Soldering Station Guide

There are six soldering stations in the Lab. All are equipped with Hakko FX-888D temperature-controlled irons. Two stations also have hot air rework guns for SMD work.

Safety first

Soldering involves a hot metal tip (up to 400 °C) and flux fumes. Take these precautions seriously:

• Never leave a hot iron unattended. Return it to the stand when not actively soldering.
• Use the fume extractor. Each station has a fan arm — position it between you and the work. Flux fumes are not acutely toxic but chronic exposure is not good for you.
• Tie back long hair. Loose cables from headphones or clothes near a hot iron are also a hazard.
• Wash your hands after soldering. Even lead-free solder contains tin, silver, and copper. Leaded solder (you may encounter it on old boards) contains lead — handle accordingly.

Setting up

1. Turn on the iron using the power switch on the front.
2. Set the temperature: 330 °C for standard through-hole work, 350 °C for lead-free solder, 280 °C for sensitive components.
3. Wait for the iron to reach temperature (15–20 seconds).
4. Tin the tip: touch a small amount of solder to the tip, wipe it on the brass wool cleaner. The tip should be shiny silver. A dull, grey, or crusty tip won't transfer heat well.

Soldering technique

The golden rule: heat the joint, not the solder.

1. Place the tip so it touches both the component lead and the pad simultaneously.
2. Hold for 1–2 seconds to heat the joint.
3. Feed solder into the joint (not onto the tip).
4. Remove the solder, then remove the iron.
5. Don't move the joint for 3–5 seconds while it cools.

A good solder joint is shiny, smooth, and volcano-shaped. A bad joint (cold joint) looks dull and lumpy — reheat and add a tiny bit of fresh solder.

Cleaning the tip

• Between joints: wipe on the brass wool (dry cleaning). Quick and doesn't cool the tip.
• At end of session: use the wet sponge (damp, not soaking), then apply a thick coat of fresh solder to the tip before switching off. This "tinned" tip is protected from oxidation.

Flux

Flux is available in pens and in syringes. Use it liberally for rework and SMD work — it dramatically improves solder flow and reduces bridges. Clean flux residue off the board with IPA and a cotton bud or a flux brush.

Hot air rework

For SMD components, the hot air stations (marked with a red dot) let you reflow solder without contact. Standard settings:

• Temperature: 350 °C
• Air flow: medium (3-4 on the dial)

Move the nozzle in small circles over the component. Don't hold it in one place — you'll lift pads. Use tweezers to remove the component once the solder has reflowed (it'll look shiny and liquid).

After your session

1. Set the iron to standby or turn it off.
2. Clean the tip — tin it before powering off.
3. Wind the iron cable back neatly.
4. Return all borrowed components to the component wall.
5. Dispose of component leads and solder blobs in the bin (not loose on the bench).