[wakibaki]

I used iron plated tips on Weller irons, OEM parts. They last about 18 months of everyday use with regular multicore lead/tin eutectic, which is better than a brass or copper bit, but they don't survive forever. I'm talking industrial levels of usage though. I turn my own bits at home from brass rod, so if I have to junk one it's no big deal. The current one is over 2 years old though, they don't get used like one on an assembly line.
 
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Made a few PCBs before, find the process tedious and no solder mask or silkscreen layers.
Anyone here home-made double layer PCBs? I'm quite curious as to how you'd expose the board.

 
I've tried 3 different ways of registering double layer boards.
 
The first is to tape the first stencil to one side of the board and drill through a few holes or registration marks. Then you can line up the second side when you come to expose it. You have to clear out the drill swarf (dust) which gets trapped under the stencil when you drill through it.
 
The second is to tape both stencils to a strip of old board as a spacer, you can check the registration at that stage. Then you slip the blank board in between the stencils. This is a particularly good (low effort) way to go if you have a doublesided lightbox.
 
The third way is to cut the board accurately to size and match it up visually with the board edge on the stencil on the lightbox at exposure time. This is quite easy to do with phenolic-type board as you can score it both sides with a hobby knife and break it accurately over a table edge. You can polish the board down to size with a sanding block if you cut it marginally oversize, but I find I can usually compensate for any small inaccuracies by eye.
 
w.

 

[2000impreza]

I picked up this Weller WLC100 iron recently. Works fairly well compared to the no name iron I was using before. I regret not getting the Hako FX888 for only slightly more at the time.
 

 

 

[WayTooCrazy]

I don't know about the other 'irons' out there... but I'm currently LOVING the Hakko FX888... so much easier than the RatShack one I was using!  Now I'm finding things to solder... even if they may not need it....
 
Though, not sold on the color scheme.... still crosses my mind to pull it apart... and spray it black or something...
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I regret not getting the Hako FX888 for only slightly more at the time.

 
 

 

[alphaphoenix]

 
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I ended up purchasing the Hakko FX888 from Amazon...

 

Same setup here and purchased from the same place.  Just waiting for a few kit parts and I'm off to do some damage.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Kit parts?  As in... new tips or other things?
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Same setup here and purchased from the same place.  Just waiting for a few kit parts and I'm off to do some damage.

 
 

 

[alphaphoenix]

As in SOHA II amp kit/parts.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Nice!  I want to get into the Amps and DACs somewhere down the line (building from kits... I don't think I'll ever be able to design them).
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As in SOHA II amp kit/parts.

 
 

 

[akgfan]

Call me an el cheapo but I use this:
 

 
It's 75VA and have also two 100VA somewhere, but use mostly this. This is a vintage piece from 1976

and doesn't look as good as the other two. I always wanted soldering station, but then I realised that I don't solder that much and it would be just another thing to store in closet. And this is good for quick fixing jobs because I'm not very patient.
 
I even solder SMD occasionally like grubdac here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/445155/the-grubdac/645#post_7332521

 

[BenAdamson]

Wow, soldering SMT with a gun must be a pain! Well done, those look very clean considering the lack of soldering iron!

 

[akgfan]

It's not that hard but you have to know a few tricks how to do that.

 

[lungStruck]

I wish I had a dedicated area for soldering, but don't have enough room.  Someday.  So everything stays inside a crate.
 

 
Hakko FX-888 soldering station

 

[GoldiLocks]

 
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I wish I had a dedicated area for soldering, but don't have enough room.  Someday.  So everything stays inside a crate.
 

 
Hakko FX-888 soldering station

 
At least your crate is tidy.  My soldering box (I'm in a similar situation) has a bunch of packets of resistors, clips, folded up schematics, and packing material I'm too lazy to remove cluttering it up.  Nice station though; someday I'll upgrade.
 

 

[lungStruck]

 
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At least your crate is tidy.  My soldering box (I'm in a similar situation) has a bunch of packets of resistors, clips, folded up schematics, and packing material I'm too lazy to remove cluttering it up.  Nice station though; someday I'll upgrade.
 

 
I've got all the bits an pieces in set of small plastic drawers.  I have an apt. so I do my soldering at my desk in the living room.  Gotta keep things tidy for when the womenfolk are over.

 

[Pulse14]

I've been using a gun I got at an auto parts store since I was 14. It gives me so much grief and is just a pain even on 3.5mm trs plugs. And my cables seem to loose their solder joints after a year or so.

Which brings me to question, what types of flux and solder do you guys use? I've been using no name solder and sterling flux since I started and im starting think thats why my cables aren't holding up (I treat them very well and try to put as much strain relief as possible).

If there are any cable building how tos or videos I'd like to compare my methods with some one else's.

 

[lungStruck]

 
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Which brings me to question, what types of flux and solder do you guys use? I've been using no name solder and sterling flux since I started and im starting think thats why my cables aren't holding up (I treat them very well and try to put as much strain relief as possible).

 
I use lead solder, Sn63/Pb37 mix with flux already in it.  The stuff I've been using lately (which I find to work really well) is from MG Chemicals.  It's 2.2% flux.  For times I need to resolder, etc. I use a flux pen which is quite a handy thing to have.