder that. This new solder mixes with the old, and disperses the heat so that it will all get sucked up by the desoldering tool.
3) After you desolder a pin, try pushing the pin sideways away from the edge of the PCB hole with your thumbnail. It should make a click as it detached. This makes pulling the chip out way easier afterwards.
4) Dont burn yourself. Seriously. I burned myself several times when I first started doing this. The iron is so hot you smell it before you feel it.
5) Clean the tip clean of whichever tool you are using. use a damp sponge.

Al

]]> http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=6347 2008-03-04T13:59:39 -05.00 VileRedFalcon 9