http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/ Engadget Comments for How-To: Make a surface mount soldering iron http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 7:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 7:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/This is fantastic. I've been putting off buying a proper SMD station because they're so expensive.

Now I have no excuse to remove those crappy SMD green LEDs and swap em with blues!]]>Mar 7th 2006 8:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.surveyor.com/cgi-bin/robot_journal.cgi/2006/03/07#020 - the skillet works great if you want to reflow an entire single-sided.]]>Mar 7th 2006 8:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 9:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 9:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/
Zach]]>Mar 7th 2006 11:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 7th 2006 11:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/
http://www.gideontech.com/content/articles/297/1

[Will] Indeed, it's the same idea. Ours won't melt the hose thanks to the bulb trick.]]>Mar 7th 2006 11:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/
http://www.gideontech.com/content/articles/297/1]]>Mar 8th 2006 2:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 3:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 4:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 4:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 7:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/

wow, you sound purrtty smart! ]]>Mar 8th 2006 8:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 9:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 10:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/
http://articulationllc.home.comcast.net/sm0402.htm

Thanks!
]]>Mar 8th 2006 6:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 8th 2006 6:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Again sorry if I pissed any one off.
]]>Mar 8th 2006 8:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 12th 2006 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/
If you're worried about surrounding components buy some cheap modeling clay and cover them with little snakes of clay. This keeps nearby SM resistors from blowing away.

If you impregnate the solder with Chip Quik first, then a setting of 600F will do the trick.

For resolder, carefully align the chip, tack down a couple of corner pins with a fine soldering pencil (e.g. 15 watt grounded from RS) then melt beads of solder all around the chip. Yes, intentionally form bridges. Heat the beads with a higher power pencil, such as the RS 40 watt pencil. This will insure even heating on all pins and pads. Then come back through with braid and collect the excess removing the bridges.

A small amount of care is needed to not remove too much solder. But it's really pretty simple.

I've removed and reinstalled 208 pin QFPs and 160 pin QFPs using these methods without a failure yet. I did use Chip Quik to lower the heat required for removal, in the case of these big chips.

]]>Mar 13th 2006 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 13th 2006 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 14th 2006 7:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 15th 2006 5:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 18th 2006 8:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Please describe how it doesn't work for you. What kind of components? What kind of solder? My feeling with the device is that it walks a line of being hot enough. Did you let the iron pre-heat enough? Cutting the air flow for a period of time can get it hot enough. For full on smd soldering, I think it has maybe a 40% duty rate.

I tested it with several smd pieces that had been mounted with soldering paste, and it works decently.

More details please!]]>Mar 18th 2006 8:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Mar 19th 2006 7:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/The writeup at usbmicro - linked at the end of the article suggests that preheating the board a bit helps. (placing it a toaster oven for a few minutes, etc.)

When I get a chance, I'll pick up an infrared thermometer and see just how hot I can get it. (probably next month, so I won't have that data too soon)

Did you try pinching the tip with a vice/vice grips or pair of channel lock pliers?

Since we're building a simple heat exchanger here, more surface area is better. I'll suggest putting some more steel wool inside the upper metal tube.

Wrapping the tip in a good quality high heat insulator would also help.

Finally, we could add some copper tubing that wraps around the tip/heating shaft and replaces the upper tube to provide a longer air heating chamber.

If all else fails...
I ran across a not about a hot air etching tool that micheals sells. It runs about $30 and may get plent hot already. However, I haven't had a chance to hunt down this lead. In the bay area at least, there's supposed to be a coupon for %50 of a purchase - yeilding it for $15.

You could probably try it, and if it doesn't get hot enough just return it.]]>Mar 20th 2006 10:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Apr 28th 2006 10:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Apr 28th 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Jul 23rd 2009 4:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.laptopbatteryclub.com/]]>Dec 2nd 2009 10:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Nov 14th 2006 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/Nov 14th 2006 3:33PM