Date   : Tue, 22 Mar 2016 21:58:59 -0000
From   : blip@... (John)
Subject: Soldering iron and use

Hi Darren

 

 

3. Cheap 5 megawatt irons sold by supermarkets and DIY stores. A bit of 
an exaggeration really, but you will see crazy wattage irons sold for under 
?10 in many places, usually 50W+ and they are hopeless. First they are overly 
hot so you end up with component damage and PCB tracks lifting of of the 
board. Especially with the old phenolic paper boards used in vintage hardware 
that are not through-hole plated. They invariably also have a tip that is
held in with a grub screw that is not thermally balanced and the expansion
and contraction causes the tip to fall out .

 

 

-          On the temperature controlled irons, what?s the best temperature
for old boards like the BBC Micro please? Are these are good idea because
of the temperature control?

 

Thanks

 

 

JT