A place to buy Solder, Flux, Paste, Soldering Iron...

[deku_scrub]

Hello guys!

I'm new in this things, I never tryed to solder a Mod-Chip and never did a big mod, now it's time to begin with this things... Since it is too much fun and the challenge is very good and pleasant!

Some of you may know DealExtreme, it's a good place to buy a lot of things, they ship mainly from China with Free worldwide shipping.

I'm planning in buying everything I need from them later, my dad also want's to play with those things.

I want your opinion about great materials and tools, like, I think we could post the links here about the must-have things and great things to have...

I don't know which one is the best, so I created this topic to learn with you guys too!

For example... lemme start:

Desoldering pump: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/hanbao-des ... pump-26162

Soldering Station: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/best-938-m ... 20-v-55930

Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/soldering- ... lack-34154


Post your opinions and links to things that you think is a must-have or a good deal!
About Flux... Soldering Paste...

[sakamoto]

desoldering pump: not required, just buy desoldering braid
soldering station: overkill, just buy a 15W soldering iron
soldering iron tip cleaner: also overkill, just clean it with a wet sponge when your iron is hot


intersting to buy is a glass fiber pen and some flux for difficult points while jtag'ing 360's. gamecube however is a piece of cake... just use common sense

[deku_scrub]

Oh great to know! And what about more things? Do you think it's necessary?

And what about the types of Flux and Solder Wire? There are several different combinations in the formula...

[_Nold_]

I'm using different stuff..
I have got Flux for SMD and Flux for reflow/reballing. Just look that you get "no-clean" flux, so you don't need to clean everything after soldering... but you don't really need it for "easy" soldering...

Having a desoldering pump is great, too. Solder sucking wick is even better and a must-have...

But i have no idea what kind of solder wire i use xD

And a 15W soldering Iron isn't the best option... before i had a aoyue 968 i used an ersa with 25W (=350°C) and an Ersa with 35W (=450°C) for desoldering...

So... if you are looking for a good and cheap soldering station take a look at this: http://www.china-zhongdi.com/zd-931.htm
I havn't used it yet, but i know some people who use it "semi-professional"

And for cleaning my iron i use this iron-stuff, too. Because i hate getting water and if you solder for a long while, it get's dry...

Then it's always good to have a 3rd-hand, some tweezers, this is my no. 1: http://www.ehobbytools.com/contents/media/82012.jpg can't solder without it

enough for the moment, i have a 360 on the preheater ^^

[Ploggy]

Make sure you use leaded solder. don't use lead free solder (it sucks)

[sakamoto]

come on Noldor... a soldering station is completely overkill. a15w soldering iron is the best option for a starter and prevents burning the mobo. even a desoldering pump is overkill for a beginner. tell me 1 console which required a desoldering pump and soldering station to be modded.

i modded many ps2's, gamecubes, wii's, xbox'es and 4 jtags and I never required such tools. as you are talking about reballing and reflowing 360s in your first sentence, it perfecly explains that you are on a different level than the initial topic starter

[megalomaniac]

everyone will have their own experiences and opinions on this topic...so here is mine:

a $15 dollar iron has good and bad points..
good: its only $15
bad: you get what you pay for

i started out with a $15 iron. it wasnt until i got a soldering station (pencil tip) that i noticed what a difference quality tools can make.
If your happy with a $15 iron go for it. As a novice it will suit all your beginner needs same as it also suited my needs as a beginner.

You might hate soldering so why spend all the money up front?
You might like soldering, so then you might considering moving up to a soldering station when more funds become available..


as for helping hands or 3rd hands, just tape your board down so it doesnt move..


as for other items to consider:
Plenty of Light - shadows suck when soldering
Plastic $1 pump - its always worked fine for me, desoldering braid can be a pain in the ass at times
Aloe Vera - as a novice using that long dong $15 iron, you may be prone to unexpected burns..
Beer - makes everything better ( Note: sometimes causes unexpected burns )

[_Nold_]

I don't think this soldering station is overkill, it costs about 35€ that are about 45$ (Maybe you can get it cheaper, no idea)
But to have one is just great, if you now buy a 15$ Iron, you will later maybe buy an other one, or a whole station..
And it makes soldering more fun They are faster heated and they controlle the heat of the iron, so you get more power if you need it...

And having desoldering equipemt is always good, particulary for beginners.