Reddit mentions of Kester 44 Solder Wire, 63/37 0.031-in, RMA Rosin, 1-ounce Tube

Get yourself a Weller WE-51 http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

and some Kester 63/37 solder http://www.amazon.com/Kester-Rosin-Core-Solder-Dispense-Pak/dp/B00AVLM4SO/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1454222158&sr=1-3&keywords=kester+63+37

That's all you need

Soldering iron: Hakko FX888D Digital Station with a 5 ft. Spool Soder-Wick Desoldering Braid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YGBUO4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Solder: Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 .031" 1oz Dispense-Pak https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVLM4SO?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Got a soldering iron for Christmas and dove right in. This is my third 60% build, and by far my favorite.

Parts

• Clear acrylic case and Gat greens from Sentraq
  
• PCB from TechKeys
  
• Black aluminum plate and Cherry stabs from Originative
  
• DSA keycaps (PBT) from PMK
  
• LEDs from switchTop
  
• E-Projects 200 Ohm Resistors from Amazon
  
  

  Tools
  

• Solder sucker
  
• Heat Resistant Soldering Mat
  
• Hakko FX888D Soldering Station
  
• Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 .031"
  
• Klein Tools Lightweight Flush Cutter
  
  I'm still tweaking my QMK keymap, but will contribute it to the repo once I get it to a good spot.
  

Indeed. This and this are perfectly adequate for an enormous amount of practice, and come to less than $40, delivered.

It's way, way better kit than what was available inexpensively when I got started.

Check Craigslist for guitars that have electronic issues or are completely dead. For example I got an rg321mh that has a perfect neck and frets for $60. All I had to do was rewire a new input jack. Get a cheap solder pen and some 63/37 rosin core solder.

Wiring guitars is WAY easier then most people think. You can find diagrams for almost any production guitar/pickups.

Just make sure your frets, neck, and nut are good, that stuff is a pain to fix. The rest you're replacing anyways.

I just do a full rewire. Buy the following for a dead guitar: 1. CTS pots. 2. Switchcraft input jack and switch. 3. 22awg cloth sleeved wire. Use a multimeter to check pickups resistance. Or just get some guitar fetish pickups of your choice for a cheap option of new pickups. Then just do the full rewire following a diagram. Make sure to pre-tin your solder pen, the solder point, and your wire. Also sand the back of your cts pots for easier adhesion. Pickup a $5 helping hands from harbor freight to hold stuff to solder.

All this stuff will cost you around $50-60 with a cheap solder pen kit ($12 Amazon) and you will have enough wire and solder to do a bunch of guitars.

You will have a completely rewired guitar in less than 2 hours of work.

Here is links to solder pen, solder, and wire. The rest just lookup for your guitar you're gonna rewire.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Soldering-Iron-Full-Welding/dp/B01712N5C4?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6


https://www.amazon.com/Gavitt-Cloth-covered-Pre-tinned-Pushback-Vintage-style/dp/B00JYJFE72/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=22+awg+wire+cloth&qid=1556147584&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Kester-Rosin-Core-Solder-Dispense-Pak/dp/B00AVLM4SO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=IRV7SJBS91YR&keywords=63+37+solder+kester&qid=1556147625&s=gateway&sprefix=63+37&sr=8-4

If you already own a couple of customs, go Hakko or go home.

Pick that up, and some small gauge Kester 63/37, and you're good to go.

I would recommend solder a little thicker than the other gentleman because with .5mm solder you'll be spending a bit more time feeding the solder than .8mm solder.

I solder at 270 °C. Temperature is more or less a preference (there are limits though).

Soldering keyboards doesn't really require any holding of the pcb. Perhaps you mean holding the solder? - Use your hands.

Edit: bonus soldering station recommendation: If you plan on doing a bit more soldering work in the future you might want to consider this cheap but decent soldering station. Only con is that it doesn't come with extra tips or tweezers etc.

Nothing expensive required. I suggest starting with a kit like this it contains a lot of the tools you will need for keyboards. The only change i would make would be to also get some Kester 44 solder like this. I'm happy to walk you through it via facetime or in person. Let me know.

Kester 44 63/37 is approximately the best solder you can buy for keyboard related needs, available in both 1lb spools and 1oz tubes. Yes it's a bit pricey, but solder is one of those things where you get what you pay for, and dealing with cheapo no-name solder can actually lead to damage to components.

If you don't have any solder I recommend [63/37 Resin Core](Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 .031" 1oz Dispense-Pak https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVLM4SO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xwuEybG623XFQ), don't need flux or anything with resin core, just the solder. GL!

What solder were you using? Either rosin core or lead free? The percentage also matters. I personally use Kester 44 Rosin core solder 63/37 from amazon. I never had any issues.

I'd toss it and buy a small amount of Kester to try. You'll want the big $25 roll after you use it. It is absolutely worth the money. Bad solder is garbage and can make your job really hard.

I recommend a Tekpower TP13 off Amazon. It's a cheap clone of a popular Weller design and I've had one for almost three years now that I still favor over my Hakko for some PCB work. The sponge is enough for a small amount of work but you'll eventually want to go to wire for better tip cleaning. Good solder can also make a big difference in the quality of your work; I use exclusively Kester 63/37 leaded flux core for all of my soldering work with the exception being their "no clean" formula for more sensitive work.

Kester 67/37 0.03" is what I've seen recommended before several times.

It's only slightly thinner than the 0.6mm stuff. I bought a very similar one, because I don't live in the US. It's a good thickness for keyboards. Flows nicely.

That 1lb spool is big enough to last you a lifetime if you're not doing a lot of soldering, you can get smaller quantities.