Reddit mentions: The best welding equipment & accessories

You're getting some great advice here, and I'm glad you're enjoying the process of learning to solder! I thought I'd copy a previous post of mine going over my favorite fluxes. Maybe it'll be useful to you as well!

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Certainly not the same. Over time you'll acquire a number of fluxes that you use for different things. You'll want different types depending on the kind of soldering you're doing, or if you're trying to ensure compatibility (i.e. with a flux-cored solder) between fluxes. I mostly use no-clean but rosin fluxes are great. You're supposed to clean them off but there are plenty of 30 year old boards with rosin flux residue on them that work fine. A note on flux pens, I personally hate them. I'm referring to the ones that are built like those paint markers with the tip you need to push in to get it to flow. Very overpriced for the amount of flux and they never work right. Bonkote brush pens are the best, but unfortunately expensive. They are however refillable and the brush tips are replaceable and relatively cheap. The cheap dispenser bottles work great as well but for very thin fluxes are easier to make a mess with.

Here are my go-to fluxes:

• MG Chemicals RA Flux - This is a classic. Cheap, very effective. Very sticky and easily clogs flux pens/dispenser bottles, but great stuff.
  
  
• MG Chemicals No-clean Paste Flux - Great stuff, I prefer it to the Chip Quick paste flux although that's also quite good and a little more tacky. This is a thicker flux than the liquid rosin stuff, good for removing bridges and such. I transfer any flux that comes in a syringe to a 3mL syringe. Smaller syringe means you use less force to get more pressure, easier to dispense from small needles. Stick 2 syringes together - nose to nose - with a half inch length of silicone tubing. Let's you get maximum flux volume without entrapped air that will cause oozing.
  
  
• Kester 186 RMA Flux - Slightly less active than the MG Chemicals RA but very good. Thinner and easier to dispense. Side note, this seller (Tekline) also has a great eBay store. Only way to get some of these fluxes without buying a gallon of flux or one of those shitty overpriced flux pens.
  
  
• Edsyn FL22 No-clean Paste Flux - By far the best paste flux I've ever used. Nothing comes close for removing difficult solder bridges. It's not cheap though so I reserve it for tough situations.
  
  
• Kester 959T No-clean - Great general purpose no-clean flux. Very thin, like water. It's a true no-clean flux if a board goes through a reflow cycle - it completely disappears if you don't overdo it. It's also excellent for dip-soldering if you use a solder-pot, which is what it is intended for (wave-soldering).
  
  I have a water soluble flux that I use as well Kester 2331-ZX but you must clean all traces of it off before you put boards into service, so it only comes out rarely.
  
  Flux - like solder - is one of those things that seems expensive when you buy the good stuff, but unless you're a CM buying drums of it the cost-per-use is so low that it makes no sense to fuss with the cheap shit IMHO.
  
  And speaking of flux, if you want clean shiny boards then consider getting some flux remover. The best I've used so far is Techspray E-line Universal Cleaner. Used to use MG Chemicals Heavy Duty Flux Remover but this beats the pants off it - does the job in 5 minutes where the MG would take half an hour. Rosin-fluxes clean easily unless you reflow them or let them get baked on. No-clean fluxes don't usually need to be cleaned - hence the name - but if you use rosin flux to rework a board (i.e. solder through-hole parts onto a board that was reflowed with no-clean) and then use bad flux remover, the no-clean will turn into a white powdery film that's very unattractive and hard to clean. Thus a good flux remover is handy.
  
  If you're careful with it you can really stretch it out. I recommend against the aerosol cans of flux remover. While they can work well they're expensive and very wasteful, and by the time you clean off a particularly challenging flux you'll have emptied the $20 can.
  
  EDIT: One little trick that most EEs I've met aren't aware of - pick up a little bit of straight phosphoric acid. It works like magic if you ever need to solder to bare aluminum, steel, or stainless steel. You could probably use an acid flux (usually intended for plumbing) but I can't imagine it being any better than regular old cheap phosphoric acid. You'll never get regular flux and solder to wet steel, but this makes it just as easy as soldering anything else.

Absolutely!

How to Solder

Various soldering irons from Radioshack - If you're doing simple DIY stuff you won't need anything for overkill.

Some lead solder (hard to find at a store, works better than resin solder and won't be legal for much longer so stock up)

A good website for project kits, parts, tutorials, and schematics - site is down for maintenance at the moment

Shameless plug for a class I took- Links to CircuitMaker (abandon-ware but good circuit modeling software, easier to use than PSPICE or similar). It also has charts for reading resistors and standard capacitor/inductor/resistor component values as well as datasheets for common components in audio.

The advanced section of that class with links to schematics, datasheets, and parts stores.

Some more topics to look over

Distortion:

Diode clipper and clamper circuits. Simple, cheap, and easy to build. They also sound pretty good too and there are tons of circuits out there. Tube screamer's use diodes.

Transistor distortion circuits are usually variations on these effects, or by using a transistor as two diodes (I've seen it in a few circuits, kind of weird and I'm not sure it totally works in theory). The Fuzz Face and other "fuzz" pedals use transistor distortion circuits.

I can't find any good sources for using tubes for distortion and I've only done it once for a school project where I had to modify a tube screamer to actually use tubes, and my only source is a textbook that isn't officially published. If I find any later I'll post this again.

Filters, equalizers, etc

Texas Instruments has a good resource on designing active filters, low pass, high pass, bandpass and band reject. Don't skip over the math, it's actually important for designing the filters. You don't really need to understand the complex numbers and transfer functions in the s domain but understanding how to find a cutoff frequency is important.

Probably the most popular filter of all time, the moog transistor ladder filter is pretty freaking cool in design. I have no idea how it works, but it sounds awesome and looks like an advanced DIY project.

Another popular filter, the Dunlop Crybaby. The thing to note is it uses a bandpass filter using a toroidal inductor and capacitor instead of two capacitors. This makes it pretty expensive to build (the housings can be a bitch to find too), but it sounds amazing. I've seen mods with a variable Q pot but I'm not sure how that one works.

Dynamics Processors

How they work is difficult to explain without understanding some circuit theory and electronics and there tends to be math involved (as you may notice from the filter section)

THAT Corporation makes awesome audio ICs and has example circuits for designing compressor/limiter/gate circuits using them. Way easier than trying to figure out FET circuits and how to design a VCA.

Also, /r/diyaudio and /r/diypedals are good subreddits where most people know what they're talking about and are supportive of projects.

Remember if you ever find yourself trying to design something and it isn't working out, there's probably an IC for that. My friend who works for Shure tells me when he interned he was designing a bunch of complicated circuits, and the boss just laughed and told him to order an IC. They make ICs for everything.

Oh man, something I can finally contribute to on this sub, I do electronics repair and a ton of microsoldering. Sorry to hijack but I'm here way too late and a main level comment will never be seen

Solder naturally wants to stick to copper (the circular "pads" are copper or some copper alloy, and the legs should have some amount of copper in it as well) when it's liquid, so getting a 'volcano' is a lot easier than you'd think. The trick is to keep the pad, pin, and solder you're feeding in hot, as soon as it starts to solidify it becomes significantly more work to re-heat and rework. If it's not perfect, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as it's making solid contact and wouldn't come loose from you tapping the key, you're good to go. Excess solder is perfectly fine as long as it's not bridging.

Another thing on solder, GET LEAD SOLDER, lead free solder is a giant pain in the ass. It doesn't melt easily, clumps and balls up, and will not heat up evenly. Also have proper ventilation, solder/flux fumes are not good.

Another possible reason for having problems is your soldering iron tip being dirty/oxidized. If it's looking black or really dull you need to clean it in a wire sponge like this. Stick the tip in and furiously move it around. If it's still dull after that/you've used the same tip for a long time, you need to tin it with a tinner, like this (lead free is totally fine for this, just dip it in while it's hot for 1-3s and clean it in the wire sponge immediately after. Smoke is normal (don't breathe it in) and it'll come out real freaking shiny.

Flux is basically a liquid-gel-ish substance that covers whatever you're working on so it doesn't oxidize and make a bad connection, although for larger scale soldering like keyboards with a ton of contact area it's not nearly as much a concern. Flux also helps a lot with more even heat distribution, as in if you need to rework/remove solder just apply a ton of flux and it'll help heat up the solder more evenly/liquefy it more quickly.

Flux is non-conductive so you don't have to worry about it bridging anything, and you can leave it on if you want to but it's always good to clean it with 99% alcohol after because it gets dry and nasty pretty quick (about the same texture and consistency as dried jizz, pretty undesirable).

Wick is a copper weave that soaks up solder when you're trying to remove it. If you, for example, bridge a connection, you would apply flux over the whole area, put the wick directly over the spot, and your iron directly on top of that. You'll be able to see the solder flow 'upwards' through the weave and the copper will turn silver.

The finer the "weave" of the wick the more effective it is, finer also means more flexible so you can tell really easily. Once a section is silvery with solder you should cut it off and unroll some fresh wick. Also copper conducts heat really well so hold it far away from the place where your iron is touching it or use heat proof gloves if you want to (not rubber/latex ones, they'll probably melt into your skin or something).

P.S. If you're having a lot of trouble removing the factory solder, that's probably because it's lead free solder. Add some leaded solder and melt it in, everything will come out easier. If you're REALLY having issues after a ton of flux, use a heat gun, be careful to not melt the plastics on the other side, although the PCB usually isolates heat pretty well

P.P.S. Don't ever heat anything for too long, if it's not coming off check the temp on your iron (you can just see how melty it is, don't need a thermometer or anything), and if it's at a good temp try adding flux or solder or both, or get a better wick. If a pad comes off the board you're fucked unless you wanna spend an hour jumping.

P.P.P.S. If you have the option, go for a blade-style soldering tip. It's really good for rougher applications like this and heats things up super fast.

ama if anyone still cares

there are about 5-6 other components that I could still replace in the horizontal linearity circuit and I will probably do this. I do think it will solve the issue but I will likely try because of how much effort and money I have invested into this set. I love the set other than the geometry problems and the geometry issue isn't really that noticeable in 3D games. I don't notice it at all when playing Super Mario 64 and N64 looks great on the JVC D201 set. Also, keep in mind that when you are dealing with geometry issues, you only need to focus on the horizontal and vertical linearity circuits which contain 20-30 aluminum electrolytic capacitors combined. Replacing capacitors isn't hard at all with the right tools. I did make sure to watch a ton of videos on how to solder and desolder and I bought my tools based on recommendations in Youtube videos and on several electronics forums.
 
I use this soldering iron and it works great, https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888D-23BY-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B00ANZRT4M/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hakko+soldering+iron&qid=1556333443&s=gateway&sr=8-3
 
I use this solder sucker and it is also great. You just have to make sure to push out the old solder with the pump after every 1-2 connections, https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=engineer+solder+sucker&qid=1556333566&s=gateway&sr=8-3
 
I recommend have a desoldering wick as backup as well. Use a no-clean solder wick of 2.0mm for general desoldering. As far as flux, flux paste is easier to use as it doesn't drip. The AMTECH NC-559-V2-TF no-clean tacky solder flux is good. Any no clean liquid flux from Kester or MG Chemicals will work fine as well. Definitely get some wire cutters for cutting solder and cutting component leads.
 
I use this solder (I recommend lead solder with a rosin core and also no clean) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJOU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Any time you work on a CRT, you need to discharge the anode cap. This is very easy to do with the proper tools. For example, you could use a flat head screwdriver and an alligator clip wire to do this. You connect one end to the screw driver, the other end to a ground point on the CRT chassis (i.e. the metal frame around the CRT), slide the screwdriver under the rubber anode cap with the CRT unplugged until you hit the metal connector in the metal. Rub the screwdriver on this metal connector for about 5 seconds and it will be discharged. Retrotech on Youtube has a video on how to do this. I wouldn't say you need $80 electrical gloves to do this but at least wear a rubber or leather glove or both and only use one hand. Retrotech actually has quite a few videos on how to work on CRTs.
 
Overall, doing basic things like replacing capacitors in CRTs isn't that hard, you just have to spend the time to educate yourself, be patient and it will click. If you have any questions, just ask me or anyone else on here. If you ever work on any power circuit capacitors, make sure to discharge them with a high wattage and ohm rated resistor but using insulated pliers to hold the resistor legs to the capacitor legs for about 5 seconds to discharge the cap before you remove it.

If you can't get it with a Q-tip, it's nothing to worry about. Grab yourself a soldering iron on Amazon, as well as some quality solder and flux. I will link some in an edit to this comment in a few minutes. Also, screw everyone else in this thread, that is damn near the perfect amount of thermal paste.

EDIT: Here are my recommendations and reasons!

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SOLDERING IRONS:

Cheapo soldering iron:

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https://www.amazon.com/GLE2016-Soldering-Adjustable-Temperature-Different/dp/B01N413T8U/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=soldering+iron&qid=1554943755&s=gateway&sr=8-5

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This one will do you some good for the quick fix, although I can't speak to the longevity of the iron or its ability to melt some of the higher temperature solders that factories use.

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More expensive (but WAAAAAAY BETTER) iron:

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https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=soldering+iron&qid=1554943755&s=gateway&sr=8-6

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This is a great soldering iron if you think electronics is something you'd like to get into. Quality replaceable tips are available, and it has a stand and comes with a cleaning sponge. I've used these, and absolutely love them. Honestly though, if this is going to be one of very few times you solder, just go for the cheap one.

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SOLDER:

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The cheap iron comes with some solder, and honestly you can probably get away with that for this one repair. If you decide to get the more premium iron though, here is some good solder:

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https://www.amazon.com/Mudder-Solder-Electrical-Soldering-0-22lbs/dp/B01B61TWGY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=solder&qid=1554944194&s=gateway&sr=8-5

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OR (I've never used this particular solder but MG chemicals is a great brand)

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https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Leaded-Solder-Diameter/dp/B004258YDE/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=mg+chemicals+no+clean&qid=1554944408&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

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I usually stick to smaller diameter solders because you have a lot more control over how much you're putting onto a joint. This stuff is good, but really you just need to make sure it's lead solder because it melts a lot easier and is easier for beginners to work with.

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FLUX:

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If you want your joints to form and form well, you need some flux. At least coming from me, this is mandatory. Here's some good no-clean flux that you can use that will mostly evaporate off and shouldn't be much fuss to clean.

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https://www.amazon.com/Paste-10-milliliters-Pneumatic-Dispenser/dp/B00425FUW2/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=mg+chemicals+no+clean&qid=1554944408&s=gateway&sr=8-3

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TUTORIAL:

Although kind of slow, here's a pretty good soldering guide. This relates more to soldering electrical components, but most of the lessons remain the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkkfK937mU

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Best of luck!

No problem! Happy to help. I study computer science, but there's something about soldering that has always given me a greater sense of accomplishment than any code I write, so I'm happy to see your excitement towards it as well.

That's the same soldering station that I use, so you're good there. Great tip with a nice, fine point. Perfect for soldering to small pads, as you plan to. I prefer straight tips, but that's just preference and you may or may not like your chosen tip better.

You're definitely going to need some other materials. I would provide links to them all but I'm on mobile and that would be a huge pain in the ass. Things you will need:

• Desoldering braid
  
• Flux (the most important thing to have, this is worth its weight in gold)
  
• Leaded solder (lower melting point, heat kills components so the less heat you have to apply the better, always)
  
• 28 awg wire should work for this application
  
  
  Like I said in the list, the less heat you need the better. When you're desoldering the connector, the best way to go about this would be to put leaded solder over top of the existing solder so that they mix which will decrease the melting temperature required for the successive desoldering attempts.
  
  I also suggest a hot air station if you're wanting to really get into this kind of stuff. It may even be necessary for a beginner to desolder this type of connector without damaging the board, honestly. I use this hot air station and it's been fantastic.
  
  If you have any more questions I'll be happy to answer them.

>I am worried about the soldering

Soldering is easy. Use this solder and a decent quality hot pen, optimally with adjustable heat that goes up to 500C, you'll need the extra heat for soldering down the 12ga power wires to the flat contacts on the hotbed. I bought this kit on a Christmas sale for like $20 and it was fantastic for my build; had everything I needed. The pen might not last a lifetime like a Hakko or Weller pro station, but it got the job done wonderfully and I'm sure it will get me through my second v3 build here in about a week. (yes, I love this one so much, I'm building a second!)

>cutting out of plastic pieces

There's no cutting anything out, everything is laser cut for you already, you just pop it out.

>is it pretty self-explanatory?

The instructions could be clearer, I'll say. They could definitely reorder a few steps to make the build a bit easier during later steps. That said, it all came together without any issues. Just make sure you keep everything WELL organized.

Now listen,

Disregard everyone on this sub that says "deltas are more difficult," including and especially those with "Rostock Max V2 w/E3dV6" in their flair! ;-) Seriously folks, the meme that deltas are more difficult is dead. Repetier firmare has advanced to the point where calibrating them is even easier than Cartesian and I mean that!

Just so you're aware, I had in my possession 2 Cartesians prior to building this delta, and the cartesians never printed 100 microns perfectly. Literally straight after I finished my v3 build, ran the calibration script, dialed in KISSlicer, and hit print, the Rostock was laying down 100 microns at 80-100mm/sec without issue. I've never had a print lift off the heated bed, and I don't use anything to increase adhesion, just the bare glass.

At .3mm layer height, I can push the speed to 160mm/sec which seems to be the limit of the 8-bit RAMBo board before it starts artifcating pretty routinely. Nothing severe, but there's definitely some imperfections at that speed. Guess what: no one on this sub is printing 160mm/sec on their Cartesians without it looking like absolute shit, and my 160mm/sec prints are passable for prototypes. You're just not going to get that much speed with that high of a precision out of a desktop Cartesian, even with a bowden. You just will not.

Much larger build volume. Lower maintenance. Awesome SeeMeCNC customer support. Higher precision. Faster build times.

Listen, I could have streched my budget and gotten 3 Prusa MK2s and had a friggen sweet little farm going for what I'm paying for two v3s, but the MAX v3 is simply the superior option if you can afford the slightly higher price over the MK2. If you can't hit $999+shipping, just get the MK2. If you can hit that target, just get the v3. It's a better printer.

So I got into the first batch on massdrop for the WhiteFox by Matt3o. Price wasn't too bad, picked the Aria with Cherry MX browns, came out to 189 shipped I believe (I can look at massdrop, but I don't recall if that included shipping or not). I will say that this wasn't planned, or at least I didn't think it was planned. I thought I got the assembled version, but I actually got the kit. I contacted massdrop about it, who was very kind but simply told me what I ordered and provided the receipt. Yup, I fucked up... or did I?

For those who are like me, decent with there hands but never did this before don't sweat it. It isn't that hard, but here are a few tips (esp if you have a WhiteFox you need to assemble):

• Google. Matt3o had a great post on this with some videos / catchy music. There is also a video series from Input Club.
  
• Get a decent iron. I got the Weller WLC100 from Amazon, cost me 40 bucks with a thing of .3mm rosin core solder. I think the steel wool cleaner was another 5 bucks since I didn't trust a 500F tip against a sponge :)
  
• If you get the Weller WLC100, or any Iron that has a tip that looks like a screw driver get a chizzel tip. It was a pain in the ass to do the LED with that flat tip. I would recommend also a steel wool cleaner, not required but made cleaning the tip while the iron was hot easy as hell.
  
  Soldering the switches was a breeze. Did I fuck up a few solders? Sure, but the switch works :) Did I fuck up a few of the LED and had to desolder / resolder them, fuck ya lol. The LED solder pads are fucking tiny. That is all I will have to say. My only tip would be take your time, and when you put the LED in make sure you bent the leads a bit to make sure they don't fall through (now you know why I had to desolder and resolder).
  
  Besides that from unboxing to testing fully on my wife's laptop (ill get into that below, which is kinda funny) took me a little under 3 hours.. Not bad for a first time, and the feeling that I actually built something I will use for years to come is amazing. The keyboard overall is a joy to type on, and I love it.
  
  The only non-keyboard related issue I had was with the LED actually. So I did the top row of LEDs, and then plugged it into my machine. Machine recognized the keyboard like it did with all the switch tests I did as I soldered them, the LED would turn on and then off about two seconds later. I panicked, checked the solder joints and then searched the internet. I got nowhere, so I emailed Mat3o. Since it was late, I went to my wife's laptop downstairs (mine is in the truck, and I am too lazy to undo the alarm to go outside and get it) and it worked fine. Everything worked fine. This computer will be formatted tomorrow since there is a number of issues I found with system files, thank you Windows 10 updates /s (I looked at the windows updates logs to when the issue started - or issues, and it was after an update which ended up corrupting a few system DLL).
  
  TL;DR:
  
  
• Build my first mechanical keyboard
  
• Hate soldering LED(s), will never do it again
  
• Love the WhiteFox Aria
  
  Edit
  
  Does anyone understand how the hell you update the firmware?
  
  Edit #2
  
  Along with updating the firmware, a manual or at least tell me which controller is in here :)
  
  Super Important Edit #3
  
  Flash your firmware! /u/mister-la gave me a great article here but I wanted to add that for some reason my board came with some firmware issues which caused the LED issue. It was only happening on Windows 10 for whatever reason, and what would happen is the keyboard would be recognized by Windows and LED would turn on, along with do the little "device plugged in" noise. About 2-3 seconds later the keyboard would still function but the LED would not work, and then do the "device disconnected" chime. I did some Google FU along with searching the input club and realized back in late May they released a new firmware to solve a ton of USB bugs for the KLL board, which is what the WhiteFox runs.
  
  I ended up following the article above except the GUI tool ended up crashing. What I did was take a blank Aria firmware from input.club, and flashing it with dfu-util.exe. It is really simple:
  
  

1. Download your firmware into a separate folder if you want, mine is C:\WhiteFox\Firmware
   
   
2. Download the KII-DFU into a separate folder. Mine is under C:\WhiteFox\KII-DFU
   
   
3. Open a command prompt as an admin (winkey + X, command prompt with admin) and then change directory to your KII-DFU folder (CD C:\WhiteFox\KII-DFU)
   
   
4. Connect a separate keyboard, and then on the back of your whitefox click the little button in the back of the keyboard (there is a hole in the frame so you can get to it with a small allen key). Hold it down until the keyboard disconnects from Windows and then release the button. It should be orange.
   
   
5. Run the following command, which will flash the firmware and then reboot the keyboard: KII-DFU.exe -D C:\WhiteFox\Firmware\kiibohd.dfu.bin
   
   That is what fixed my keyboard, and now it works wonderfully. I think its pretty awesome how the configurator tool on Input Club allows you to remap a bunch of the keys with ease, and then using the command line flashing is a breeze.
   
   Cheers!
   
   
   
   
   
   

I've only used an Oxy-Acetylene torch once - it was actually to loosen up some really rusty bolts with heat. Sucks about the cracked hose. Cutting steel easily is cool - I know Harbor Freight sells a plasma cutter now too, but that certainly seems like overkill.

As for a decent MIG welder, I have to figure that out myself. Here is the Harbor Freight MIG, which is a step up from the one I have now, and is probably decent.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, here are some MIG welders with good reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500549-Auto-Wire-Welder/dp/B002VECKTC/ref=sr_1_3?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1411992701&sr=1-3&keywords=mig+welder

http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500559-Handler-Wire-Welder/dp/B009X43F38/ref=sr_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1411992701&sr=1-1&keywords=mig+welder

http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Electric-K2185-1-Handy-Welder/dp/B000QFNZ74/ref=sr_1_4?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1411992701&sr=1-4&keywords=mig+welder

Glad I could inspire you with my post! I can understand having a kid could definitely slow things down, but I wish you the best of luck. Send me a message if you build anything cool, I'd love to see it!

This is my iron. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It's not a great iron, it's a good enough iron, and you can get replacement tips pretty cheap. (I'm actually wanting to upgrade to a $150 Weller, but my iron still works fine. I want better heat control and thermal capacity, but this is one of those "if you can't explain why you need it, you don't need it yet" things.) I also bought this tip cleaner on the same order apparently, I prefer it to a sponge but it's not necessary.

This is the solder I bought most recently. It's honestly a little on the thick side, and multi-core would be better, but it was cheap and works fine. Without the rosin, you'd need flux; they etch the metal to remove the oxide layer that naturally forms and would inhibit a good joint. Thin solder melts faster and gives you more control over how much you apply.

There's other stuff that isn't strictly necessary, but is useful. I have a heat antistatic may on my work bench, and a cheap fume extractor set up behind it; I won't bother linking it because it doesn't have any kind of filter in it. The rosin smoke and the lead are both kinda toxic, so a well-ventilated area and/or a good fume extractor are important. I also keep flux paste, desoldering wick, a solder sucker, and a set of helping hands on my workbench, but I use all that stuff because I do a fair bit of electronics work, YMMV.

For references, Dave of EEVBlog fame has a three part tutorial on soldering which covers all the bases pretty well. He'll also leave you saying "sohldah" instead of "sodder," which is a fun way to annoy American EEs.

Edit: This is my workbench, for reference since I'm in that room right now. There's heat shrink on the helping hands, a trick I straight up stole from /u/bulbufet. It keeps the alligator clips from digging into wires, though the heat shrink has to be replaced periodically as the teeth will eventually work their way through it. And if you don't want to slap together a solder holder out of MDF, you can buy them, but where's the fun in that?

I've started to get into electronics myself, and I can say that soldering is easy, but you need the right tools for the job.
You'll need an adjustable temperature soldering iron and 1/2 milimeter iron/lead solder as the bare minimum.

I suggest grabbing some tip tinner, solder wick & vacuum, and some cheap boards to practice soldering.

This video shows how to do the actual soldering, while this video covers the tools you'll need and explains their use. These videos are made by EEV Blog and explain soldering in GREAT detail, which is how I learned to do it.



As far as making actual circuits, you have to have an idea AND parts to fulfill your idea. The Arduino UNO is a great way to program and test circuits. It's essentially a small comptuer designed to repeat whatver task you give it over and over. Alternatively, there's the Raspberry Pi, which comes in a few different models. The difference between the Pi and the Arduino is that the Pi is essentially a mini computer. You can literally hook it up to a monitor via hdmi and slam an operating system into it.

Both boards typically come in kits like this one for the Ardunio, or this one for the Raspberry Pi. The Ardunio kits with come with a lot of peripherals, like sensors and LEDs that actually do things, while you'll have to invest more with a Raspberry Pi. These kits come with detailed instructions, code you can copy and paste, and are a great way to learn how circuitry works, and is exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, I've just done a decent amount of research to find out what's what.

There are two ways to hook up circuits - temporarily and (somewhat) permanently. Breadboards are used to prototype circuits without having to solder anything, typically using these wires to link different parts of the circuits together. Soldering components to those green boards I linked earlier is what you'd do when you have your circuit up and running and want to move it to something more permanent. I say "more" permanent because you can usually de-solder stuff if you needed a component for something.

Adafruit has a decently sized library of projects you can try. They often sell stuff in kits where you get everything you need to make something -- for example, this DIY MIDI controller.

Sparkfun has a great series of articles that explain the very basics of circuits and electricity

Hopefully I've explained everything enough so that you can venture off on your own. Feel free to ask questions!

Don't use lead-free solder, that was my lesson a few days ago. And I was pretty okay with it... but man, the 60/40 stuff is night and day difference with its lower melting point.

Use flux. Like a lot of it. Get one of the containers of it. Anything you're about to touch the soldering iron to, dip it into the flux or wipe flux onto it. I always forget this and when I remember, again, huge difference, things are much easier. I don't understand how it works, I think it conducts heat, but it definitely helps. Even if you have flux-core solder, do this, the flux inside the solder is not enough.

Keep solder on your iron. Any time you need to heat something, put some solder on the iron (if it doesn't already have some) and THEN touch it to that thing. Don't just touch it dry onto something. The solder on the iron is called a solder bridge and it vastly helps heat up whatever you're trying to heat.

When it comes to soldering tips, the bigger the better. And don't use the stupid cone ones; get one of them with one or two flat sides to it. Obviously you can go too big, but the bigger it is, the more surface/mass to conduct the heat from the iron to the thing you're heating.

Preferably get a temperature controlled iron. I heat up things like bullets (non-sensitive components) to 410 C and sensitive things like my ESC wires I drop down to 370. Don't hold it for more than about 10 seconds, if you need longer you're doing something wrong, and the heat is being conducted down the wire onto the sensitive components. You can hold it to the bullet as long as you want though. If the flux is turning black and chunking up your solder, the iron is too hot (it's burning the flux).

Pre-tin wires and bullets. Might be best to find a youtube video. For wires, basically put some solder on the very end of the wire bundle, hold your iron there and try to push your solder into the side of the bundle. When the bundle gets hot enough, you will be able to just push solder into the bundle and it'll disappear as the bundle sucks it up. Once you fill the bundle it'll collect on the outside and that's when you know to stop. For bullets, just put some solder in it and hold the iron until the solder sticks to the edges (sort of makes a U shape), that's when you know the bullet itself heated up enough. Make sure to put enough solder in the bullet, I usually underestimate so I put a little more than I think I need and it turns out alright.

Oh and learn what a cold solder joint is. Don't do it. You can't just heat up solder in the bullet, and then shove your wire into it. Always pull on your connection (HARD) after you solder it to make sure you didn't make a cold joint. But usually you'll know when you made a proper joint, the heat should be adequate and the solder should flow.

These have been my latest lessons learned, hope it helps. Soldering bullets is still a HUGE pain.

edit: (I keep editing) -- make sure to get one of these brass sponge things, basically you shove the iron into it a couple times and it 'wipes' the old solder/flux off the tip, then you tin the tip again (i.e. just put a thin layer of solder on the soldering iron). Do this between everything, and also when you're done with your iron (don't let it cool messy). And optionally get one of these too, it's a little jar about the size of a US quarter and it seems like it's full of rock or something, but you wipe your iron on it and it melts a little, cleans the iron and lightly tins it. I use this if the iron is messier than the brass can handle, or solder doesn't seem to be sticking to the iron.

I think that's all for reals this time.

Ok, so there are a lot of things I'd probably change :)

​

Motors - SabotageRC Booty 2306-2300kV, they're cheaper and significantly higher quality than the DYS you're looking at (they are made by DYS, as well, but with much higher quality components and build quality)

​

ESC - beware Racerstar. Some things they OEM and you get a good product for a good price, but others you get significant drops in quality. I would pay a few cents more apiece and get Spedix ES-20 Lite ESCs.

​

VTX - the one you selected is decent, but your soldering skills need to be up to par, the wires come undone from the VTX extremely easily and are incredibly difficult to reattach. I would recommend a few dollars more to get an AKK VTX with either larger pads or a connector.

​

VTX antennas - There are better ones out there. Lumenier Axii is one of the best and most durable (and significantly lighter), pagoda antennas being slightly better in some regards but more fragile.

​

Radio - The Turnigy Evolution is about the same price now and is a better choice than the FS-i6. Still uses the Flysky AFHDS2A protocol, so it will work with the receiver you selected (and there are now others that are good, as well). If the phonebook style radio appeals to you, then the i6 is the only cheap choice, but keep in mind it is a CHEAP radio, not an inexpensive one.

​

Wire - I would suggest ordering some 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 gauge wire from Hobbyking (as much as they suck, they're the only place that sells lengths of wire inexpensively). Getting 1m of each wire in both black and red should only be 10-15 bucks IIRC.

​

Power supply for charger - get a supply that is at least 19v and 200 watts, like this: https://www.amazon.com/MEAN-WELL-LRS-200-24-211-2W-Switchable/dp/B00YMA7I7C/ it is a few dollars more, but you can also run your charger at its full output, which will come in handy for charging your batteries in a timely fashion.

​

Soldering iron - get a quality one, you're going to need it. https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

​

You should also get some no-clean flux: https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-milliliters-Pneumatic-Dispensing/dp/B00425FUW2/

​

Decent solder: https://www.amazon.com/MAIYUM-63-37-solder-electrical-soldering/dp/B076QF1Y85/

​

And a tip cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599B-02-Wire-type-soldering-cleaner/dp/B00FZPGDLA/

​

That should get you well on your way - still on a budget, but you'll hate yourself WAY less when you go to build it and have decent equipment. :)

For soldering the number one advice I can give is to make sure you always leave a little bit of solder on the tip of your iron when you put it back on its cradle. This prevents the tip from oxidizing. If you do this your tips will last a very long time and you will not have to use tip tinner / cleaner. You clean the tip before you make a solder joint and you put solder on the tip when you are done with it. That is not intuitive to a lot of people.

For protoboard vs breadboard the same "best practice" things apply. Check to make sure ground or power isn't connected where it shouldn't be before you power it up, use star grounding, etc.

For the iron the gold standard is the Hakko 888. If you want to save some money go with the Weller WLC100. The good thing about that WLC100 is that it will heat any tip that will fit in there whereas the 888 you have to have the right tip. Don't waste your money on one without temperature control. The WLC100 and 888 will last forever. The Chinese clones most likely will not.

Conical tips are terrible for most any soldering, don't use them. You want a chisel tip. My advice to practice is get some wire and solder pieces of it together without. Do it without twisting the wires and do it until your solder joints come out nice an clean without a long solder tail attached to the iron. That happens when you burn all the flux out of the solder. The fumes off solder are the flux burning and flux smoke is terrible for you. Don't breathe it. Your solder joint is good when the wire will break before the solder joint.

For wiring up perfboard I always use magnet wire. You remove the enamel with the soldering iron an a bit of solder. The fumes from doing this are really nasty is the only drawback. If it doesn't want to come off nick the enamel insulation with a hobby knife and it will come right off. I find with plastic insulated wire I am always melting the insulation.

Hopefully someone will chime in on online soldering tutorials that are worth watching. I learned my tricks from a week long IPC-610 training class years gone by so I don't have any to recommend.

Lead free solder is much harder to work with than lead solder. Only use lead free if you have to because your product is going to be sold in Europe. Not all desoldering wick is created equal. Some of it pulls solder right off your board. Some of it just pushes the solder around the board without sucking it into the braid. You want a wide braid with a good flux on it. I bought a spool of this recently and it is the best I have used in a while:

https://www.amazon.com/Chemtronics-Desoldering-Braid-Chem-Wik-10-50L/dp/B0019V5MAC/

I've been messing with small electronics since I was a kid, but just started getting more serious about it in the last few years. I own a recording studio so I like to build my own gear and make repairs.



One of the best investments I ever made was buying some high-quality Hakko tips (and a decent solder station of course). I didn't realize what a MASSIVE difference the tip makes. In both even heat distribution and length of life for the tip. I also got really particular about keeping my tips clean and properly-tinned. I check before and after every use to make sure there aren't any rough spots or leftover solder/burn marks. If your tip isn't properly tinned and cleaned you're going to end up with exactly what you see in your picture.


Something like this: Radioshack Tip Cleaner & Tinner has been absolutely invaluable to me!


I also never use flux, but I do typically use a solder with a rosin core. It all depends on what you're working on, but it seems like you may be running your iron too hot, or completely un-tinned. Which is just going to burn out tips pretty quickly. Look up some rough temperature guidelines and recommended tip sizes/types for what you're working on.


I work on small electronics. So guitar pots and jacks, audio connectors, PCB boards (not the teeny tiny surface mounted ones), making audio cables, swapping dead components on a PCB, etc.

So I use This soldering station that I actually just got recently. It was only $50 and I'm REALLY impressed with its performance and build quality. Couldn't recommend it more for a rig on a tight budget. I typically run it anywhere from 350c to 450c (if I'm working pretty fast).

I use This Hakko tip which I found to be the perfect one-size-fits-all solution for what I usually need.

Yeah, there are all kinds of good ones. Weller and Hakko are the big names, but I've also used some units made by a group called auyue? that I liked. The ones with the digital readouts are worth a few extra dollars if you ask me.

I use a hakko fx-888 and I love it. Mine even came with a bunch of extra tips, I prefer the smaller chisel tip like this. I feel like I can get joints hotter faster and I get better solder joints with a flat tip vs a conical one. Again, personal preference. I didn't mind using the Auyue 937 and that is like 40$ cheaper than mine. Just see what you can find on sale, but a good station like that is easily worth a couple crappy handheld soldiering irons from radioshack.

Sure thing. Like with most hobbies, it's when you first get into things that is the most expensive. Thankfully, it's not that bad to get started.

First off, you'll need some solder. That's a meltable metal used to join two things together. This roll will last you for several projects: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G36BYU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Next, you'll need a soldering iron. I've been pretty happy with this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KS8XA2Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but people swear by Weller. I'm not sure I'd get that 40 watt one that's a similar price on Amazon though, I tend to keep mine at a fairly high power and it works nicely that way.

(I'm assuming you have a Harbor Freight near you for the other stuff. They're pretty common) Then you'll want a multimeter. This is your cheapest option, and if you check your junk mail you might have a coupon for a free one: https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html but it's lacking in audible continuity (translation: if you want to check that two points are electrically connected, it beeps if they are). This might be worth the extra money: https://www.harborfreight.com/11-function-digital-multimeter-with-audible-continuity-61593.html. Or if you really have some money burning a hole in your pocket, get one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html - that has some extra features that really come in handy, but aren't totally necessary either.

That covers the most expensive tools, but there are still a few odds and ends you'll want.

• Wire stripper: https://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-wire-stripper-with-cutter-98410.html
  
• Wire cutter: https://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-diagonal-cutters-40695.html for the little things, and https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-diagonal-cutters-63816.html for some of the bigger stuff
  
• Electrical tape - pretty common stuff
  
• Wire - maybe something like this? I wouldn't go much smaller than 16AWG. BTW, higher AWG means smaller wire. https://www.amazon.com/TUOFENG-Silicone-Wire-Feet-black/dp/B075L5Y6L9/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1519509184&sr=8-6&keywords=hookup+wire+16+awg

"Build log" (mostly pictures) is in the imgur album.

This started off as a stock WASD V2 with Cherry MX Clear switches. I bought a 55g uniform RealForce not long after, and that has been my daily driver pretty much ever since. I actually thought I might just sell the WASD for whatever I could get for it.

I decided instead to go for the ergo clear mod, which sounds absolutely fantastic on the videos I've seen here, here, and others on YouTube. I also decided that while I had the case all apart I would add dampening foam to it and paint it to go with the SA carbon I just received.

Paint and clear coat for the case were from the local hardware store. I found the dampening foam on Amazon. I also picked up a Hakko tip cleaner and Engineer solder sucker from Amazon. The 62g gold springs and lubes are from Mehkee. They were out of their kits, but the lubes that are in the kit are all sold separately on their site, so no problemo.

The whole thing took about a week, give or take, and it was very tedious, to say the least. But the outcome has been simply spectacular. The ergo clears are so buttery smooth, and they sound awesome with SA doubleshot caps. I think the case color came out great. The WASD is now feeling a whole lot more premium!

Edit: this video was super helpful for the case painting.

Edit: here is the “before” post - https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/76s7rx/is_it_worth_it_to_do_the_ergo_clear_mod_on_a_wasd/?st=JFBLDQYL&sh=a9f5b0f2

LOL, that last part, it's happened to all of us though being honest. :P Anyways u/superuser41's suggestions are spot on. I use a Hakko FX888D myself & love it, very nice station for the money IMHO. Never used that particular sodapult but they are well regarded in the community.

Edit: This is a good tip for soldering switches & LEDs (my personal fav size/type for it). You may want to grab a few, it looks like the linked bundle only comes with one tip. Also this is a high quality solder in the right diameter for soldering switches/LEDs. This is good solder wick, This is a good flux, & I always recommend getting some tip tinner.

Might be worth getting a solder wick for when you inevitably screw up. Solder vacuum isn't a terrible idea either. I have both, I use them for different things. A third hand is also useful. I find myself using the glass more than the arms but it's all useful. If the iron you buy doesn't come with one a brass ball is great for keeping your tip clean without cooling it off like a sponge will. Micro-cutter is useful, not sure if angled or straight is better, up to you I guess. Last but not least a pair of angled tweezers. You can get those anywhere.

These are all the things I have within arm's reach when I'm doing a project. Have fun!

Thanks! Glad I could be helpful.

The reflow station/solder paste is just awesome. The results are so much better than the hand soldering I tried to do initially.
My tips for the hot air reflow- Keep the air speed low (I do 1.5 - 1.75 speed @ 350c), you don't want to send the components sliding around the PCB. You only need a tiny dab of solder paste on a tinned board, otherwise you'll end up with little balls of solder where the excess collects. These can be knocked off with tweezers, but you should be careful to check for them as they can cause shorts.

I forgot one of the most useful tools out there! This is maintained by one of the FB Euro SMD DIY Noobs members.

This is the repository I use for .hex files. It's maintained by another SMD Noobs member.

These are the tweezers I use for handling SMD parts.

You'll also want a flux pen! Flux pens are wonderful.

I'd also suggest a magnifying glass or jeweler's loup of some sort for inspecting the PCB for shorts. I use a 10x loupe.



Here's a pic of my current workspace in an unusually clean state.

My SMD component filing technique. A work in progress.

Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.

As Aureolin22 said, I doubt the flowerpot would tolerate very many heating and cooling cycles before it broke. Have you considered doing the same thing but lining a small charcoal grill or a cheap steel wok instead?

Serious question: Why is propane not an option? Stores won't sell propane to you, or your parents won't let you?

I ask because you might have good luck making a small propane forge using a spiral flame propane torch, a small coffee can or large soup can, and a 50/50 mix of sand and Plaster of Paris. (refractory cement would probably work as well or better than the sand/plaster mix)

There was a post here on it a short while back. It seemed interesting so I built one myself just to see how well it worked. Turns out, it works pretty good! It won't produce welding temperatures, but it gets plenty hot for forging. It worked even better after I partially closed off the mouth of the forge with three pieces of firebrick. The one I made also has a 9/16" hole drilled through the back so that I can heat round stock up to 1/2" inch diameter anywhere along its length. I have used it twice now for about 30 minutes each time and I still have only used about half of the fuel in the tank. (I started with a full tank just to see how long it would last in one of these.)

If you are interested I can take some pictures of the one I made.

If coal or charcoal is your only option and you want to stay really cheap just dig a little hole and build your fire in the hole with your air pipe poking in from the side. (assuming the powers that be at home won't lose their minds over you digging a hole and you have a yard to dig in.)

I worked as a gaming console repair tech for a couple years and have modded probably over 100 xboxes at this point. Here's some tips I've learned.

> How can I avoid causing permanent damage to the machine?

Get a decent iron. Something $60 or more. The cheap ones from walmart and such are a waste of time and money. Spend a little bit more and you'll save time and aggravation. Get something with enough power to stay hot while you're using it. Get one that has a usable temperature control (not just a 20-watt or 40-watt switch but something that gives the temp reading in degrees). Get something that lets you change tips and get something that has small/precise tip options. A good cheaper option is the Auoye int 2900. I used that one for years before upgrading to a better one. Try to keep it hot enough to melt the solder, but not much higher. More heat = higher risk of damaging something. Use flux and use it often. I use MG Chemicals 8341 No Clean Flux Paste just about every time I solder something. Keep the tip clean. Clean it often while you're working. A lot of folks will use a wet sponge but that's not ideal (temp change can reduce lifespan of the tip). Use a brass-wire one instead like this one. Try to not over-do it with the solder. Use enough to form a secure connection, but don't use so much that there's a big blob leftover on the wire when you're done. I usually dab a small amount of solder on my iron, then add more once the tip is on/next to the spot I'm working on.

> Can this be done indoors, if a window is open?

Sure. I usually open a window and run a box fan in the window blowing air outside, plus a ceiling fan. I also wear a facemask. It helps to be conscious of your breathing. I'll take a breath in, then get over my work and tap where I need to while exhaling, and I'll to try to turn my head away from my working area when inhaling just to limit fume inhalation. Ideally, you'd have a fume extractor, but those are often expensive.

> What protective equipment do I need?

I usually wear a mask/respirator and eye shields and that's about it. I'll sometimes wear an anti-static wristband but static hasn't been a big issue in my working area.

> What's the best way to setup a hard drive?

This doesn't require soldering but I'll comment anyways. My preferred workflow is to softmod the Xbox, then do a TSOP flash, then drop in a new hard drive and use a disc like HeXen to format the drive. Your 1.6 xbox cannot be tsop-flashed, so you'll you can either install a modchip (more difficult) or just setup your new hard drive with the softmod files on it (easier). You can use the app Chimp to clone a small hard drive to a bigger one and it doesn't require a modchip to be installed. If you don't have a modchip/tsop-flash, then make sure you lock the new hard drive after you're done.

> Where would you suggest looking for a 'soldering mentor' of sorts, if need be?

Soldering isn't all that hard. I never had a mentor. I just screwed around in my room until I got the hang of it. It seems harder than it is before you actually start doing it. You just need to take your time, use tools that are good enough, use the proper temperature (not crazy high), clean your tools as you go, use flux, and try to keep a steady hand. You can look up YouTube tutorials and stuff, but I didn't. I used to teach console repair when I did it professionally a few years back and I used to teach people who had no prior experience. Once you've done it a couple times, you'll see that it's not that hard. Feel free to practice connecting wires to broken electronics you have just to get the muscle memory down.

Wow thanks for such a thorough response!!!

1. yeah I figured as much, I'm thinking i'll start with Corded Hitachi , or Corded Ryobi and then if it ever breaks or if I need a cordless I'll upgrade down the line.
   
2. True, Likely worth the upgrade. Do you think I should focus on Titanium over Black Oxide? or is a reputable brand the main concern?
   
3. Thanks for the insight!
   
4. Solder , Gotcha Yeah i'll try to see if I can find anything like this locally (smaller quantity preferably)
   
5. Stahl Soldering Gun , I'm thinking this one which was linked elsewhere in this thread.
   
   6/9/10 - I think they were written into the manual as different ways in which to attach the crossover board to the bottom of the box. how do you normally attach it to the bottom of the box?
   
   I'm considering Crossover Board , just to help with organization, however i'd still need to attach it to the bottom of the box.
   
   ​
   
   I just realized I forgot speaker wire for the internals, does it matter a lot which gauge? any general guidance.
   
   ​
   
   I would really like to complete the outside of the boxes , as i may end up giving them away as a gift eventually. wondering if i'll need a Sander , if i plan on doing vinyl or some sort of wrap? I'm not against painting, just against spray painting.
   
   ​
   
   ​
   
   Also forgot Snips

You should be able to clean off the pads, re-tin them, and re-solder new wires to them.

 

You'll need a few tools:

• A small brass wire brush to clean the gunk off of the pads, something like these: Mini Wire Brush Set
  
• Some desoldering wick - a thin copper braid, like this: Desoldering Wick
  
• Rosin Paste Flux for electronics: Rosin Paste Flux
  
• Some 60% Lead/40% Tin Rosin Core Solder, .062" diameter: 60/40 Rosin Core Solder
  
• A soldering iron. I assume you have one, but if not you can't go too badly wrong with something like this: Vastar 60W Soldering Kit
  
   
  
  Clean and tin the soldering iron tip:
  
  

1. Take some paper towels, fold them up into a square and get it wet with water. You'll use the wet paper towel to wipe off the hot tip between uses.
   
2. Use the rosin core solder and apply some to the soldering iron tip.
   
3. Wipe off any excess on the paper towel.
   
   
    
   
   Remove the solder from the pads on the heat bed:
   
    
   
   
4. Clean the gunk off of the solder pads with the brass brush - the brass bristles should clean off the surface without damaging it, whereas steel bristles may cut into the surface a bit much.
   
5. Unwind a few inches of the desoldering wick (copper braid), and dip the end into the rosin paste flux - you don't need a lot. The rosin helps the solder to flow and keeps impurities out.
   
6. Put the desodering wick on top of the solder on the pad, and then press the tip of the soldering iron on top of the wick until it heats up. For an adjustable soldering iron, 300F is about right - you want the solder to melt within 5 seconds or less, ideally.
   
7. The solder will melt, and get sucked up into the wick. Remove it from the pad while the solder's still hot
   
8. You should be left with a bright shiny tinned solder pad.
   
    
   
   Add some solder to the pads - you'll want a little bit of solder to cover the whole pad, with enough to make a small bump.
   
   
9. Take the solder, and touch it down flat on the pad.
   
10. Place the soldering iron tip on top to melt it. Feed a little more solder in while it's hot, if needed.
    
     
    
    Tin the wires:
    
    
11. Cut off the ends of the wire, and strip off the end of the insulation by about 1/4"-3/8".
    
12. Twist the end of the wire so that it's tight, and straight.
    
13. Cut off a small piece of the solder (~1/2"), and wrap it around the wire
    
14. Dip the end of the wire into the rosin flux - you don't need a lot.
    
15. Touch the soldering iron tip to the solder and the wire, and coat the wire back and forth until the solder gets sucked into the wire.
    
16. It should have enough solder so that it gets absorbed and you can still see the outline of the wires.
    
     
    
    Attach the tinned wires to the tinned solder pads on the heat bed:
    
    
17. Dip the tinned wire into the flux paste again - a little goes a long way.
    
18. Place the tinned wire down on top of the tinned solder pad.
    
19. Press the soldering iron tip on top of the wire, and heat it until the solder melts on both the wire and the pad.
    
20. There should be just enough solder so that the wire is attached to the pad, but isn't buried in solder. If in doubt, add a little more.
    
21. Hold the wire in place, and remove the soldering iron tip. It should cool in a few seconds, locking the wire in place.
    
    
     
    
    Also: You can use some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean up the excess rosin paste - it can get sticky.
    
    
     
    
    Hope this helps!

Glad to help :)

Here is EEVblog's tutorial set on soldering. Part 1 and 2 will be more relevant for your purposes. In the first part he talks about tools (which includes your actual solder), how they work, and why certain properties are important, so you know what you need. In the second he talks about the process for through hole soldering (like you need for the holtites) and how to know you're doing it properly, and things to look for. Part 3 is for SMD stuff, which doesnt affect you in this scenario, but I tacked it on just for good measure.

• Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Sb21qbpEQ
  
• Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYz5nIHH0iY
  
• Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9FC9fAlfQE
  
  FWIW you dont need a great iron, it just makes it easier to avoid damaging your board, and do things at a speed you're comfortable with. You can absolutely get good results with a cheapo iron, it just requires some extra precision.
  
  I'd recommend picking up some extra holtites (if you have a few already thats fine you don't need a ton), and a piece of breadboard, and just practicing a bit first until you're comfortable with the process, as well as your iron and materials. A small piece of breadboard like this would work.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0778G64QZ
  
  This is the solder I use, you can also buy it by the ounce (1lb is quite a lot). You can get it thinner than that even, too, but thats ~3-4 sheets of paper thick.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJOU

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/soldering-station-with-adjustable-heat-range-us-warehouse.html is the best value iron IMHO. I have one I keep at the office and a ~$100 Hakko at home, and find them to be about equivalent so far.


I'd recommend picking up a cheap tip set as well. They won't last forever, but good for light use to figure out which ones work best (usually chisel tip style) and you can replace the ones you wear out with better ones.

You'll also need some solder ( or this is a lifetime supply of good stuff) and tweezers at minimum, and there's more stuff that's useful too, especially side cutters and solder wick.

You may have heard the old saying:

>The road to success is through experience.
>
>The road to experience is through failure.

It sounds like you have already achieved some failure, so this means you are well on your way on the road to success!

Let me add another old saying that I just made up:

>Good technique may overcome a bad soldering iron.
>
>A great soldering iron will never overcome bad technique.

You didn't mention what kind of iron and what kind of solder you are using now. But if you are getting cold joints, that is more likely a sign of bad technique rather than the wrong iron.

Cold joints happen when you heat the solder instead of heating the work material. The hot solder hits the cold metal and freezes in place instead of flowing onto the hot metal.

You need to heat the work material itself first. If it's a through-hole component, then after you turn the board upside down, touch the iron to both the component's wire lead and the board's pad. Only after both of those heat up do you apply the rosin core solder to melt onto and into them. Then you will have a beautiful shiny solder joint.

This does take some finesse and attention to timing. So I would do this Heathkit style. The Heathkits I bought when I was a teenager always came with clear instructions on how to solder, and most importantly, some extra pieces to practice with. I learned to get the technique down on those before tackling the kit itself. So practice on scrap material until you have it down.

Of course a good iron and good solder will help. If you're using lead-free solder, I might suggest a traditional lead-tin solder instead, as it is easier to work with.

For an iron, you didn't mention what you're using now, or what your budget might be. If something around $100 works for you, you can't go wrong with the Hakko FX888D. You might want some extra tips of various sizes too.

Desoldering is an art to itself. Do you have some desoldering braid? I used to use the "soldapullit" suction pumps and similar things, but the braid always gave me better results. It comes in different widths so you can pick one that fits the work you're doing.

I hope these notes are helpful. Holler back with any questions, and happy soldering!

Thanks for the invite! I love barbecue. 🤤

I don't have any kit recommendations, but you'll need:

• Soldering iron (duh, haha; just find something with good reviews that fits your needs with a medium chisel tip)
  
• Solder (this is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Kester-24-6337-0027-Solder-Alloy-Diameter/dp/B07KWFLHBD)
  
• Rosin flux paste
  
• Soldering iron tip cleaner (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Soldering-Cleaner-sponge-needed/dp/B005C789EU)
  
  That covers everything that you'd basically need for a job like this.

I'm an aspiring solderer myself and only recently started learning. There are a LOT of YouTube videos on soldering and desoldering and I feel like they were extremely helpful.

A couple of points that might be beneficial:

Just the tip: Chisel tips disperse heat across a larger contact surface than the pointy tips. You can use less heat if more of the iron's business end is in contact with what you're trying to solder/desolder.

Flux: Solder moves toward metal that is free of corrosion. Exposed metal begins corroding instantly. Flux removes corrosion and, when it melts, the solder adheres to where the flux was. Also, a tined, fluxed tip is becomes a magnet for picking up solder. Get one of these.

ChipQuik might help keep the solder fluid longer and make the sucker work better. I've never used it, it's quite expensive, but that video is damned impressive.

The frustration is still fresh in my mind and I hope this helps. Better yet, I hope some of the other, BETTER solderers add some useful pointers.

I've used both the WESD51 and a few Hakko stations, they're both great. Personally I have the WESD51 because its easier for me to get tips, but either way hakko and weller and both pretty good, definitely go for the digital if you can afford it. Also I'd get a few spare tips and a tip cleaner along with some no clean flux. But I wouldn't get just a reflow, unless all you do is SMD, which you can totally do with a slightly steadier hand and an iron.

it's all about having the right tip, the right diameter solder, a temperature controlled pencil set to the right value, and that the tip is free of oxidation so that you always make good contact with the parts you're joining.

a breadboard may be more suitable until you get down your technique, watch some youtube videos in the meantime and practice on inexpensive parts.

edit: more tips:

it's also good to have a copper or steel mesh to clean your tip after every joint. the oldschool wet sponge doesn't do as good a job. here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599B-02-Solder-Cleaning-Holder/dp/B00FZPGDLA

A 1mm / 1.2mm tip is suitable for most everything including surface mount, the Hakko 900M-T is recommended. Don't be tempted to use a .5mm tip, the heat transfer is not as good and with techniques like drag soldering (youtube it) there's really no reason for it.

For iron temps, if you're using standard rosin core solder the sweet spot is 430 degrees. At that temp I've fooled around with sensitive surface mount parts for longer than I should have and they've all survived.

If you're shopping for a pencil that will last, look at the value models from aoyue and hakko. if you have a bigger budget, weller is the brand to own.

invest in good tools, and practice makes perfect.

The soldering station you're looking at will be fine for replacing capacitors. Its adjustable, which will come in handy when you want to further your skills. Get some extra tips, and find some fine point ones. I like to use long conical ones, as well as long small flat ones.

As other posters have said, you want to practice on something you don't necessarily want to keep. Find something cheap from a thrift store and take it apart.. an old clock radio, vcr, something of that sort. Then identify the capacitors and give it a go. Once you get the hang of it, try on the genesis.

Solder - you want some 60/40 solder (60%tin 40%lead). Stay away from acid core, its not for electronics. Find this in a thin gauge, you'll have a better time with it.

Flux - nice to have around. On some joints, the old solder doesn't really like to flow all that well. You can put some flux on it, and it'll flow a bit better. Use it on the new joint as well. There's several different types, and you can get lost in it, but you really want a liquid or gel type flux that is "no clean". I still give it a rinse with alcohol and a brush after I'm finished, but it cleans up way easier than regular flux. Here's what I use : MG Chemical's Paste flux

You will also need something to remove the old solder from the holes. Tools like this Vacuum pump and desoldering wick like Desoldering wick are good for removing the old solder.

As for the actual removal and replacement of the capacitors, I usually heat up one side from the bottom of the board, and rock the cap so it slides out a bit, then do the other side, working the cap out a little at a time. After that I clear the hole with a vacuum pump (while heating the solder up, get the vacuum pump as close as possible and press the button) or the desoldering wick (put the wick on top of the solder, then heat both, pull the soldering iron and the wick off at the same time, lest you pull up traces - This takes a bit more practice to perfect)

Make sure you put the new capacitor in correctly. Electrolytic caps are polarized. You want to make sure positive goes to positive and negative to negative. Look at the cap before you remove it. Most boards are marked, but no reason to risk the board being marked wrong.

Make sure the caps you're using are the proper rating. A general rule is the capacitance needs to be the same (farad rating), and the voltage rating needs to be at least the rated, but can be higher with no ill effects.

Its late and I'm rambling. Hope this helps.

Like others have said, unfortunately, yeah it's dead, but don't let that get you down! My first desoldered job, I did some serious butchery to the board. Luckily I was able to fix it so that it's functional, but it ain't pretty. But now I have no problems with desoldering. Like /u/anthonyooiszewen said, it could have been a few things. Definitely make sure you use a good leaded solder. I, personally, like this stuff. Next, definitely make sure you have a soldering iron with temperature control, and DO NOT RUN IT TOO HOT. Lastly, do yourself a favor, and get one of these.

That iron isnt going to win any awards, but it will probably be enough to get the job done, I personally use a TS100 these days because I can power it off my LiPo Flight battery's in the field as well as off a laptop power brick. I still have my Weller station but it's seen decades of abuse by my dad before he gave it me, so i only use it when I'm at home with lots of big solder joints to do.

Get a decent tip cleaner those sponges are worthless and will cool the iron.[1]


Make sure your solder has good quality Flux core OR or you can buy some better solder / buy flux seperatly

I personally use this but you can get stuff cheaper

I can't stress this enough, If you have never soldered before, practice tinning wires/ soldering through hole connectors until your solder joints look neat and shiny and you feel happy, buying a couple of led's headers and protoboard will save you the pain of ruining your shiny new PCB kit.
Adafruit has some nice images to help compare good/bad solder.

[1] - added comment about sponges

Some tips I learned the hard way:

• Don't get a GoPro mount just yet. Chances are you probably won't even use it until you're a much better pilot, and it will just add unnecessary weight when you're not using it.
  
• Get an F3 based flight controller (SP Racing F3 or similar) instead of an F1 (Naze32). If you're anything like me, you're going to try to get the most out of your quad and use all of the fancy technologies available to you (like an on screen display, or using SBUS and telemetry with your receiver, or LEDs, or whatever). When you go to add stuff on, though, you have to work with hardware serial ports, or UARTs; the Naze32 has 2 UARTs while F3 FCs have 3 available. Having that extra UART available will make a lot of things a lot easier, and the increased processing power on the F3 should allow you to use more software serial ports than on the Naze (meaning you can use more stuff simultaneously).
  
• When assembling your quad, make sure you put your screws through the plates facing downwards with the nuts on the ground. It's a lot easier to use a socket wrench to tighten stuff than a hex wrench.
  
• If you're building a 250 quad first, use 220X motors instead of 180X motors. The 220X motors are bigger and produce more thrust than the 180X motors, which will improve your flying characteristics. Just make sure that the frame you choose can accommodate them; if you're starting out with a tried and true ZMR250, make sure you get the version with M3-sized arms.
  
• Make sure, among other things, you have the following equipment:
  
  
  • Soldering iron with a fine tip (these are replaceable, so if you already have an iron you can just get the tips). One with adjustable temperature helps a lot.
    
  • Solder
    
  • Soldering flux (I recommend a flux pen; you can get these from Amazon)
    
  • Desoldering wick
    
  • Solder tip cleaning wire
    
  • Soldering iron holder
    
  • Multimeter (useful for testing stuff). Make sure to also get a battery for it.
    
    
• If you're planning on using LEDs, get addressable LED strips (WS2812 or equivalent). Since my ZMR uses nonaddressable strips, I have switches on the strips, which tend to get damaged in rough landings.
  
• Get a spare motor in each direction and a spare ESC. You don't know when you'll break something, but when you do, you'll have a spare you can quickly switch out.
  
• Heatshrink looks better than electrical tape.
  
• Zip ties are your friend.

I use 67g zilents and they are pretty good. I like them. Personally, I'm currently using T1 switches, but these are pretty loud.

As for soldering, what equipment do you have right now? All you need is a steady hand, a good soldering iron/station and lots of patience.

And make you sure you have the right solder too - this is highly recommended - it's thin solder (0.031 inch diameter) - and 60/40 - do not get lead-free solder. it just doesn't work as well

https://www.amazon.com/KESTER-SOLDER-32117-24-6040-0027-Diameter/dp/B00068IJPO/

ok, that is pretty awesome. yeah, i was gonna say that they are able to be swapped out, and learning to solder and desolder if you don't know how to can actually be a lot of fun. if you have the money for a decent iron and desoldering pump, i'd highly recommend trying it. look for pumps like this, if you do this brand, even better. there are so, so many resources for how to do these things just by searching on the subreddit and carefully going through the wiki, it's how i've learned a lot.

Questions asked by chat during stream:

1. What solder wick do you use for desoldering?
   

• https://www.amazon.com/Chemtronics-Desoldering-Braid-Chem-Wik-10-50L/dp/B0019V5MAC
  
  

1. Where can I find what services you provide?
   

• /u/anthonyooiszewen 's services can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/694pg6/ustx_h_001keyboards_custom_keyboard_assembly_and/
  
  

1. He got a new switch removal tool from mehkee.com: https://mehkee.com/products/switch-removal-tool
   
   
2. Do all poker and GH60 plates have screws at same place?
   

• Yes, they do. That's why they are really popular!
  
  

1. Cherry vs Costar?
   

• Mostly Cherry, they are easy to mod and know what to do with them. The fittings and dimensions are the same and easier to work with. But in terms of best stabilizers he has ever used, were lubed Costars.
  
  

1. The flux that was on the PCB after using the solder wick to desolder, is that stuck on there or can that be wiped off?
   

• (Chat contribution) You can clean flux off with 90%+ iso alcohol
  
• Or flux remover, but very time consuming (could also rub off flux to rest of PCB)
  
  

1. what size of solder you use?
   
   • 0.8 mm
     
     
2. what temperature did you have to turn your soldering iron to to desolder the vortex solder, vs. soldering zelios switches
   
   • Desoldering Vortex solder: 690
     
   • Soldering Zelios switches: 660
     
   • For faster soldering: 690 - 700, but have to be careful
     
     
3. how are zealio tactile when compared to Gateron Brown... in terms of bump and sound... ?
   
   • Sound: Zelios later rounds sounds a little better because they fixed the rattle in newer rounds
     
   • Tactile: Gat Browns are a little more tactile than Cherry browns, but Zelios is a little more tactile than Gat browns
     
     
     Question by /u/anthonyooiszewen:
     
     
4. How do I make my webcam focus properly?
   
   • Chat: put your hand behind it like makeup gurus
     
     
     ------
     
     Will edit comment if more come up, and of course corrections if I took notes incorrectly :D

Welding is pretty easy actually. You can get a good beginners mig welder for $350. If you drop in price, quality suffers, but for a beginner, you can go down to like a $150 model an be serviceable.

Add in another $100 for good gloves (very important imo), a mask, and weld, and maybe some scrap metal for practice.

It shouldn't take much more than 10-20 minutes of practice to get comfortable enough to make a solid weld. And if you do it, and it looks like crap, you can grind it off, and do it again.

Edit: This is a really good welder for $350.

Edit 2: shouldn't* take much more

I'm still pretty new to this myself, but like you I have some electronics experience in the past. I just got this Weller 40w iron station with a desolder braid/sucker and a solder tip cleaner. Oh and a more precise tip for the solder iron

I'm really happy with it all so far, and couln't imagine needing more for a while. A heat gun would be nice for de-soldering and reflowing premade boards (like modding Boss pedals), but that can also be done with a regular solder iron as far as I know. You can get the above for about $60 total, so it's a nice way to get your feet wet without a huge investment. Then you gotta add on components/enclosures/pots/switches etc. Maybe get a helping hands and/or circuit holder if you need

Oh and get a good multimeter. I went a step up from the $20 ones and got this one which I'm also really happy with.

That kit looks pretty good, though I haven't used it. From my own experience, I would recommend a couple of optional upgrades to be thrown in. First, a brass wire type soldering iron cleaner. The sponge on stations like these is fine, but it's much easier to clean with the brass type mid-project. There are cheaper versions available, but my experience is all with the Hakko. Second, I've never had luck with those wire cutters. I've had much more luck with strippers that give separate holes for each gauge. Here's a cheap one and here's the Hakko pair I have.

Like I said, these are optional as the kit comes with basic solutions for both of these tools, but maybe something to think about for the future.

I do a back yard show too and I find the board method too cumbersome. I now use the duct tape/bag/stake method.

1. Duct tape: You've googled 4 cakes that you could hypothetically stick together because they "jive well". Duct tape them together with the fuses facing outward. Fuse so they all go off at once, or fuse in series. Use different speeds to accomplish your goal. You now have the stability of four cakes all in one. Gluing to a board is too much effort for me.
   
2. Bag: get a garbage bag over the whole thing once fused and you have a waterproof cake pod ready to go.
   
3. Stake: (IMO optional) Wrap Duct tape around the bag and stake to the ground for added stability
   
   Not a fan of roman candles. Dont waste your money.
   
   Make sure you test your fuse and know what speed it burns. My white fuse burns super fast. My green fuse burns faster than my yellow. My yellow burns much faster than the Pink. The pink is slower than the Shiny green fuse. That wasn't always the case. My green fuse was always the slowest and yellow was the fastest.
   
   I also don't like the idea of reloading shells during the show. If you must, you can prep them by zip tying the fuses together in groups of 8 or so. Throw 8 in the tubes and light the bunch. Dont put your head over any part. Stick the rest of prepped shells in a ready box. A ready box is designed so it cannot be left open. You lift up the lid, grab a bunch, the box has a string so that closes itself after opening
   
   Invest in zip ties and metal tape. Use this to tie your fuse together.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/3M-Foil-Tape-3381-Silver/dp/B00A7I5L86
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Aviditi-CT422E-Nylon-Length-Purple/dp/B00DY98M1I/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1525752899&sr=1-3&keywords=4%22+zip+ties
   
   I cant begin to tell you how much I love these fuse cutters. This tool changed my fuse cutting life. I spit on scissors now.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-Edge-Utility-Cutter-9-37309/dp/B0037IX2BG/ref=sr_1_12?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1525752808&sr=1-12&keywords=handi+cut
   
   This fuse igniter will change your life. Lighters might as well be flint. Thats how next gen this is. Get some propane or MAPP
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS4000-Trigger-Start-Torch/dp/B00008ZA09/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1525753004&sr=8-3&keywords=berzomatic
   
   This headlamp makes flashlights a thing of the past and changes your life. Make sure you get one that doesnt have a third strap along the top. If youre not using it you can wear your headlamp on your neck and not lose it.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Spot-Headlamp-Octane/dp/B06W9HPY25/ref=sr_1_6_twc-13d22461-ce_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525753147&sr=8-6-acs&keywords=head+lamp&content_id=13d22461-ceea-426c-b620-9fe11db17513&ascsubtag=13d22461-ceea-426c-b620-9fe11db17513&tag=ospsearch-20&widget_name=expert_recommendation&content_provider=osp&ingress=search&content_type=story
   
   Also invest some money in some eye and ear protection. I can't tell you how many times I went to bed with a "reeee sound" in my ears, and have gotten pyro shit in my eyes.
   
   Build yourself some real racks if you're up for it. I just recently built myself some and it was a snap.
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p7J4HV4Gak

Hard to say... I personally enjoy doing little electronics projects from time to time, so in my case, I already had a soldering station on hand, and I use it probably once a month or so for various things. Chances are if you haven't needed a soldering iron in your life up to this point, that you will rarely have a use for one later on.

While it's certainly easy to spend a decent amount of money on a nice soldering station, a cheap iron like this one on Amazon would be fine for jobs like this. A small spool of solder will run you about $4 dollars. You could find similar prices to these at Radio Shack as well.

I suggest this:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Practical-Soldering-Project-Kit/dp/B0002LUAL6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1406761425&sr=8-4&keywords=learn+to+solder+kit

It's a very good kit, and will give you plenty of practice before you solder your Poker 2. No frills, and will give you plenty of practice for through hole soldering.

Combine this with a practical, but good quality soldering station:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_3?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762091&sr=1-3&keywords=soldering+iron

A desoldering pump:

http://www.amazon.com/Sucking-Vacuum-Desoldering-Solder-Remover/dp/B005GIPKOW/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762167&sr=1-3&keywords=desoldering+pump

And some solder:

http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-AT-31604-60-40-Solder-Ounces/dp/B00030AP48/ref=sr_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1406762345&sr=1-1&keywords=solder

To learn, there are plenty of Youtube videos, I recommend you also solder the Elenco kit, then desolder everything to get a feel for how the desoldering pump works (it's super easy, you can't really screw it up). Then, solder it together one more time for extra practice.

All together, about $66 bucks. Add in the cost of the switches, and you're looking at a little over 100. Still a bunch cheaper than the Poker 2 from Massdrop ($143.50), and you've just learned a life skill. For me, that's totally worth it, but then again, I'm an engineer, and learning useful skills is what my entire profession is based on.

---

EDIT: Get this soldering kit instead:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SP3B-Practical-Soldering-Project/dp/B0002LUALG/ref=pd_tcs_compl_t_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=00RQRQTCJ767WDS4D7KV

Cheaper and has more soldering points. The other one has a shitty speaker which doesn't add much to the soldering lesson, but drives the cost up.

Yes, this is the right place! Here's a few things to help you.

• You want this sucker. The cheaper ones are a pain in the ass. There is one replacement tube that it comes with, and here's a link for more.
  
  
• Here's a link to a video guide. It takes a little bit of practice, but it's not terribly difficult.
  
  
• Have a fan going or get a solder fume extractor!
  
  
• Amazon has kits you can buy to practice, but it's not THAT difficult.
  
  The only tip I have is use your solder sucker in your strong hand and the iron in your other. I have much better hand control with my right, so I can more accurately place the solder sucker to take it out in one or two tries. Oh, and easy on the caffeine! You don't want shaky hands while doing this.

Brass all the way. This one is only $10. There are other ones that are cheaper that I have used, but I like the Hakko one best. It only costs as much as a few bags of props. I "dip my tip" before every joint and I have consistent heat and a good tin. A cleaner also helps extend the life of your soldering iron tip and heating element. The problem with using a wet sponge is that it cools the tip down every time and the iron has to heat back up to temp. This probably isn't a huge deal for occasional use, but for frequent use this constant heating/cooling cycle can cause the tip to wear out prematurely. A sponge is also more prone to holding contaminants unless you are regularly swapping it out. For example, if you have some excess solder the blobs will build up in the sponge. With a brass cleaner, they will drop down to the bottom and about once a month you can pull the brass out, and empty the holder in the trash. I started out using a wet sponge, and I also noticed that my tip didn't seem to get as clean as when I switched over to the brass cleaner.

For the majority of people just doing the occasional build I don't think there is anything wrong with a wet sponge. But if you are doing a lot of other electronics work or building / repairing more frequently, it's a good idea to get a cleaner.

solder connections are on the bottom of the board. It's going to be a bitch to get off without burning or peeling up leads - those boards are not meant to be re-worked. I'm pretty handy with soldering, this is not something I would attempt except as an absolute last resort, and if I did, I'd go into it prepared to have a ruined board.

If you want to have a crack at it:

• check if they've epoxied the bottom of the board - if they have you can try to get it off, but you might be fucked.
  
• that connector may have some metal tabs that are bent under the board for extra stability - those will be easy to take off
  
• you need a good soldering iron with a fine tip and adjustable power
  
• you need desoldering wick
  
• flux will come in handy
  
  
• you want to have your iron at the lowest possible power that will melt the solder on the board - too hot and you're going to burn the board or detach the contacts.
  
• give the wick a tiny dip of flux, or tin it.
  
• you need to touch the wick to the solder on the board, and heat them both up at the same time. The solder will liquify and the wick will wick it up. Cut off the end of the wick as it soaks up solder
  
• Be very gentle with the wick on the board - it will have a tendency to get stuck or soldered onto the board and if you're not careful you'll pull off a contact pad
  
• don't overheat - liquefy the solder, then pull the iron away, let the board cool down. It's a tedious process, you have to be patient with it.
  
• it's really hard to wick up all the solder out of a joint. Some might go easy but others will be soldering. Shoot for getting 80% of the solder out of the connections.
  
• Once you've got the bulk of the solder out of the joints, you're going to start to lift that socket off the board. Work one side of the socket at a time - lay your iron across 2-3 legs and gently pry up on the socket as the solder liquefies. Work your way up and down the socket, prying little by little. Eventually you'll get one side of the socket up, then work the other side.
  
  But here are some better ideas:
  
  
• Find a male connector that fits into that socket and wire your leads up to the appropriate pins. take that board into a computer shop (they kind where they build and fix desktops) or an electronics supply place and see if they have the connector you need - shouldn't be hard to find.
  
• if you can't find a connector, the next easiest thing will be to solder your aux leads onto the socket pins on the bottom of that board. They're going to be small pitch pins so you'll need a good fine tip iron and some small gauge solder, but shouldn't be too tricky.

Hey! Glad to help. This Is the exact soldering iron I use. Extremely effective, I keep it at a 3 at all times, seems to be a legit temperature for everything Gameboy related.

The Solder I use works really well, rarely sticks to the soldering tip (like many other ones I've tried) and seems to be the most consistent. It's also supported by HHL - so you know it's solid!

Hope that helps.

Thank you for the reply, /u/naturalorange!

• definitely hit the connector with some 150 grit sand paper! =)
  
• i'm using 60/40 solder with 2% flux, so I got that part covered
  
• this was the big problem, imo (along with the shiny plating on the so239). between this and roughing up the so239's surface, I was able to get a good solid solder joint
  
  And I agree with the copper/brass mesh cleaner: I bought this one when I placed the order for the new iron. Bonus iron holder, too =)

i'm gonna go with what everyone else says: get a decent temp adjusting iron. it makes a world of a difference...add to that a small chisel tip (usually not provided on a cheap pen iron)...such much easier and enjoyable soldering. though, its not worth spending 80-300 dollars on a soldering iron for one project..

i use/recommend:

• an x-tronic station/iron $90 sponge+light/magnifier+tips+replacement heat element
  
  
• a hakko soldering tip cleaner $10
  
  also another good affordable iron:
  
  
• hakko fx-888 station/iron $90 sponge+cleaner
  
  everyone says weller...and its because they dropped the money on one and want other people to do the same haha...if you have the money, sure go for it. if not, many stations in the 80-100 range are excellent quality to begin on.
  
  also get a helping hand, tweezers, needle nose pliers, snips, and maybe a wire stripper.

My goal is to try and get a job (I've never had one before, and as this is the summer between my 2nd and 3rd years of college, I think its about time I get one). So far I've been tracking down one at a music store. My hobby is playing and learning instruments, as well as repairing them, so the employee discount at this store would be incredibly useful to me. I've followed up several times, and just recently I called again and they said that they have me on their list. So hopefully that means I'll eventually get the job.

465

Here's something less than $5-$10

Here's something that is in the $5-$10 range.

Good luck on your goal. I took up that goal awhile back, made moderate progress and then loss sight of it in the hectic mess of schoolwork, sports, and clubs. That's not to say I'm mean now, it just means I made progress, and haven't made anymore. Hopefully I can pick that back up soon! I'm sure you'll be fine!

Oboy, I'm probably the wrong person to ask. However, /u/BriThePiGuy recommends Joe Knows Electronics boxes, and /u/NeoMarxismIsEvil recommends the following:

> I would order some cheap assortment kits from people on aliexpress. These are the sort that come with like 10 of most common values of resistor, capacitor, etc.

> Other stuff:

> - WeMos d1 mini or mini pro
> - small i2c OLED displays
> - small LCD display
> - tacswitches (buttons)
> - SPDT switches
> - 74HC595 and 74HC165 shift registers
> - either bidirectional logic level shifter modules or mosfets and resistors needed to make them
> - 7 segment led displays (individual)
> - 8x8 led matrices
> - various environmental and physics sensors (often come as a kit of 20+ different modules)
> - extra breadboards
> - jumper wires
> - male and female header strips (for modules that lack pins)
> - cheap breadboard power supplies
> - voltage regulators (both LDO ICs and buck converter)
> - possibly some 4xAA or 4xAAA battery holders
> - trim pot assortment

> Those are just ideas. Some things like 7 seg led digits are pretty cheap and worth having a few of but not terribly important if you have a real display of some sort.

I personally like the assortment of bits I got in my Sparkfun Inventor's Kit, but found that I wanted more of the following:

• Jumpers, though it's since been recommended to me that I just use solid-core 22 AWG wire so I bought this wire kit and these automatic strippers
  
• Breadboards, both self-adhesive and solderable, and maybe some mini ones of each type.
  
• LEDs (RGB and single-color)
  
• A good selection of potentiometers and trimpots, both slide and radial, plus knobs for them if applicable
  
• More buttons of varying types, both clicky and quiet momentary ones (here's a quiet button that's nice)
  
• A good multimeter and maybe some extra probes
  
• Some power supplies, both 12v and 5v. Here's one that's supposed to do both simultaneously, but you'll need a molex plug (which Sparkfun inexplicably doesn't carry) unless you want to strip the end. You might also want some barrel jacks, and this cheap extension cable provides the male end.
  
• A variable power supply would probably also be very useful, but I haven't yet invested in one of those so I can't make a recommendation at this time.
  
• A good selection of resistors
  
• Alligator test clips, plus some with pigtails for prototyping on a breadboard with components that won't fit in those little holes
  
• Some heat shrink tubing and a heat gun that you should only use on the lowest setting for this purpose. When selecting heat shrink tubing, pay attention to it's shrink ratio and what size it'll end up being when you're done.
  
• A soldering kit and some solder. Note that all solders aren't created equal but the one I linked is supposed to be decent.
  
• If you get into larger gauge soldering (for home or automotive wiring), a propane torch will be handy, but you can get something like that for $20 with a propane tank at your local hardware store
  
• Some project boxes

The microswitch looks to be a Omron switch. Would make sense since Razer also sells gaming mouses that use this switch. As far as the joystick, I have to agree with /u/ScryptHasher and say that this is more than likely an off the shelf part. For this I would just search on Ebay for replacement Xbox One joysticks and find one that matches closests to the original.

For desoldering I highly recommend watching some videos on YouTube. Take your time. Also pick up some decent desoldering wick with flux, such as Chemtronics Desoldering Braid.

Good luck on your adventures repairing this controller and hopefully many more electronic projects in the future!

It looks like you have a decent soldering station, that is really the main thing. You'll need a small tip, but probably not as small as you think. I like the Weller ETL, but a ~2mm screwdriver style tip works well for SMD in my experience. If you go too small it can actually cause trouble for heat transfer and thermal recovery.

If you've mostly been doing through-hole stuff, you'll want smaller solder. Having small diameter solder makes it easier to feed just the right amount. I like Kester 0.020, some people go even smaller. Of course there are lead-free versions of that, too, if you prefer.

For through-hole, the flux that is inside the solder is usually enough, but for surface mount, you'll need extra flux. You'll probably be fine with a flux pen. You'll probably want some solder wick because mistakes happen, and a solder sucker thingie doesn't work as well with surface mount.

As u/t_Lancer says, you won't need a hot air station and solder paste unless you're planning on doing leadless packages. If you decide to get a hot air station, though, they're pretty cheap. You don't even strictly need solder paste, I've been making do by tinning the pads with regular solder first with my soldering iron before hitting it with the hot air.

For vision, it depends on how your eyesight is. I'm fine eyeballing down to 0603 but I can't read the markings without help. I've started doing all of my soldering under light magnification with the Optivisor DA-3 with a LED attachment which has really helped, but it isn't strictly necessary. You can get those visors with more magnification at the cost of a shorter working distance. Good room lighting and a magnifying glass work fine, too.

And most important thing you need is practice. Watch this video and grab one or two of those SMD practice kits and you'll be knocking out surface mount stuff in no time.

Search Amazon for a soldering station. Try to find one with good reviews and has replaceable Hakko style tips.

The Hakko FX888D is what I have, but might be out of your budget if you are just making or repairing one mod.

I have this solder https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJX6/ (should be "pocket packs" available of the same type - smaller amount that comes coiled in a tube)

That solder has flux in the core, but some additional flux can really help the solder flow better https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-milliliters-Pneumatic-Dispensing/dp/B00425FUW2

Check out this old timey video on solder & flux - it's awesome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s

A few more soldering videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Sb21qbpEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYz5nIHH0iY

Check YouTube for soldering tutorials. Plenty out there.

Definitely tin the tip of the iron everytime you solder. I also use some of this to help keep the tip clean.

I know you don't want to go for a more expensive iron but my hakko iron is awesome and it really makes soldering more enjoyable. Worth the investment if you stay in the hobby.

You definitely want to get a soldering station. So something that can control the temperature of the of the iron. The reason being is the ones that just plug into the wall usually fluctuate between extremely hot and very hot which can become if you’re trying to solder next to very delicate transistors on the pcb.


I know people say you can get away with the cheapest everything but that’s usually not the case at all and sometimes dangerous to your health.


Getting good solder, tip tinner, brass sponge, flux pen, and a fan with a carbon filter will do you great things.


The fan is extremely important when your desoldering as that will give off a tonne of chemicals.


This is what I personally have


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BSW69LI/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B074J6R1KQ/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001W2XZOS/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FZPGDLA/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NS4J6BY/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The soldering iron is overkill if you’re just using it for trains

I really like my Hakko FX888D, as I like having the digital control of temperature, and it comes with a copper cleaning sponge, but that's minor -- they're similarly priced. If you're going with the Weller, you'll want to add some flux-impregnanted copper cleaning sponge and holder like this one from Hakko for 10 bucks. Nothing cleans tips better in use. Blob on a bit of solder, mash it in there for a second, tin a bit more fresh solder on, good to go.

I also have that Kester reel, and I love the stuff.

EDIT: Also, no helping hands? No ESD mat? Sure, it might put you over 150, but man are those things useful... They should be on the list for an "I want to get serious about soldering" kit.

That's waaaaay overkill in my opinion. Don't spend that much on something you're gonna use once a year or something. I treated myself because I solder several times a month and got this guy.

And if you plan to only do kits where you only have to solder switches, you can literally do that with a $5 RadioShack iron (my friend did that for his MiniVan). Switches are pretty much the single easiest thing to solder. They're huge and very heat-resistant. If you want to do, for example, surface-mount diodes, you might want something heat-controllable, but any junk will do for switches.

BUT GET GOOD SOLDER. In particular, most stores sell 60/40 (60% lead, 40% tin) solder. 60/40 solder is awful. 63/37 solder is way better because 63/37 solder melts at a lower temperature and its melting point is one point instead of a range of temperatures where it's partially solid. Kester 44 63/37 is some of the best.

Whoo, loaded question with tons of opinions, hah.

The "best" lube is highly subjective, and it also depends on the type of switch. If you're lubing linear switches, my personal favorite is VPF 1514 oil. It's not cheap, but it gets the job done (you can order smaller quantities of it from Mehkee. For tactile switches, I use Krytox GPL 205 (which you used to be able to buy DuPont brand on Amazon, but no longer appears to be available).

Best solder for building keyboards is Kester, 0.8mm, hands down. Quality stuff, flows and bonds well, and the size is good for switches or LEDs.

Soldering iron recommendations: This cheap kit is acceptable for building a keyboard (I built 4 or 5 with it prior to upgrading). If you know you're going to be building multiple kits, and you think it's possible you might do re-work or try to desolder boards, just go ahead and spend the money right the first time and get this one: Hakko FX888D. Basically the gold standard of soldering irons.

As was said before, these are rotary encoders.

I had an old piece of gear with these. One knob was broken. I discovered there are many options to consider for what the encoder is:

• switch or no switch - these look like the kind that do not have a push switch
  
• detent or no detent - if the shaft makes clicky feeling feedback when you turn it. I am guessing these don't because they are the tone stack knobs.
  
• The number of pulses per revolution. This is not possible to tell by looking at it. or from detents. But usually these are 24. There are other kinds too
  
• The orientation - vertical or 90 degree. these look like vertical right.
  
• the pin type - surface mount or pc pin. hese look like pc pin.
  
• panel mount or pcb mount. These look like panel mount because the threaded screw around the shaft
  
• encoder tech (mechanical or optical) - these are mechanical
  
• the output type (quadrature, binary) - because the 3 pins, these are quadrature
  
• the shaft length - if the shaft is plastic or metal is not as important. these look like 20mm
  
• the shaft pattern (straight, fluted, or slotted) - these look like slotted.
  
  So probably this https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/bourns-inc/PEC11R-4020F-N0024/PEC11R-4020F-N0024-ND/4699190
  
  ​
  
  In general, I used their search filters, here is a link to one less narrowed down too https://www.digikey.ca/products/en/sensors-transducers/encoders/507?k=&pkeyword=&sv=0&pv545=142&sf=0&FV=fffc0076%2Ca4019a%2C1140291%2C6240002%2Cffe001fb%2C3400006&quantity=&ColumnSort=0&page=1&pageSize=25
  
  ​
  
  To remove these from the PCB, you need to be good at desoldering. I used a solder iron with desolder wick
  
  ​
  
  I have this solder station https://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi-premier-75w-Soldering-Station.html
  
  A good solder station is important as the tip is very fine point, the heat is regulated and can be adjusted. I used about 350 to 400 degrees C heat. And the device is safe to use for static sensitive boards.
  
  And solder wick https://www.amazon.ca/NTE-Electronics-SW02-10-No-Clean-Blue-098/dp/B0195UVWJ8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=solder+wick&qid=1565443539&s=gateway&sr=8-1
  
  Having some fine tweezers is good too. I have these https://www.amazon.ca/TWEEZERMAN-Stainless-Tweezer-Assorted-Colors/dp/B000782SQY/ref=sr_1_54?keywords=tweezers&qid=1565443795&s=gateway&sr=8-54
  
  ​
  
  It is very important to not damage the circuit board when desoldering. be patient. The hard part with taking out rotary encoders is desoldering the mechanical support metal clips on the sides. These usually are wider and require more heat and time to melt and more messing with the solder wick to get all the solder out. I recommend desoldering the pins first, using small tweezers to move the pins to make sure they are loose. then work with the iron to alternate the mecanical support pieces to heat and gently rock back and forth.
  
  ​
  
  Another thing migh to try is to destroy the old broken encoder, small cutters to cut apart the pins and the supports. Just be careful again to not damage the other parts and the board. Then you can easier desolder the loose bits of metal remaining in the holes.
  
  The approach worked well for me. I had a few iterations, since the first time I replaced an encoder, put the device back together, then i found a different encoder had stopped working. So back apart and I had to desolder it as well. But then I went on the learning curve of getting an encoder with the wrong number of pulses per revolution. It was a big wheel for the options, so it had 24 detents, but 12 pulses per revolution, and a push button switch, so some kind of special snow flake.
  
  If these encoders you have here are just regular encoders without switches it should be possible for it to be repaired.
  
  Of course if you don't have the tools already then it can be very expensive to ge them just to do this. I would recommend then finding someone who does have the tools and experience doing this.

As others have said, SMD hand soldering is very doable. I just want to add BUY SOME GOOD NO CLEAN FLUX. Paste flux is the most fun you can have with a syringe outside of heroin. Really it makes everything easier. Just make sure to give a good alcohol cleaning afterwards to get off residue.

I know. That was the first thing I thought. I bought two kits for my x220 and x230, I screwed up royally the first attempt and wound up needing to use the second set of items.

Before you start, the equipment you will need:

• a precision screwdriver kit. This is what I use
  
• Exacto knife
  
• Dremel/pliers/sandpaper to make room for the LCD.
  
• canned air to clean up the plastic and metal shavings from dremel/pliers/sandpaper
  
• as /u/Bredius88 already mentioned, flux. I used liquid flux. If you use liquid flux you will also need rubbing alcohol and qtips to clean up.
  
• desolder pump
  
• magnifying lens of some sort. I used this which was good enough and could also keep my glasses on.
  
• kapton tape. (1/4" width or less)
  
• If it has been a decade since you last soldered or have shaky hands, or both in my case, I strongly suggest buying very thin solder and, if possible, a quality soldering iron like a Hakko FX888D. These were suggested by the EEVblog soldering tutorial made the second time around far easier.
  
  
  A few words of "wisdom"
  
  
• Take your time and do not rush. It is incredibly easy to miss things in the installation guide.
  
• DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING. If the LCD screen does not lay flush with the screw holes or the bezel is not clipping, you need to remove more material from the case/bezel
  
• Do not be stingy with the flux
  
• Do not over heat your soldering iron
  
• The sense wire looks like it is copper, but that is just the film on it. Gently scrape it with the exacto knife to reveal the wire in side. It will not solder with this film on it
  
• For each step, tape the piece in place before soldering then gently remove the tape. This was the only way I could solder the sense wire because it is so thin and light
  
• The eDP cable is very fragile. Do not keep plugging/unplugging it. If you do need ot unplug it (like after testing), only unplug the side from the board and keep pressure on the board when doing so as not to wreak your solder joints
  
• When everything has been soldered in place, test it before putting everything back together
  
  Also, on the V5, I used the old installation guide and the big difference is that the power is connected to the far left under the fuse marked "P". In the picture your finger is kind of covering it.
  
  EDIT: Anyone trying to justify spending ~$125US on a good soldering iron and solder just remember that replacing the motherboard will cost you about the same and will not be as useful a decade from now.

Looks like you got an even cheaper iron that looks very similar, but wanted to mention I just got this soldering iron and I'm very happy with it.

Also, I got some soldering wick, which I much prefer to the solder-sucker. My mind was blown by how much easier my life got with solder wick.

I also got one of these, which is nice.

These are all pretty solid Personally I'm a fan of Aoyue's products too, though both the units I've owned have been on the expensive side, I can link those if you're interested. For solder, I always use this stuff, it works great for switches and stuff like that and is small enough to work alright for SMD work.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0149K4JTY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what I use. It's super easy to use. I'm not sure but I think yours should be fine. I would ask in the Bottlehead forumr; their support is great .

EDIT: OK, I went back and looked at the torch I bought, it says Propane only. I returned it and and got a Berzomatic TS8000

Ok, thanks for the replies!

I picked up this flux: Harris SSWF1 Stay Silv Brazing Flux, 1 lb. Jar, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002075B0U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_790RCb2K2T97F

^(And this torch head: BernzOmatic Basic Use UL2317 Brass Pencil Flame Propane Torch Head) ^(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008ZA0C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_N.0RCbY4860NK)

^(And did buy propane, but it was only like $6 for 2 camping cans so no big loss.)

I'll grab a can of MAPP.

I assume that because it's only 12 gauge wire and a 20 gauge "solder" it won't take long at all to heat up. As I understand it:

• Clean everything thoroughly. I'll use sandpaper and fine stainless steel brushes.
  
• Apply flux to wires Heat wire until red hot.
  
• Heat "solder" a bit and dip in flux
  
• Heat wires a bit more and touch solder to area.
  
  I've also seen people cut little bits of the soldering wire and place it on the target, then heat the wires until it flows. Is that incorrect?
  
  Thanks again!

I say yes go ahead and clean with alcohol first if the board is old and crusty, it cant hurt. And you should really own a tube of flux regardless. The flux inside flux core solder burns away really quick from the heat of the iron, so you have to be quick with your operations. If you mess up and get something like this:

http://bobbyowsinskiblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Solder-joints.jpg

Reflowing is what you want, but just touching the tip of the iron back on these probably wont fix anything without adding a dab of new flux. Flux is what makes the solder wick properly so you get beautiful fillets.

PS. I prefer the flux that comes in a tube rather than the pen. This one is good: link

Heated PCBs are hard anyway because they are a weird combination of heatsinking and thermally insulative. If you are ever going to solder a second thing, just get a good Hakko or something. I have the analog version of the linked iron, and love it. I leave it at 350C constantly ... it gets to temp in like 20 seconds and holds it rock solid.

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Digital-FX888D-CHP170-bundle/dp/B00AWUFVY8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421772043&sr=8-1&pebp=1421772044939&peasin=B00AWUFVY8

Also:
http://www.amazon.com/SRA-Soldering-Flux-Low-Solids-No-Clean/dp/B008OC0E5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421772121&sr=8-1&pebp=1421772121985&peasin=B008OC0E5M

I'd highly suggest you plunk down and get both. You'll feel like a wizard from now on with soldering. For the flux pen, just drown your connections, wire, pads, etc in flux before soldering. Within a very generous reason, you cannot overflux things, and it makes the solder actually behave like it should. It globs where it's supposed to, doesn't make those stupid little peaky points that bridge everywhere, and so on.

Soldering is one of those tasks where it really pays off to invest a little bit more in your tools at the beginning. /u/1-11 mentioned the Weller WLC100 - I second this recommendation. I've had one for almost 8 years and it's never let me down, though I bought a nicer iron a few years ago (Aoyue 968A+) and the Weller hasn't seen much use since.

The kit you posted is probably not very high quality. I would steer away from it and spend the extra money to get something you know will perform well for years. You do want some of the things from that kit, though:

• Solder sucker
  
  
• Solder wick
  
  
• Tweezers
  
  
• Various tips
  
  
• Flux (I use a flux pen similar to this one for most things as it's a little easier to apply)
  
  A good way to practice is to get some perf board (the tan-colored breadboard-looking PCB prototyping boards), a pack of random wires and/or resistors/capacitors, and just start soldering things in. SparkFun sells some good kits for beginner soldering, and they have a few good tutorials as well.
  
  Always use flux, always tin your wires before soldering them to anything, and always hold the iron on the solder long enough for it to completely flow. Learn how to use solder wick and you'll be able to repair just about anything. Finally, always tin your tips before storing the iron - don't want the tips to corrode!

Sorry for the late reply. First of all, take all of this with a grain of salt. This is my first build, so I am by no means an expert. You should definitely look in to all this on your own rather than blindly trust my purchases.
Here are the tools I got in my Amazon order:

• Wire Stripper
  
• No Clean Flux Paste
  
• XT60 Connectors
  
• 60/40 Rosin Core Solder
  
• Loctite Threadlocker 242 (blue)
  
• Weller 40 Watt soldering station
  
• Solder tip cleaner
  
• Helping hand with LED
  
• Bullet connectors
  
• Liquid electrical tape
  
• Heatshrink variety pack
  
• Chisel tip for soldering iron
  
• Servo cables
  
• 12/14/16 AWG silicone wire
  
• Zip ties
  
  I hope this helps.
  
  

It'll be blackened, solder won't stick to it, and it'll have poor heat transfer.

Properly tinning and caring for your tips is one of the first things you should learn--use the bronze puff (or less ideal sponge) to clean off flux and excess solder during use.

If it's a good quality tip, the black stuff will only be burnt on flux, rather than full oxidation of the cladding (at which point, you should replace it). To quote myself from another post (n.b. don't use sand paper to try to clean up your tips):

> I use a scour pad (keep a small part of one in your toolbox, inside a ziplock) on my tip when it gets really carbonized, and then follow it up with Weller tip tinner / activator. As many others are saying here, a low-abrasive bronze puff is better than a damp sponge for cleaning your iron when in use, since it can better wick solder and doesn't subject the tip to as much thermal stress.

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.

Go for it!

I used:

• X-Tronic Soldering Iron Station: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGZFSNE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Engineer SS-02 Solder Sucker: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MJMXD4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Indium Wire Solder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AYJWSY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Spudger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGNCNR0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Krytox lube: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MWLD61A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Honestly the most important thing IMO is having a good solder sucker. The Engineer is pretty good. I've broken a few cheap ones and it's pretty annoying to be half-way through a project and have it break.
  
  The Masterkeys Pro is a pretty straight forward keyboard. Fairly standard key sizes, easy to take a part (especially with a spudger). The solder they use is a pain to remove though. Just take your time and be careful not to damage the PCB like I did.

I actually had put this up on mechmarket last week before I decided I wanted to keep the case but change out the switches. I originally had BOX Burnt Oranges in here, which I found to be too heavy, so I desoldered them and put in 67g Zealios—MUCH better. The process was actually pretty painless due to this solder sucker—HIGHLY recommended. The PCB is a DZ60, and the case is from Shenzhen YMD (I believe he is sold out at the moment). The stabs are genuine cherry, of course, and have been clipped and lubed. Keycaps are GMK Muted. The low profile case works great with cherry profile keycaps.

Those desoldering irons are straight up dangerous. I'd avoid at all costs. Grab a threaded solder sucker, it's much safer and works about as well.

The general consensus is that a small, conical tip works best for switches. I personally like an elbow tip for SMD soldering, but you can use the same one you're using for switches.

Your soldering station looks like a piece of shit. Buy this one instead. Set it to 4 and solder away.

You've got solder paste in your order. That won't work properly without a hot air setup. Kester 0.031" is the solder of choice for building. You can also find similar, lead-free solder on amazon, but lead free is harder to work with.

If you don't have flush cutters and ESD-safe tweezers, I recommend grabbing some. Ifixit has some for pretty cheap.

Your cleaners are bad. Get this instead. It is, again, safer than your selection.

You don't need flux, the kester solder has it in the solder already.

I've done a few NES console builds and a few more NES cartridge builds. This album isn't mine, but for the port access I HIGHLY recommend using the decora keystone wall plate. You can get a gray one on Amazon that comes decently close to matching, and with some good glue work you'll barely notice it's there. Since you'll be using a dremel anyway to get rid of screw standoffs that are no longer necessary, cutting that opening should just take some patience.

I was a complete idiot with a soldering iron, and after getting some reps with it doing projects like these it's kind of amazing what you pick up. I found this site hugely helpful, since a lot of what I was doing was desoldering USB cables from PCB's (for the cartridge builds) and resoldering microUSB heads. You won't be doing a lot of desoldering, however everyone makes mistakes and sometimes fixing those mistakes involves removing solder. There are plenty of youtube vids out there for soldering, but all you need to get started is something like this. It's not the best iron in the world, but it's temperature controllable and something cheep to get you started. The only thing I'd add to that is a little flux, it will help tinning wire ends immeasurably.

Something else that's going to help you out a LOT for the console build: RELOCATE THE MICROSD CARD. Buy one of these, I routed mine to the left side of the cartridge opening, set vertically against the opening and at an angle so i can get the SD card in and out. You really don't want to rip apart 6 screws to open and close the unit, and if the SD card gets corrupted or you just want to change something on there that's exactly what you'll have to do. Move that sumbitch to the front and you'll never have to worry about it.

Thanks for sending the video along. I never knew what that little syringe was for until now.

I'm pretty sure the solder I'm using is for electric work. Here is what I've been using. I'll admit I pretty much never clean the solder tip which probably is having an impact on the ability of connections to stay put.

This: http://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-Variable-Temperature-Soldering/dp/B0029N70WM/ Best cheap iron I've played with. Tips are a bit rough and seem more prone to heavy oxidation than my normal Weller ones (or maybe people just liked to crank the temp all the way up), so you probably want this too: http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Soldering-Cleaner-sponge-needed/dp/B005C789EU/ A sponge mostly just cleans off excess flux and solder. The brass shaving ball scrapes off oxidation really well without damaging tips.

Don't cheap out on the solder either. Buy a 1lb. spool of Kester "44" 63/37 (old school 60/40 works too), should last a normal DIY lifetime.

60/40 rosin core should be good.

Alpha Fry AT-31604 60-40 Rosin Core Solder (4 Ounces) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030AP48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BhXXzbASH0FHM

Use solder wick and a wide tip to clean the old solder off

NTE Electronics SW02-10 No-Clean Solder Wick, #4 Blue, .098" Width, 10' Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195UVWJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9eXXzb1S3RHKS

Use lots flux. Coat the area before you use the wick and again before you solder. It helps bond the solder to the metal.

MG Chemicals No Clean Flux Paste, 10 ml Syringe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00425FUW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mgXXzbTRM5G78

A good iron helps so very much. This is what I have

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RiXXzb76H6WDS

However this should do for occasional use

Vastar 60W 110V Welding Soldering Iron with Adjustable Temperature Dial, 5pcs Interchangeable Different Soldering Iron Tips and Solder Tube for Soldering Repaired Usage, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RCB7KB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_slXXzbQRJVVZ2

When you are done clean with 90% or above isopropyl alcohol and let dry before you use.

Watch some videos on how to use the wick. Its a great tool to have and works so much better than the crappy suckers.

I have the Weller WES51 and I really love it. I can definitely recommenced it.

Also, I recommend getting some solder tip wire cleaner, such as this one. If you plan on doing a fair amount of soldering.

Yep. All good stuff here. On the note of equipment I'd add that the hakko tip cleaners are way better than a sponge imo. You just jab the tip in a few times and it looks good as new. Also it would be a good idea to pick up a narrow chisel point tip and some ceramic tweezers for doing the surface mount diodes. Of course if op is on a tight budget and doesn't solder often then all that is excessive.

+1 for the Hakko FX888D-23BY

Some solder wick and a desolder pump is something else I would add. Also a cheap tip thinner for a noob (like me). Helping hands are cheap and can be useful. Also a cheap variety pack of tips. Nothing expensive till you are comfortable with keeping them clean and tinned.

These are all things I bought when I purchased my Hakko FX888. All have been useful.

Desolder Pumps and Wick

[Tip tinner] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NS4J6BY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k1kZDbJ5TS5Q6)

Helping hands w/magnifying glass

Various Tips

Hakko FX888D-23BY


All of this cost me $146 shipped. Right now, it'll all total to $139.83 shipped if in the US

My WhiteFox recently started getting chatter on the R and the 2 keys, so from what I've read it seems like I need to desolder the switches and put new ones in? So for desoldering, do the Engineer SS-02 and this desoldering braid seem good, or is anything else someone might recommend for desoldering? Also wondering for putting the new switches in, if there's any specific size or type of solder I should get?

Thanks!

edit: figured out the solder, but what would be a good flux? what are the different types for and why is flux important?

I'm almost ready to start soldering my custom keyboard. However I wanted to check and make sure that my solder/ soldering iron combo is okay for a keyboard. This is my iron and [this]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AYJ0B7Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) is the solder I got.

The iron isn't adjustable and it says

"up to 925.F"

and the solder says

"Solder iron tip temperatures between 315-371°C (600-700°F)"

Is this gonna be okay, or should I get an adjustable temp iron? Thanks for any help.

How cheap is it? Does it run? Do you actually need a portable welder? That thing is a beast. Does it come with anything, leads, wire feeder...

OK, I'm going to address your list.

>1 Is this a good machine to have around? Is the power sufficient to grow with?

It's not about power. It's about utility, I've never used all 180 amps my machine will put out.

>2 Is it versatile? What kinds of welding will this do?

It will stick weld, assuming it comes with leads and an electrode holder. It could do much more if you had the accessories, wire feeder for MIG, High Frequency box and torch for TIG, etc. BUT it's old and finding gear and making it work could be expensive and time consuming.

>3 What is a no-brainer price, assuming full functionality but no accessories?

$2000?

But it's not really worth that to you as a total newbie. Go buy one of these: Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder

Why? Because you can plug it in anywhere, It comes with a gas flowmeter so you can do true MIG instead of just FCAW and you can do what you need to do, which is practice, practice, practice.

And when you need more capabilities? You can buy bigger machine and still own a small one for little jobs or sell it to fund your upgrade!

Good Luck.

Although not the cheapest, ebay is probably the easiest way to find faulty systems.

Some equipment recommendations:

• A TS100 soldering iron. I use a more expensive Hakko FX888-D, but I've heard great things about this one for the price. Try to get a chisel tip for general purpose use, it has a balanced combination of size and heat transfer.
  
• iFixit 64-bit toolkit, for handling all the various screws you'll encounter.
  
• Soldapullt desoldering pump. Don't bother with the Chinese knock-offs, they seem to break easily.
  
• Fine 63/37 solder. One roll will last you a long time. Don't bother with cheap Chinese solder, it will not have the advertised metal composition and give poor results.
  
• I like this flux, but it's kind of pricey.
  
• Desoldering braid is essential.
  
• Neoteck multimeter. Very good for the price.
  
• If you need to remove SMD components, a 858D hot air station available under various Chinese brands you've never heard of. Kind of sketchy, but works and has not burned down my home yet.

Definitely does!

This flux pen look good?

Also, I have what seems to be a slightler version of a phillips head as my solder tip, it came with the gun.

Is some like this better to use in my case or what solder tip type would you recommend?

I do not know if he got you the links but here they are all on Amazon. The funniest thing is that I have it all ready for when I get enough money for this and the Hakko FX-888D.

Solder is the Kester 44

Solder sucker

Desoldering wick

Hakko cleaning tip wire station

Regardless of how it looks, the only important thing is that it functions. Congrats for that. I would recommend keeping a cheat sheet with the old cap values since the SMD caps don't really tell you their values (in case they ever go bad) :)


The only real suggestion I can make is:
LEARN TO USE FLUX <3


Those pointed bits of solder would get fixed if you put a dab of flux on the blob and touch it with the iron. :D


That's my only critique.


I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Clean-Paste-Syringe/dp/B00425FUW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483361217&sr=8-1&keywords=mg+chemicals+no+clean+flux

My success rate with wiring guitar builds increased greatly when I bought a "nice" soldering iron and some small diameter solder. You'll get much cleaner joints with a soldering iron that lets you control the temperature. I bought this Weller soldering station, and it was the best investment I've made.

You are building a flying machine. In order to build a flying machine, you need to start with good tools.

1. Get some decent rosin-core solder. Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 0.80mm is good and has a low melting temperature, which makes it easier to work with.
   
2. Get a decent soldering iron. I recommend the Weller WES51 or Weller WESD51 and Weller ETO tips for small jobs like signal wires, and the Weller ETA tip (included with the iron) for XT60s and ESC wires. No, it isn't cheap, but yes, it will last you 20 years.
   
3. Get some tweezers. I like the Hakko CHP 00D-SA.
   
4. Get some wire strippers. I like the TEKTON 3794.
   
   Soldering is an important part of building a flying machine. You need to learn to solder:
   
   
5. Strip your wires to the length of the pad you're going to solder them to.
   
6. Your iron should be at 700°-750°, depending on the solder (63/37 has a lower melting point than 60/40).
   
7. Before doing anything with your iron, Clean the tip of the iron on a wet sponge, then tin the tip of the iron by applying a small amount of solder
   
8. Tin pads by applying a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron, applying the tip of the iron to the pad, then applying solder between the tip of the iron and the pad until the pad is completely covered in solder.
   
9. Tin wires by applying a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron, applying the tip of the iron to the base of the exposed wire, then adding solder as you move the tip of the iron to the tip of the exposed wire.
   
10. Tin the iron, grab the tinned wire with your tweezers, place it above the tinned pad, press the wire into the pad using the tip of the iron, hold for 2 seconds, remove the iron, hold for 2 seconds.
    
    You are building a flying machine, do it right.

Surprising! That's the first good thing I've hear about the K tips! Sounds like a lot of people toss em or basically never use them after getting some chisel tips.

As for solder, I was originally going to order some off Aliexpress, but it sounds like that's a terrible idea. Kester 245 No Clean 63/37 in a 0.031" (0.8mm) sounds like a good balance for genera purpose solder. I'm afraid 0.5mm will be too narrow for soldering THT, splices, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Kester-Rosin-Core-Solder-Spool/dp/B00068IJPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421246616&sr=8-1&keywords=kester+44+rosin+core+solder

I've been soldering for decades and I have never found a lead-bearing solder that worked better overall. I use 0.031" for through-hole work, 0.020" or even 0.015" for SMD and touch-up. The flux is fast-acting enough that I can use Weller 800F tips and a quick-in-quick-out soldering technique, completing the joint before the heat can spread far. In any case, you get best results when you touch the tip of the solder to the junction of iron and wire, aimed such that the flux spits straight into the joint as it boils.

add: Using 63/37 rather than 60/40, you minimize the paste period where the lead has chilled but the tin is molten, thus reducing the chances of a cold solder joint due to movement.
> The 63/37 is a eutectic alloy, which:
>
> 1. has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and
> 2. the melting point is truly a point — not a range.

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

Good background info: http://www.kester.com/knowledge-base/faq/

hmm. the laser could help me get arrested, which is a pretty big life change.

honestly, a MIG welder would make a huge difference. I could do functional side projects, and make more and better trees to start selling, help me get out of the debt cycle.

If you get the small propane torch, make sure to get the "clicker" kind that automatically light. This is the one I use.

It is SO nice to just click the button and shove the flame into the smoker and three seconds later it's lit perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS4000-Trigger-Start-Torch/dp/B00008ZA09/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1395417266&sr=1-1&keywords=propane+torch

Well, if you can use the lab and it has a scope in it then you just scored big time.

As far as $100. I would get:

(amazon links for convenience, use any supplier you wish)

• DMM (digital multimeter) - must have diode check, DC volts, AC volts, Ohms, and continuity. Extech EX330 ($50) or Equus 3320 ($20)
  
  
• clip leads for the meter such as these - these are important because you will need to take values while the amp is on, and you don't want to be poking around a live amp
  
  
• variable power/temp soldering iron - cheap one good one better one
  
  
• 60/40 leaded solder - I like this kind
  
  
• desolder braid
  
  
• rosin flux
  
  
• contact cleaner
  
  
• (de-oxit d-5)[http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-D5S6-Deoxit-Contact-Cleaner/dp/B00006LVEU/]
  
  
• flush cutters
  
  
• solder sucker
  
  
• shrink tube of various diameters
  
  
• 92%+ isopropyl alcohol
  
  
• windex
  
  
• q-tips
  
  
• paper towels
  
  
• needle nose pliers
  
  
• nice set of phillips head screwdrivers
  
  
• standard screwdriver
  
  
• miner's headlamp
  
  
• digital camera for taking many many pictures before and during disassembly
  
  
• printer for printing service manuals
  
  
• heat gunor hair dryer
  
  
• canned air
  
  
  EDIT: Light bulb socket, 100W + 60W real light bulbs (not the hippy engery saving kind), electrical outlet - these are for making a dim bulb tester.
  
  All I can think of right now.

Edit: Please make sure you turn off and unplug your power supply before cutting any wires.

Parts / tool list below, this what i used but there are substitutes out there.

Note: Main thing that is slightly challenging is soldering the XT60s, basic idea is to “tin” (soldering term) the wires and the XT60s first, then heat the connector with your iron as you put the wire in to get a good fusion. Decent video on soldering them:solder XT60s


My soldering Iron:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANZRT4M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Soldering Flux:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZIV85A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Solder (60-40)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071G1J3W6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

New XT-60’s and Shroud:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074PN6N4K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Helping Hands (not required, but def helpful)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RB38X8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bought this a while ago, but any heat shrink will do:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFA3OFA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wire - If you’re new to soldering and need practice, or you’re going to split your cables for Rasberry Pi, or other components, etc:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ABOPMEI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm not sure what you mean by "...more controlled way to connect each button to ground".

As far as connecting wires to pins, soldering is often the best way. A tutorial on soldering would probably be useful if you've never done it before. I recommend lead free solder, some flux, and a cheapo soldering iron with a finer chisel tip. Such as, this one. Or, something comparable. Flux: Rosin Flux. You want to make sure it's a thick rosin based flux otherwise you may have to obsessively your joint and the surrounding area.

​

Google images:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_diagrams/gc_diagram1.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy4Wdbp3cpM/VRYTb7T4fGI/AAAAAAAAAbU/AcAbPTgP05g/s1600/2015-03-27%2B17.22.34.jpg

http://gc-forever.com/mega/Ashen/Controller_Trimming/1.png

​

The button work by closing the circuit to ground. Personally. I would just solder the wires to the corresponding contacts on the PCB simply because it would make trouble shooting easier on an unknown board. A daisy chain could be fine, but only if all those grounds are a common ground, but with signals I'm not sure that can be relied upon. If they aren't a common ground, linking them could lead to unexpected/undesired behavior. You could probably use a voltmeter to carefully explore if they are a common ground, and if you find that they are, your daisy chain idea would probably be fine. I would use solder and cover joints with shrink tubing.

I typically go over all of the pads with a flux pen

Then for every set of pads, I solder a small amount on one side.

Then I get all of the diodes ready and with a pair of tweezers in one hand and the soldering iron in the other, I hold them in place and reheat the solder and contacts to tack them down on one side.

After they're all soldered down on one side, I put the tweezers down and grab the solder wire and solder down the remaining sides.

This build guide for the Helidox actually shows pretty well.

https://github.com/foostan/crkbd/blob/master/corne-cherry/doc/buildguide_jp.md#%E3%83%80%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89

velcro strap for battery! 300mm if you're wrapping around the entire quad

clear double-stick Gorilla Tape

also [this](https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599B-02-Solder-Cleaning-Holder/dp/B00FZPGDLA/ref=sr_1_6?
s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1464845046&sr=1-6&keywords=hakko) soldering iron tip cleaner is freaking awesome

poster putty for soldering stuff, way better than helping hands

Okay, so what you're saying is you do not necessarily need additional flux if you're using rosin core? Makes sense. Getting a pen sounds like a good idea here then, and will probably be much cheaper. Thanks!

I am thinking of buying these two rolls of solder:

Kester 44: 63/37 .031 diameter (For general soldering)

Kester 44: 63/37 .020 diameter (For SMD's)

& Kester 951 in a 12mL pen

Would these be suitable?

A desoldering braid is the way to go. Not very reusable, but very effective and easy to use.

Should be, but it depends.

https://www.amazon.com/Drico-MIG-150D-Multifunction-Voltage-Soldering/dp/B01H81KKDU/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1492666630&sr=1-6&refinements=p_36%3A20000-35000 this one pulls 31 amps on 120v

https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Electric-K2185-1-Handy-Welder/dp/B000QFNZ74/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1492666630&sr=1-1&refinements=p_36%3A20000-35000 while this one is fine an a 20 amp circuit.

At the end of the day, it will depend on how much you're going to need it. I've done a lot of on-site work with 110v GMAW machines and a 20amp breaker is the minimum to ensure good performance.

Make sure to tin your tip and keep it clean. You can wipe it off on a wet sponge, or get a tip cleaner. I use that tip cleaner, and for $9 it's awesome.

This is the one that I use, its been holding up pretty well. Just be sure to keep the tip clean and tinned, it's a pain when they start to oxidize. I use something like this. Also be sure to get the right sized tip(s) for your projects.

I just bought this and this when i swapped my MX switches out. I mean i guess if you want to get into the SMD hobby it wont be the best, but for just general stuff or using it once in a blue moon to mod your KB it's been perfectly fine.

Oh and this and this helped alot.

unlimited budget? challenge accepted:

backup vitaprep base, multiple backup vitaprep tops. another robot coupe, with the extended housing and specialty blades. extra robot coupe blades. extra circulator or two. whatever size the professional kitchen aid mixers are these days - one of them, with all the gadgets and gizmos. depending on the size of the gear you have, large and small immersion blenders.

more pans. a few of something like these that will stay flat for searing fish. more pots. more plates. more plastic squeeze bottles. one or two of these. if you're also in charge of glasses and silver, more of that. more china caps. more chinoises.

more cambros. more lids. more 1/9,1/6, and 1/3 pans - deep and shallow, with enough false bottoms for all sizes to cover 25% of the pans. more pan spacers for the service coolers. more sheet trays. more 1/2 sheet trays - perforated and non perforated. more hotel and 1/2 hotel pans - 2, 4, and 6 inch; perforated and non perforated. more ladles, particularly 2oz and 4oz. more cutting boards. more buss tubs. more lexans, both perforated and non perforated. lids for those lexans.

if a tilt skillet can be a thing, one (or more) of them. or a steam jacket kettle. just something you can conveniently roll stocks in. garbage disposals in the dish pit. couple of blowtorches.

butcher's twine, cheesecloth, blue (or whatever color you choose) tape, sharpies, and pens - enough that finding any one of those items shouldn't be an issue. a case of bic lighters to keep in the office. more clipboards, because they're fucking useful.

A torch is better for this because a soldering iron concentrates the heat in a very very small area. And since metal is so conductive and has a high thermal mass, it looses heat faster than you can apply it with a soldering iron, so it will never get hot enough to actually solder. Flux comes in a paste (or sometimes liquid) and is a weak acid that etches the metal to clean and roughen the surface so the solder wets to the metal and bonds better. It also helps keep air out of the connection to prevent oxidation while you're soldering, which would weaken the joint.

The steps would be to clean each piece, position or clamp them together, apply a good amount of flux, heat it all up with the torch, then touch the solder to the hot metal so that it melts on. If you need to apply heat directly to the solder (ie, the solder doesn't melt on its own when it touches the metal) then your metal isn't hot enough and it will make a cold solder connection that will be weak, or completely non-existent if it's too cold. It may look like it joined things, but the smallest bit of force (even from just normal handling) would break the joint and you would need to start all over by first cleaning off all the solder, then cleaning the metal, applying flux, and trying again.

Here's the torch I use:

Torch

Fuel

Optional extension hose so you don't have to hold the cylinder the whole time

Solder and flux. This kit comes with some emery cloth to clean the metal a bit before soldering.


EDIT: Here's a video about soldering copper pipe. Same process for small sheet metal parts.

USD 150 is a very good budget, you need to get some reliable and proper tool.

Soldering iron: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888D-23BY-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B00ANZRT4M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523249667&sr=8-3&keywords=hakko+888

Solder: https://www.amazon.com/Kester-24-6337-0027-Solder-Alloy-Diameter/dp/B0149K4JTY/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1523249737&sr=1-4&keywords=kester+63%2F37

Cleaning wire: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599-029-Replacement-Insert-Cleaner/dp/B00Q88Q1ZG/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1523249854&sr=1-2&keywords=hakko+brass+wire

Helping hand (Optional ) https://www.amazon.com/SE-MZ101B-Helping-Magnifying-Glass/dp/B000RB38X8/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1523249902&sr=1-1&keywords=soldering+helping+hands

Soldering is a good skill to have, in general.

And if you're careful, there's not much you can screw up.

Watch a YT tutorial or two and you'll be good to go.

For tools you'll eventually want what is in this kit, but probably not that kit itself.

I bought a Weller WLC100 40 watt kit (definitely get a norrower ST2 or ST3 tip as well), a solder sucker tool (you can use desoldering wick, but the solder sucker is worth the money), a Helping Hands and 60/40 rosin-core solder.

In addition, I like using tip tinner, a wire tip cleaner like this because I found that using a wet sponge reduced the tip temperature too much.

Also, solder fumes are not great so only do this is in a well-ventilated area. I like to use a small fan to blow the fumes away from my face.

The only thing you'll need to do is desolder/clip the existing swtich and wire up the replacement. You don't have to mess with the pots or caps unless you want to.

Phostenix Tele diagram page.

edit: fixed solder type

I have that exact set, and it's great for soldering. For desoldering, I wasn't a huge fan of the pump or a separate solder wick I tried. This seems like a far superior version of a desoldering pump, mainly for the silicone tip to keep a tighter vacuum seal.

Yeah if it came with a kit it's probably lead-free. I'd just get a pound of 63/37 or 60/40 tin/lead rosin core solder, small diameter. Kester is my go-to. Super easy to work with and a pound should last you years. This is my go-to flux. Pricey but the two in combination actually make soldering enjoyable.

> along with a soldering iron to do repairs.

Totally agree. I would suggest any of the Weller pro series models(Indicated with the light blue chasis like the Weller WP35). Even their most inexpensive model is better than anything I have used off the shelf at Home Depot. Consistent tempuratures and fast heat up.

Additionally, I would also recommend a solder sucker and a flux pen. You could splurge for something like a Haako Desoldering gun which works great but unless you are doing entire board repairs the simple spring loaded ones work fine and costs considerablly less.

Good hardware store might have one, any pluming supply store, online .

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Taco-334-3-Taco-Cast-Iron-Pressure-Reducing-Valve-Dual-Control-Sweat

learn how to solder pipe. lots of Utubes out there, you don't need a fancy rig for homeowner stuff, this is good enough for homeowners.

https://www.amazon.com/BernzOmatic-Basic-UL2317-Pencil-Propane/dp/B00008ZA0C/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1481992375&sr=8-6&keywords=propane+flame+torch

Basically clean the fitting with a fitting cleaning brush, clean the pipe with plumber sandcloth, flux the inside of the fitting, the outside of the pipe, assemble, apply heat , when the flux stops boiling apply the solder to the opposite side of the heat and let it run around.

Don't over heat the fitting if the flux turns black you got it to hot, I usually move the flame around a little when heating the fitting.

If making up adapters solder them to the pipe ( short piece ) before screwing them to the valve.

Buy some extra pipe and fittings and practice, ells are pretty inexpensive, practice on them.

If you don't own a soldering iron, but foresee yourself continuing down this road in the future, I implore you to buy a decent soldering iron. Getting a cheap $10 iron will just result in horrible joints and a lot of frustration.

Start off with something like the [Weller WLC100](https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC]. It's a no-frills iron, but it's quality and will serve you well. One of these little metal sponges is great addition, too. Better than using a wet sponge to clean your tip.

As for kits...I don't know off hand. Listen to the others for that advice. Just try to do something that's through-hole and not SMD for your first project.

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.

Do you have a de-solder wick? Or a suction tube/bulb?

It's lit-tree-lee as easy as heating the solder and letting the wick do its job or sucking it up into the bulb.

Buy it:
https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17542-Desoldering-2-5mm-Length/dp/B017ODKIPC

https://www.amazon.com/Apex-Weller-Desoldering-Bulb-Solder-Off/dp/B00011TUZY

I like this cleaner to clean the tip of your iron:
https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599B-02-Solder-Cleaning-Holder/dp/B00FZPGDLA/ref=pd_lpo_469_bs_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5T5GCF0MQZC3DGJ93YQ8


Learn how to do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htrcZuK_ZsY

Do you have solder flux paste? You'll need that too.

Also available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MJMXD4/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a bit more, but hey guaranteed shipping timeframe so it's worth it to me. Thanks for the tip, I've been using wick and about to do a 104 key, let's hope this baby lasts through that.

I typically use 60 40 0.031 lead solder, which is cheaply available from amazon, including prime. One of these spools will last a very long time for only $30. These tubes are available for smaller quantities.

The main concern with solder is the flux fumes, which are actually worse with higher temperatures and lead free solder. One simple solution to solder fumes is a pc fan with some sort of filter on it, such as this one. I made one for around $4, and it works very well. It also helps to mount it on some sort of arm, such as solid copper wire or one of these. There are many types of fume extractors that would work.

As for the soldering iron, I use a weller wes51, but a hakko fx888 is also good.

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.

This is the lead free solder I am using... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B61TWGY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here is my flux... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZIV85A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It wets the tip of my iron just fine, but if I hold the iron against the wire lead I'm trying to tin the wire lead never seems to get hot enough for the solder to flow. It's really maddening. I clean the tip of the iron frequently, and it always comes away from the sponge shiny silver. It's definitely getting hot (and I can show you the spot on the back of my right thumb where I learned that lesson the hard way). I will check for tightness of fit on to the iron whenever I get home, but I don't think it's loose.

https://www.amazon.com/Kester-No-Clean-Core-Solder-Spool/dp/B00068IJOU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469107079&sr=8-3&keywords=63%2F37+flux+solder

Is that a good solder to use if I'm soldering switches for my Planck? Also do I need a flux pen and should I get better tips for my iron?

I just got the Hakko fx888 station if that helps.

solder

I keep the heat almost all the way down. My kit is actually slightly different here and came with a stand, sponge, and the tweezers are SUPER useful

This is a pretty awesome iron

https://www.amazon.com/X-Tronic-Model-3020-XTS-ST-Soldering-Station-Complete/dp/B079VVHPPS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=xtronic+soldering+station&qid=1572960802&sprefix=xtronic&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE1SDY4UVpHMkNEOEomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNjMxNDRKQVlBOUE0WkRYMUcmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDYzMTgyNDFRNEdPRUZIV0g3NVgmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

And add the solder https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00030AP48/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_inactive_ship_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Never burned solder with these two. Never over heated or melted anything that wasn’t supposed to be heated up.


Ec3 connectors

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XC7QKF2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://smile.amazon.com/Tekpower-TP13-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B00Z81A4Y8

I actually use one of these for all of my PCB soldering. Good enough "temp" control and replaceable tips that work well. Grab something like https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076V14SRC since it's better than a sponge, and something like https://smile.amazon.com/Kester-24-6337-8800-Activated-Solder-No-Clean/dp/B00068IJOU, maybe one of the 1oz packs if you can find it. Kester is a good brand with their 245 being their "no clean" which leaves basically no flux mess on a board. 63/37 is easy to work with and .031" is a good middle ground size for our usage. 1lb looks a little pricey, but the 1oz packs of it are basically half as much as the full pound so it's worth paying if you're ever gonna solder more than a few boards.

This stuff is awesome and will last you forever. It's worth the cost. it's 63/37 which flows a little better.

Here's every desoldering tool I've used so far, from worst to best:

1. The one that came with my soldering station: lasted a week before falling apart.
   
2. The one I bought from radioshack. Lasted 2 weeks before falling apart.
   
3. ECG J-045-DS: Awkward to use, doesn't suck very well, no temperature adjustment, takes a long time to heat up, sprays hot solder everywhere instead of solid chunks like with the non-powered pumps.
   
4. Tenma 21-8240: Recommended by someone on this sub. Has similar issues to the ECG, except it's far less awkward to use and it does have decent suction. However, the handle is poorly insulated so it gets pretty hot after a while.
   
5. Engineer SS-02: Biggest issue with this one is dry solder getting stuck in the silicone nozzle, but that's been happening less and less as I've used it more. Good suction, good construction, no need to use a second outlet.
   

I recently bought one of these for myself and I couldn't be happier as a DIY hobbyist:

Hakko Dial type temperature limiting soldering iron FX600

I only use it for hobby stuff such as Quadcopters, 3D printers and electronics kits but it's way better than the 8watt USB powered I was using before.

Pair it with this and this and you should be good for a while and roughly within budget.

This is what I got and it works pretty well. Try adding a little more solder so the wick can get better access to what's left and take it all away.

I had to go out to the garage and look, that's the same company, but not the right model. Mine is a little different than what Adafruit sells. It's an SS-02. I really love it.

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.
  

You can absolutely FLOOD all the contacts you want to solder with flux. I wasn't joking when I said there's no such thing as too much :). I will say that you should clean up when you're done with 99% isopropyl. I don't even like to leave no-clean flux on a board (it feels sloppy).

Flux cleans the contacts you're soldering to and surface tension helps draw the solder to what you want it to stick to. It makes the process of soldering way easier. I like to keep both a pen of flux as well as a syringe full of flux in gel form, but I seem to use the gel a whole lot more: https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-8341-10ML-Clean-Syringe/dp/B00425FUW2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523147159&sr=8-3&keywords=no+clean+flux&dpID=210ZqIs41HL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Also, in the future if you bridge pins by accident, it's a good idea to clean the iron's tip with a wet sponge, apply some flux on the solder shorting the pins, and the "brush" it off with your tinned iron. You want to follow the direction the pins are going with your iron to sort of "wipe" it away. Keep trying this until you get the short off.

If you plan on taking it further than just simple mods a couple times a year, I recommend spending a little more if you can. You don't have to go crazy either. I know that a lot of people go the Hakko or Weller route, but I've been very happy with my Aoyue 9378. Here is the Aoyue 937+ which is cheaper (45w vs 60w and a couple other things). Like others have said, get some wick and grab one of these over the sponge crap.

EDIT: Oh, and pick up some flux. There are flux fans and some that use it sparingly, but just pick it up.

Also, this goes much further than just installing a battery holder, but check out Voultar's videos to watch some technique. He's also a liberal flux / No Clean user and you'll see why.

propane and butane and the mixture of the two gasses have the exact same combustion temperature with air.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/flame-temperatures-gases-d_422.html

the combustion of propane and butane is an oxidation reaction, thus a more complete oxidation to CO2 is actually a good thing. neither propane or butane is more susceptible to incomplete oxidation than the other.

properly functioning propane and butane torches producing ideal burns present no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.

http://www.propane101.com/carbonmonoxideandpropane.htm

as long as sufficient oxygen is present (the 21% present in the atmosphere is more than sufficient) both propane and butane are safe to use.

on a side note, a propane torch like the one linked below is much better built and thus safer to use than the crème brûlée butane torches most people use.

http://www.amazon.com/BernzOmatic-Basic-UL2317-Pencil-Propane/dp/B00008ZA0C/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1451884928&sr=8-7&keywords=bernzomatic+propane

This video is particularly good (check out the first two as well)

One particular point to keep in mind with this is that you can't go amiss with flux. Something like this. And when you do the surface mount parts, make sure you use some.

Here's an assembly video. It seems pretty well put together, the guy uses SMDs, so you'll get to see that process.

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.

I bought this one a while ago and I built a couple of boards and unsoldered over 10 boards and I’m satisfied by it. Probably are better options out there but it works and you can set your temperature with a knob which is ok.

Don’t forget to buy some tip tinner and maybe a tip cleaner like this.

It sounds like you need to learn how to clean and tin your tip. There’s lots of tutorials on YouTube.

Try whipping your tip with a soldering sponge. When you’re done using it for the day dip the tip in flux to clean off the oxidation then coat the tip in a big glob of solder.

Also you can buy new tips for your iron instead of buying a new iron.

Which ones did you get? Buy the smallest diameter solder you can. This works great Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 .020" 3/4oz Dispense-Pak https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AYJ0B7Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WEWlDbJ4VFMPW

Also I find the cheaper longer ones much easier to solder as long as your board has the clearance for them.

If you need to solder on a pcb you'll want a temperature controlled soldering station, other essentials are rosin core solder, some flux to apply before soldering, and a helping hand to hold the pcb/component and wire in place when soldering. I leave my soldering station at a little less than 350 when I'm tinning wires and soldering on a pcb. Wipe excess solder off the iron, heat up the spot you want to solder to with the wire in place, then apply solder to the wire when the flux has smoked off, it should flow into the joint. You don't want to keep heat on a pcb for too long as it can damage components on the board. Make sure you tin the tip/s of the soldering iron with solder before and often during use, or the tips will oxidize and refuse to tin until you scrape the oxides off with a razor knife. Typically a problem at high temps, around 300C solder will melt and oxides form very slowly and the tip will stay hot without needing a retin for a 5-10 minutes. I usually set my temp on max when I first turn it on and hold a bit of solder to the tip and then turn it down when the solder melts. Saves a few minutes of warm up between use.

If you need to heat up a larger surface area (like a battery terminal) for tinning or soldering it helps to bump up the heat - sanding a large surface also will help. Steel and other metals may require use of a corrosive flux made specially for that.

That's about all I know XD

The wires have to be disconnected, otherwise you will be measuring the parallel resistance of the speaker and the crossover board, which is different than just the speaker alone. Since parallel resistance is always less than the lowest of the separate resistances, that means the board could read 8 and your speaker could read 50 and your meter would say 6.9 measuring them together.

The sticker on the side says it's a 6 ohm, so it should measure somewhat close to that. If you get some solder wick and a solder sucker, de-soldering becomes much easier.

The backs of those tweeters do look different. Is that black part on the back the magnet, or is it a plastic cover? It makes me think maybe someone has been in these speakers before trying to figure out what was wrong with them. Although, it could be that they're just a different year and design than the other ones. Testing them will at least give you a rough idea if the voice coils are shot. You could replace them but if that doesn't fix the problem, then you've spent a lot of money for nothing. I prefer to test things and only replace the broken parts.

If you're convinced there is something wrong with these speakers, and you can't find anything wrong with the tweeters, then I think you may have no choice but to dig into the crossover board. It's the most likely culprit. The nice thing is, caps are not all that expensive, they're just a lot of work.

On the high end stuff, sometimes the crossover is integrated with the wire hookups, so you unscrew that from the back and pull it out. But if these don't have anything like that, you might have to take out the woofer. Make sure you save all the stuffing and put it back when you're done. Either way, there should be a way to access the board, usually either through the back or the woofer hole if the cabinet is glued together.

Still, make sure you double check everything upstream before you tear these speakers apart. This really sounds like an amp or a source problem.

If you plan on building more than one keyboard, I would go for a more expensive soldering iron, or at least one that has a temp of ~625 F (330 C). That was the sweet spot for the solder I used, Kester's 0.031" Sn67/Pb37 (handy amazon link). Alternatively, you might be able to borrow a nice iron from someone.

I think 1N4148s are the standard, keeb.io has some that could work, otherwise there are cylindrical diodes like all the other ones on the board that can be picked up at Amazon. I'd probably buy both. Also, some solder wick will easily pull up all the solder.

Although, now that I'm taking a closer look at that picture, those pads under the solder bridges look like they might be a little crispy. Things could get a bit complicated if they end up coming off the next time you put the iron to them.

what kind of flux do you recommend? is this good? how about what solder to use? someone said that .8mm is better than what i'm using.

lol yeah sorry.

Desolder

Iron

Solder

Cool gold thing Amazon suggested

I think a lot of people have trouble because they don't have a hot clean tip. My friend who "can't solder" has a 20+ year old soldering iron with a corroded tip. I use a wet sponge, cleaning wire, and tip tinner interchangeably to keep it clean as I go.

Also having one of those magnifying glass/alligator clip holders is extremely helpful.

you are overkilling it for that little furnace. You could just use a propane tank and burner from home depot like in that imgur album. You dont need to go crazy with it if that small. you will focus the heat on the little crucible and the wool will hold in the heat. so you wont need to make a burner or use a 20lb tank to melt an oz or two of metal. you could buy a 15.00 bernzomatic setup and start on this right away.

​

also - maybe look into spin casting (centrifugal casting) as that's the right method for casting precious metals into smaller shapes like a ring. its kinda different and comes with its own way of doing things that means different PPE than typical metal casting.

make sure to clean it periodically and make sure the nozzle sits flush. otherwise look into this one https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4

I have a bernzomatic ts4000 that can be used for mapp or propane. Has a decent sized swirl tip on it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008ZA09?cache=1e7ae5e33b54b847bd2ca8af21498496&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1405599047&sr=8-1

Sorry about the huge link. I'm on my phone.

I also have an extension hose I found at home depot for $17. I love that thing.

Here is a short build inventory for people who may want to perform this mod in the future:

• 1x 0.5oz - 2oz tube of Krytox GPL 205 Grease. This will last you a long time.
  
• 1x Victorinox Multi-Tool Oil or any plastic-safe, high viscosity oil.
  
• 1x 100pc bag of 68g Cherry MX compatible springs
  
• 100x Plate mount Cherry MX Clear keyswitches. You could also buy a KUL ES-87 with Cherry MX Clears, but just be sure to have extras in case of damage during the modification process.
  
• 1x KUL ES-87 of any Keyswitch/color (black or smoke black) variety.
  
  Lube and replace switches based on WFD's guides. Get two small paintbrushes and a pair of forceps or tweezers to help manipulate the components during the lubrication process. You should also whip up a couple of these guys. They make opening the switches a hell of a lot easier.
  
  This was only my second time desoldering so I learned a lot along the way. Quality, flux-treated desoldering braid and a temperature controlled soldering iron with a chisel tip was the most reliable method I found to desolder. I used the Hakko FX888D soldering iron and station with a 2.4 mm x 14.5 mm Hakko chisel tip. I used Chemtronics' Chem-Wick desoldering braid to remove the solder from the plated through holes on the PCB. You have to take extra care when using desoldering braid not to heat up other components on the board, but with enough practice you will be a pro!

For frame of reference, I am also BRAND NEW to this hobby. Been poking around for maybe 2 weeks tops. Before this, I had never even seen a soldering iron in person.

How much of an investment is a huge investment for you? If you can stomach around 100 bucks, this package has ALMOST everything you need. The only addition I would make is this 10 dollar cleaning station.

As far as learning technique, check out this series of videos, particularly the soldering and de-soldering ones.