Demands on soldering iron

[patjuh90]

Hi there,

I want to do the arcade button mod on my vci-100 in the near future. I do have a soldering iron at home (it's pretty old). My dad said that he didn't know if the iron is good for the job. So I know it's been used a lot and is old, also it is 100 Watt. So will it be good enough or are there more things that I should know about a soldering iron that will be good enough for the job. And please keep it clear because i'm a bit of a noob in electrical things.

Thanks in advance!

[sj03w4t]

how large is the actual soldering surface?
edit: the tip

[CerebralExcretion]

The main thing with a soldiering iron is that it gets very hot, the hotter the iron, the quicker it melts solder and so the less time you need to spend with it in contact with the component (as high temps will damage most components).

100watt should be plenty hot enough, size of the tip is also a factor but as long as the tip makes good contact with the component and doesn't touch anything else I find it masks little difference.

Just leave it to get nice and hot before you use it, failing that you can pick them up really cheap on ebay.

[patjuh90]

The iron doesn't have a tip. It's like a pistol and has a bend ending like in this picture only it is like more then 10 years old I think haha: http://www.fermtotaal.nl/shop/assort...rset-in-koffer

And I also forgot this: what tin should i use?

[CerebralExcretion]

I see i havent used that style of iron before in all honesty. You may find its difficult to access the points in the board without hitting something else accidentaly, though i have never done the vci-100 button mod so cant be sure of the logistics. Have a practice on something else first see how it feels and how hot it gets (idealy you want the solder melting almost on contact).

Any solder will do really just make sure its fluxed so it flow's well adding the flux yourself can be tedious and messy.

[kaleaf]

100w is hot, its going to be really hard not to burn the traces off the board. A you would use a 20/30/40w radio shack for $10 or 20 something with a better stand or a adjustable station for around $100. For adjustable I like that hakko 936 or I hear weller is good also.

That tip is not at all what you would use.

and you want some rosin or flux filled solder.

You should really buy some 99 cent breadboard (blank pcb) they have those at radioshack if your in the states. Get some led/resistors and stuff and watch some videos and do some connections until you get used to doing connections in like 3-5 seconds, to much more at a high temp could damage some components.

[patjuh90]

Oke thank you for the tips. If i might add; the arcade button mod is just soldering a few wires together and on a button if I got it right, u don't need to solder anything on a pcb. Will it still be to hot for that kind of job?

[kaleaf]

Oke thank you for the tips. If i might add; the arcade button mod is just soldering a few wires together and on a button if I got it right, u don't need to solder anything on a pcb. Will it still be to hot for that kind of job?

Good question, I assumed it was on the pcb, my bad. If the wire is thin and short it could be a problem if your not quick about it. Tin the wires by getting alot of solder on the iron and rubbing the wires. I do not know the best way to join the wires. It still could be a little hot test it out first and maybe wait for some other opinions. Good luck


edit: wanted to add the buttons might be sketchy with that iron because the plastic

[CerebralExcretion]

Its not that its to hot so much as requires more skilled use as Kaleaf said you need to practice. A hot iron will cause least damage but only if your making use of the fact its needs next to no contact time, with the component. This really isnt the best suited iron for the job, you can get someting much easier to use for very little.

If its just a case of sticking two wires together i wouldnt worry but if you are soldering pcb its probably worth getting a new iron and some practice to avoid danage to your controller.

[patjuh90]

Oke thank you guys very much. I will talk to my neighbour cause i think he has more experience with electronics and he has almost all the tools that i don't have