 Joined: 17/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 605 Location: Glen Oaks, N.Y.
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Hi
Looking for advice on tips for a new soldering iron. I settled on the Hakko FX-888D (our daughter in law has one and she is very happy with it). For my Marklin layout, I mostly solder wires to track (current feed) and and maybe this is overkill. But ....
My questions are what tips to have. This model comes with a T18-D16 chisel tip (1.6 mm tip diameter)
and what temperature your set your tool at.
Thanks
Harvey
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 1 user liked this useful post by Harvey
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 Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,555 Location: Paris, France
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Hi Harvey
I am a French Engineer in electronics and I kept my Weller soldering iron (Germany) from the 1980s and is still working fine with temperature regulation.
Mine comes with spare tips that I purchased as spares 30 years after the purchase also in China. I have also a sucction tip to remove solder before extracting a components.
In this day and age, you must later be prepared to process SMDs (Surface Mounted Devices) as all modern electronics has.
One important thing is to watch for replacement tips.
Weller tips have become and standard. Normally soldering tips have a metal surface treatement that make them last for a huge period of time However:
you must change tips on occasions depending on the work you are doing.
Temperature adjustement and other tips
- always start at low temperature (that starts melting your electronic-grade soldering) From 260 to 320°C
- if solder forms rapidly little balls, this means you temperature is too high.
- remember that overheating a PCB will destroy it (unglue the copper from its glass substrate).
- always start with clean surfaces to apply solder to. This is especially important with rails (no paint, no oil, no chemical treatment
- never, EVER use the soldering tip to do ANYTHING ELSE than soldering
- when soldering on stainless steel, use soldering water
- if you fail soldering something, clean thouroughly the surfaces to solder and start again
- remember that with solder, there is a "product" caller flux to help soldering so as soon as you melt new solder, you mudst rapidely start soldering before all the flux is gone
Cheers
Jean |
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5 users liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,886 Location: Michigan, Troy
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Hello Harvey. The webinar last week covered soldering because someone asked about the best type of solder, iron, and tips.
One with adjustable temperature is the most versatile. I use a narrow tip for smaller wires and terminals and a larger tip for larger.
A wider tip can concentrate more heat but may not be best for certain audruno boards, chips or resistors and capacitors. A cool soldering is for certain things, but you usually don't want cold solder connections as the heating and cooling of the components can loosen it up. Clean tips are very crucial. A thin coating of clean shiny solder is ok, and may help it adhere. Also on wires, and led terminals for example. Some components require a heat sink ahead of the connection to protect them from the iron heat.
Solder and flux type is also important. Some fluxes can damage the protective coating of some electronics and boards.
Otherwise it's really a personal preference. Lead free, or solder with integral flux, tin, etc.
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1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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Joined: 17/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 605 Location: Glen Oaks, N.Y.
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Both, thank you for the input. I have copied this to save so as to remind me of safe soldering techniques.
Regards
Harvey
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1 user liked this useful post by Harvey
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 Joined: 21/05/2004(UTC) Posts: 1,768 Location: Brisbane, Queensland
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With the improvement in battery technology, you can buy completely portable irons powered by Lio-ion and for relatively cheap I will add (such as Weller WLBRK12)
Highly recommend because the portability of no cables dangling over your layout when needing to solder is a huge advantage in avoiding possible damage (at least depending what scenery etc is done) |
modelling era IIIa (1951-1955) Germany |
2 users liked this useful post by applor
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 Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,452 Location: Scotland
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I also have a Hakko which is great and I am sure you have made a good choice.
David |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
2 users liked this useful post by David Dewar
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,273
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Weller is the best soldering iron you can buy it!
Adjustable degrees are necessary if you want to soldering electronics or the tracks.
Märklin tracks rail are tough and need higher temperature to fix it. |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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1 user liked this useful post by Goofy
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Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,452 Location: Scotland
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Originally Posted by: Goofy  Weller is the best soldering iron you can buy it!
Adjustable degrees are necessary if you want to soldering electronics or the tracks.
Märklin tracks rail are tough and need higher temperature to fix it. See my post above. Hakko is great for me. |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
2 users liked this useful post by David Dewar
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 Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,334
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Hakko, JBC and Weller are all very good, from what I understand.
I think that for the most we need, the Hakko iron David mentioned has a very good price, probably the best option.
I used a JBC and it was excellent. 2 years ago I bought a chinese controlled temperature station by 35 euros and it worked until I pushed it in higher temperatures for about 1 hour. The hand
piece plastic melted near the tip and it is now basically unusable.
I currently don't have much need to use a soldering iron, but the next ones will be Weller for wireless or Hakko as a soldering station. The models I see from JBC are a bit expensive.
Miguel
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Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.
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2 users liked this useful post by mbarreto
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Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC) Posts: 2,261 Location: Hobart, Australia
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Hi Harvey and Märklineers, Harvey, In reply to your original query regarding what temperature for soldering - you can find a confusing array of answers. For lead solder soldering I am very comfortable with 340 -350 degree centigrade, as has been suggested on this group. The same has been proposed for silver soldering by electric soldering iron but WBT silver solder (which I have now settled on) says 290 deg centigrade however a diverse range of temperatures can be found on the web for silver soldering. I have been following this thread because I recently had a fit of enthusiasm for silver soldering. IIRC (don't you just love acronyms  ) I was first enlightened on the subject in a thread on this great forum in the past. My joys with silver soldering have lead me to re-explore various soldering temperature recommendations, soldering irons, silver and other solder makeup etc , particularly with the advice found on this group. Hitherto I kept my humble head down, thinking that my el cheapo temperature-controlled soldering iron was unmentionable. It has however served me extremely well in the last 10 years since I nicked it off my youngest son, an audio engineer, after I realised I needed a temperature controlled soldering iron. I have been waiting for it to fail or become unsatisfactory so I might acquire one from the topshelf recommended here - but to no avail !  Along the way I have re-read all the old soldering threads on our group, so imagine my surprise when I found I was not alone in running my antiquated Dick Smith Electronics machine after I found a compatriot-user in no lesser user-group antipodean stalwart than Bigdaddynz  : https://www.marklin-user...ing-iron.aspx#post90163.here is the vintage brute :  and in the midst of a digital age, I view a humble meter ! :  So, I guess what works for you works for you, particularly if it is temperature controlled.  Happy Soldering, PJ 
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7 users liked this useful post by PJMärklin
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Joined: 17/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 605 Location: Glen Oaks, N.Y.
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PJ
Thanks for the temperature suggestions
Harvey
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1 user liked this useful post by Harvey
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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Originally Posted by: PJMärklin I have been following this thread because I recently had a fit of enthusiasm for silver soldering https://www.marklin-user...8-Continuous-Welded-RailSilver soldering, hard 780°C, medium 750°C easy 720°C solders. You will need to use a propane torch. Many years ago I did silver jewellery.
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1 user liked this useful post by Toosmall
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 Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 18,771 Location: New Zealand
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Originally Posted by: Toosmall Silver soldering, hard 780°C, medium 750°C easy 720°C solders. You will need to use a propane torch. Many years ago I did silver jewellery. The Silver solder PJ is using is only part Silver although it is lead free - I have some of that here too - we can get it from Jaycar. Works fine with a temperature around 350°C.
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1 user liked this useful post by Bigdaddynz
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Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC) Posts: 2,261 Location: Hobart, Australia
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Originally Posted by: Bigdaddynz The Silver solder PJ is using is only part Silver although it is lead free - I have some of that here too - we can get it from Jaycar. Works fine with a temperature around 350°C. Also in addition to the Jaycar "Stay Brite" I am using WBT, which I prefer (both show on original image posted) 
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Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC) Posts: 9,588 Location: Australia
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Uncle Dick made some great stuff before he sold the business. Later on, he also made great peanut paste (or butter as some know it). |
Adrian Australia flag by abFlags.com |
1 user liked this useful post by xxup
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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I have two Goot PX-335 85 - 120 watt soldering irons from Jaycar. Really nice for the smaller soldering jobs. For the larger jobs, drill a hole in a block of wood & stand up 175 amp Anderson lug & 2/3 fill lug with solder. I use a Bosch heat gun, & simply set it to 630°C.  Don't use tin only solder. Apart from more of a pest to solder, you get tin solder whiskers. P.S. Heat gun at lower temperature is great for shrinking heatshrink tube.
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2 users liked this useful post by Toosmall
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