I recently got one of these Yihua 936 soldering stations (Hakko 936 copy). What is the best tip for soldering XT60 and banana connectors? I think with Deans, most suggest a chisel shape tip, but Deans are flat. Also which size or model# tip? I'm guessing maybe the 900M-T-2.4D tip? Or else the 900M-T-3.2D?

Here are all the Hakko 900 series tips, which is what the Hakko 936 used.
Here are the Hakko T18 tips, which is what the Hakko FX888/FX888D (replaced the 936) use. I guess a clone of either the 900 or T18 tips work in the Yihua 936.

Also which solder brand and diameter should I get? And where's the cheapest place to get it? Seems I remember people recommending Kester and Radio Shack solder. 60/40 is recommended, correct? I do have this Nippon solder, but if there's something better that will make soldering easier, I'll get it.

Also I've never tried flux paste, but someone recommended using it, even when using rosin core solder (saying there's not enough in the solder). What do you think?
Doesn't the flux paste make a mess that you then have to clean off?
Also is this "Tip Tinner/Cleaner Compound" worth using?

Brian
I found that it is better to have solder too small rather than too large. I keep 0.4mm 0.8mm and 3mm spools on my soldering station.
The 0.4mm is preferable for working on circuit boards and small fittings.
The 0.8mm is a good general use diameter and I find I regularly use it when I probably should be using a larger diameter.
The 3mm is useful for anything from 3.5mm plugs and larger but only because you are feeding it slower than you would the 0.8mm.

Personally I haven't found any noticeable differences with brand names. As long as its 60/40 rosin cored and NOT leadfree IMO.
More recently I have been buying solder using ebay and I don't regret it one bit.

As for tips ... I would also suggest searching ebay. You can get a pack of 10 or more tips for your Hakko of different shapes and sizes for a few bucks. I have found them to be reasonable quality and for the price you can bin them when they get even slightly worn/pitted or otherwise damaged.

You only need solder paste if you are doing SMD work on circuit boards.

Flux is one thing I take care with. There are internet suppliers who sell stuff which is anything but a flux and this is disastrous. I would suggest you get it from a reputable local dealer where ever you are.

Tig

63/37 would probably be better for electronics and the best flux is good old kester 186 or just crush up some dry rosin (the stuff used on violin bows) and dissolve it in IPA.

I like the liquid flux I found at Radio Shack a few years ago.

Jim R.

I use one of these GQ-5200 stations...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GQ-5200-SMD-...item1c2f74967b

You can get one for around $90-100. Once you start doing SMT you won't look back. It's way easier than through-hole.

Any smaller diameter solder for electronics will work fine, just avoid lead-free and acid core. Get a pack of tips from ebay, it never hurts to have some on hand even though you'll probably not often bother changing tips.

I also recommend getting a desoldering iron. The radio shack kind with the bulb attached to the iron works really well. Desoldering pumps don't work nearly as well.

You'll also want some desoldering braid and a flux pen. Flux pens are cheap and rubbing with the tip of them really helps to clean what you're trying to solder. Some cheap dental picks are also handy to have on hand. A couple aluminum heat sink clips are also handy. And a hobby vice comes in very handy also. 3rd hand style clamps are OK to have, but a small hobby vice that you can turn at different angles is much better.

Other than that you should be good to go!

For soldering larger connectors such as the Dean's Ultra, use as large a tip as your iron will hold, preferably chisel shape. You want the tip to have as large a thermal mass as possible so that you can get heat on a joint quickly, melt the solder and get off the joint. External flux will almost always be a big help and will never be a detriment. Use a rosin flux, never an acid flux for any electrical work. Within limits, you can make good joints with large wattage, large tip irons on most anything but are almost guaranteed failure if you use to small an iron or to small a tip.

Good advice.

I've found that a nice big short tip will give you the heat you need even with a smaller iron. I use the station irons only for detail work. Use a cheap iron for work like connectors. I grind on my tips all the time when they get old. Plain copper works just great. A short ground down copper tip in a 25 watt iron will solder big bullet connectors just fine, but only if you grind it down right to get good contact. Some people just thread the right size copper wire in a die and use them in tips. With the screw kind (no threads) you don't even have to do that.

yep, bare copper and brass work great for custom tips. they get eaten up pretty quickly so you just have to file them back down and re-tin.

best way to get as much heat transfer as possible is to have a blob of molten solder on the tip.

i also prefer to pre-tin things like wires and connectors before joining. once tinned i add flux to both parts, hold them together and touch them with an iron that already has a small blob of solder on the tip. SMD is pretty much the same: set the part in place, add flux (the stickier the better) and then touch each pad with an iron that has a bit of solder already on the tip. rarely do i ever solder in the traditional method of adding solder wire to a joint while heating with the iron.

If you want to stop those tailor-made tips from being eaten a good idea is to nickel plate them.

This is easy to do and doesn't take very long.

All you need is a battery, plastic container, some nickel metal (out of a NiCd battery and some nickel sulphate (or other nickel salt). If you search youtube for "nickel plating" you will find lots of how to videos like this one

Easy Nickel And Copper Electroplating Method (3 min 42 sec)

It works well

meg (or tig), you are just making things up again. nickel cannot be used on the working tip because solder will not wet. it will roll off like water on a ducks back. in fact it is often applied to parts of a soldering iron to keep the solder away from that area.

iron plating is the key to a long life and all professional tips require this. its amazing this has not been brought up here. if you want to spend half your life cleaning and filing every 3 minutes use copper tips. otherwise make sure a magnet sticks before buying one.

another popular myth is those fine and dainty "girlie" tips are best for smd work. in fact the opposite is true. a relatively large chisel tip will work better for really tiny parts because you need to get in, transfer the heat and solder, and get out. otherwise expect damaged parts and lifted runs. i own and operate an assembly house and after trying weller and other fancy stations that cost hunderds finally settled on these:



laugh if you like but when your bottom line depends on it the truth comes out. im always amazed at some of the silly suggestions armchair engineers try to push in these forums.

Originally Posted by dave1993

meg (or tig), you are just making things up again. nickel cannot be used on the working tip because solder will not wet. it will roll off like water on a ducks back. in fact it is often applied to parts of a soldering iron to keep the solder away from that area.

You OBVIOUSLY haven't tried it otherwise you would not make such a ridiculous statement.

I too am "amazed at some of the silly suggestions armchair engineers try to push in these forums". You really should stand up occasionally

i dont know whether you are purposely trying to mislead people or actually believe some of the the things you come up with. like the time you insisted on having a 9xr weeks before the first units were released. and similar silliness. i can go dig up some quotes if you like but better to just realize you were caught and keep quiet. best of all to not pull these things to begin with.

anyway, regarding "advantages" of nickel plating:

Originally Posted by Newark technical document

The nickel layer is a non-wetting layer designed to keep the solder from wicking away from the tip's working surface. Without this layer, the solder would travel preferentially up the tip toward the heat source, making it impossible to apply solder to the solder joint.

http://www.newark.com/pdfs/techartic...ingTipLife.pdf


if youre still confused diagrams in that document make it very clear what purpose of nickel is. meg (or tig) im not trying to attack you but really hoping to help you improve on your posting habits.

As I said you need to get out of that armchair and try it.

Oh ...and go ahead and chase up those quotes if you wish. If you took the time to read the thread entirely you would have realized it was a few of us being sarcastic. You obviously have never experienced that.

"sarcastic"? lol! you really need to take my advice and admit mistakes. of follow your own and "stand up" to your mistakes. or, like i said, stop whatever it is you are doing in the first place.

fyi ive owned and operated several of the high end stations described in that document and assure you the nickel plated part did an excellent job of keeping the solder away. so im guessing you either think you know more than the professionals who wrote that white paper or have have not even bothered to read it. anyone who cares to do so will quickly come to their own conclusions.