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What do you use to solder on? — Parallax Forums

What do you use to solder on?

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,403
edited 2008-10-08 06:17 in General Discussion
Hey guys,

I don't do a tremendous amount of soldering, but when I get into projects I tend to do them on my work desk instead of a formal soldering station. I'm looking for a small soldering mat that can protect my desk from burns and scratches from boards and components.

What do you use to protect your desk, if anything?

Thanks,

Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2008-10-03 22:21
    I use a cheap desk. Burns? Who cares?

    Seriously, something that might work great is one of those burnproof silicone pads used on cookie sheets.

    -Phil
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,403
    edited 2008-10-03 22:26
    That's what I was thinking about, Phil. My wife uses one of those, but if I take it then I won't get any cookies.

    My desk is going to become a cheap desk if I don't find a solution.

    Ken
  • parts-man73parts-man73 Posts: 830
    edited 2008-10-03 22:52
    I just use a simple piece of cardboard. I have a soldering iron with a base/stand, so I never set the iron down on the table, so the cardboard is just to protect against accidental touches of the tip, and spatters of hot flux.

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  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2008-10-03 23:45
    An anti-static mat will protect the desk and your chips. My desk is rather old so I don't bother with any protection, though.

    Leon

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  • pwillardpwillard Posts: 321
    edited 2008-10-04 01:14
    I use a thick sheet of glass.

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    There's nothing like a new idea and a warm soldering iron.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2008-10-04 01:31
    My workbench was fabricated from a some cut-down pallets and a sheet of plywood.
    I have access to several sheets of cardboard, so when one starts to looks cruddy, it is replaced.

    Besides, having a large cardboard surface also allows you to write notes on your desk while you work.
    Cheap and double featured.


    OBC

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  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2008-10-04 02:33
    Seems every time I order something from Parallax they send me a free soldering board on the outside of my parts. [noparse];)[/noparse]

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  • MSDTechMSDTech Posts: 342
    edited 2008-10-04 03:38
    I just have a piece of scrap chipboard that I use to protect my workbench. But looking at the surface of a workbench that has been used for both electronics and model railroad builds, I don't know why I bother.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2008-10-04 09:07
    A red brick. The underside has four stick on feet to avoid scratching the desktop.

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  • peterzpeterz Posts: 59
    edited 2008-10-04 09:26
    A piece of thin plywood of about 30x40cm.

    Properties: cheap, non conductive (I use to test circuits on the same board), warm and comfortable, pcbs dont slip over the board, durable, easy to clean...
  • UghaUgha Posts: 543
    edited 2008-10-04 11:17
    I don't have a desk to work on so i end up trying to find somewhere in the house with decent lighting (on a spare chair, kitchen table, the bed... even once on the bathroom sink!), so all my soldering equipment has to be portable and have very little chance
    to catch anything on fire.

    I use a cookie sheet... if i ever need to apply power to something I slip some cardboard in as an insulator... although fire is
    a hazard that way.
  • hippyhippy Posts: 1,981
    edited 2008-10-04 14:11
    I don't know what you call it in the US but I use a piece of "hardboard", compressed wood fibres to about 4mm thick, shiny on the top and dimpled underneath. The sort of thing used as clip-board backing, also supplied with holes drilled into it as peg-board.
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2008-10-04 14:46
    hippy -

    I suspect you're talking about a (brown) pressed board with only one smooth side. If that's the case, the name which we usally associate with that product is Masonite®, although many manufacturers make it.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates



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  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,666
    edited 2008-10-04 16:29
    I have a couple of vises attached to the edge of the bench. One is a Panavice that has grooves to hold a large board and allows it to be flipped or repositioned easily, and it also has an extra groove at the end for holding small boards. My favorite however is one that is not Panavice, but I forget the off-brand. It has jaws more like a garden variety vice, but it is mounted on a ball joint that it allows it to be positioned quickly at a better angle for soldering. I'd say, angle of attack is one of the most important aspects of soldering, especially if you have a board that has tall components that look like a city skyline and you have to do work at street level. Finally, I have a chuck of balsa wood that over the years has become dotted with scorched spots, but what it allows is for parts to be staked down with a pin or with their own leads, and the balsa wood itself has a low heat capacity so that it does not rob heat. None of that really protects the desktop from the vicissitudes of dropped irons and spatters. It is not a bench you will ever see on antiques road show!

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  • Fe2o3FishFe2o3Fish Posts: 170
    edited 2008-10-04 17:28
    Back when I was starting Engineering school, back when drafting meant using pencils,
    paper, T-square, triangles, and ERASERS.... a drawing board was required equipment.
    Basically, this was a wooden board 1.5'x2' or so. Ever since I left school that's what
    I've soldered on. Dunno, with CAD systems and all being the tools of trade for drafting,
    if such drawing boards are still available or not.

    Besides, getting cookies has a higher priority to me so... smile.gif

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  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2008-10-04 17:49
    I like Melamine or Formica -- non-conductive, scorches but doesn't burn, can be wiped clean, cooled solder blobs pick up off it nicely, vacuum vise bases hold nicely, etc. A light texture means parts don't fly around. Bright white makes it easy to see small parts.

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  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2008-10-04 17:54
    I just do most of my soldering on a wood workbench. For very small boards they are sometimes held in a vice for soldering.

    Sometimes I'll set down paper or cardboard on the bench if I am going to be soldering a lot of boards. Why might you ask? Well after doing a lot of soldering I find that the flux may otherwise find itself all over the bench. Usually cleans up ok with regular rubbing alcohol but with the paper/cardboard you just roll it up and throw it away when your done. That might be a good (and cheap) solution to working at your desk.

    Robert
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2008-10-05 00:39
    I have a small board 18" X 12" X 3/4". I have some flexible wire with alligator clips attached to it that I can use as helping hands. I keep it next to may table and plop it up there when it is time to solder.

    I really want a PCB vise though...

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    Whit+


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  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2008-10-05 00:50
    Whit said...
    ......I have some flexible wire with alligator clips attached to it that I can use as helping hands....

    Need to get some servos on them connected to a Microcontroller and get them to do the work for you!

    Robert
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2008-10-05 12:10
    RobotWorkshop said...
    Need to get some servos on them connected to a Microcontroller and get them to do the work for you!

    Good idea. turn.gif

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    Whit+


    "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
  • parskoparsko Posts: 501
    edited 2008-10-06 12:56
    Ken,

    Sounds like you need to make a trip to Ikea! They have just about every item mentioned above. That's what I use to solder on, a cheap Ikea desk.

    -Parsko
  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2008-10-06 21:21
    Mostly on PCB's but occasionally on my thumb[noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • Lee MarshallLee Marshall Posts: 106
    edited 2008-10-08 01:52
    nothing specific.
    sometimes a desk, sometimes a kitchen table, sometimes i just hold the board in my hand.

    Gas soldering irons are useful.
    i have an iroda solderpro 50.
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-10-08 06:17
    I recently broke the USB connector off my BOE, so I took here to the EE shop. The guy there thought about it for a few seconds, then decided to try the air solder. The solder is a paste, and he just applied to where he wanted it. Then he suspended the board over a machine, which pushed hot air over the area to heat it up. He then used a touchless soldering iron the blew out really hot air. So I guess the short of it is: he solders on air... [noparse]:)[/noparse]
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