Does anyone know about various types of soldering methods

[midiman]

Hi I want to get into soldering components on computer boards.

Someone said that I should get a variable control soldering iron kit.

But I have seen other people are using hot air rework soldering stations.

Do I need anything that complex for doing simple jack replacement tasks. And what is hot air rework soldering. I cant find any info about it.

Thanks

 

[Penance]

You will be fine with a temp controlled iron for the work you describe.

Hot air is normally used for BGA stuff, not really something you can do at home.

 

[Spoon]

As Penance say. I would use a temp controlled iron over one of the cheap low power ones.
The low power ones can get too hot and evaporate the flux or damage the board or component if you leave it on all day.

 

[JElect]

Hi,
Hot air rework stations are usually used in electronic manufacturing or repair for reworking surface mounted components with solder paste, as everybody else has said a good soldering iron will be ideal for your projects.

 

[midiman]

Thanks.

I,ve seen a couple around online.

Maplin do a soldering station for about £40.

What other good ones do you suggest?

Thanks

 

[Penance]

What make is the one at maplin?

 

[midiman]

This one :

50W Solder Station : Temperature Controlled Irons Solder Stations : Maplin

 

[Penance]

Would probably do what you need, will dig out mine later and let you know what it is, has done me well for 5+ years.

 

[midiman]

Ok thanks

 

[JElect]

Like penance Ive had my weller iron for years and it still works fine. Just be very careful when soldering make sure you have eye and hand protection.
Read this before you make a start. Soldering Guide

 

[Spoon]

I have never used hand or eye protection when soldering. Is this the norm these days?

 

[thekingiam]

Health and safety gone mad!!
Remember if you sneeze to wash your hands afterwards as well.

 

[Spoon]

Health and safety gone mad!!
Remember if you sneeze to wash your hands afterwards as well.

ha ha. Do you not need a gas mask as well, cause of the fumes from the solder?

 

[Penance]

Most work places with soldering do have fume extraction.

Seems the one i have is not stocked anymore.
You wont go wrong with a temp controlled weller.

 

[grantr37]

Hello, I am an Electronics Technician, was my original training and trade (over 5 years of training and College/Uni).....as well as work..

Right, well first thing is that Rosin Flux is now out of general sale as far as I know, so no problem there, and all solder is now Lead free so you cant even buy that anymore, no worries there (all new solder is a combination of Tin, Silver and a tiny percentage of Copper...)

You dont need a vaccum rework station kit as this is primarily intended for reworking solder on surface mounted IC chips (intigrated circuits) and the hot Air workstations are intended for Ball mounted IC chips (such as Graphics processors and Audio Digital signal processors) on things like motherboards and graphics/sound cards...

What would be ideal for you for doing repairs/replacements is :-

1) a 25Watt Small tip Soldering Iron (Antex Soldering irons-the yellow ones are very very good) about 20 pounds.

2) De- Soldering Braid in various different thicknesses, this is for soaking up (removing) old solder and leaves a very clean removal of solder..... the good brands are Antex, Nimrod and Multicore Brands. about 4 pounds a roll.

Watch how you hold this as it heats up VERY FAST and can give you a BURN if not careful.

3) A desoldering hand pump as a standby for any large puddles of solder (which is rare) about 10 pounds for a good one.

4) A soldering Iron Stand (about 5 pounds)

5)A solder heat resistant mat (about 15 pounds)

6) a few pairs of good safety spectacles/ safety Glasses.

7) Some Solder - Multicore is one of the best Brands out there, they do various different thicknesses (and purposes) of solder and I keep a good variety of them myself in my kit... also Antex do solder, and Multicore do a Tip Cleaning dish with cleaning compound in it.

8) a Desk lamp

9) a few sets of heat dissipative tweezers

10) good variety of small and medium philips and slotted screwdrivers..

11) an OLD and Clean Rag/Cloth which you should keep wet, for cleaning the soldering iron tip, this is much easier and better than those little sponges that are provided (do not use a kitchen or shower sponge, it will melt and put off fumes)

12) Open a window and set yourself up in front of it AND/OR get yourself a small extractor fan set up that goes out through the wall or window if you are going to do soldering regularly..

DONT leave the Soldering Iron switched on when you are not using it as it will be a fire risk and be VERY CAREFUL as it can BURN you very easily...

Keep your safety Spectacles/Safety Glasses on when using a soldering iron or other heat source at ALL TIMES as Solder can bubble and pop and may splash into your eyes which you do not want to happen...


Be careful and have a good day soldering......I hear the going rate for replacing a Laptop power Jack connector these days is between 60 pounds and 75 pounds....LOL

 

[JElect]

Eye protection is the norm, hand protection is a personal choice. More for a manufacturing setting when your soldering with flux cored solder all day.

 

[midiman]

Thanks.

I,m want to be able to replace jacks.

What other components could I replace on a laptop?

 

[telectrix]

so, that's why i've been burning circuit boards. i've been using a plumber's blowtorch.

 

[JElect]

Try the electronics forum midiman, Welcome to the Electronics Forum on DutchForce.com..

 

[grantr37]

Thanks.

I,m want to be able to replace jacks.

What other components could I replace on a laptop?

Every and All components can be replaced, but then you can get into heated tweezers, microscope platforms, BGA machines, even circuit board x-ray inspection machines for multi layered boards (they go up to 42 layers- generally 5 layers in Laptops) and that can cost thousands, I have a friend who has the most amazing workshop and its the size of a small supermarket, every foot of it covered in machines just for this, they do Laptops, Radio equipment for planes, Touch screen Cash registers (MICROS TILLS) that run on a modified PC hardware platform...etc..


You can easily replace : Bios Chips, Memory Batteries, Thermistor (cooling sensor) casettes, RAM chip cards (DIMM/SIMM/SODIMM) the cooling fans on the processor and Hard drive enclosures, the Processor itself and the DC Jack..
You can also change out a LAN card and a WLAN (wireless card) in under a minute....
as well as the software and drivers that you can reload..
Changing a screen takes about 20 minutes unless it has loads of glue on it in which case its a pain...
Keyboards- you can pop them out with a thin screwdriver or a thin blunt knife like a butter knife, you need to do it on the clips though or you will break it, the clips are easily visible on most Laptops around the outside of the keyboard, and its one thin celluloid plastic ribbon connector going into one IDC clip...

Watch out for sneaky hidden screws under labels/stickers etc...

 

[midiman]

Every and All components can be replaced, but then you can get into heated tweezers, microscope platforms, BGA machines, even circuit board x-ray inspection machines for multi layered boards (they go up to 42 layers- generally 5 layers in Laptops) and that can cost thousands, I have a friend who has the most amazing workshop and its the size of a small supermarket, every foot of it covered in machines just for this, they do Laptops, Radio equipment for planes, Touch screen Cash registers (MICROS TILLS) that run on a modified PC hardware platform...etc..


You can easily replace : Bios Chips, Memory Batteries, Thermistor (cooling sensor) casettes, RAM chip cards (DIMM/SIMM/SODIMM) the cooling fans on the processor and Hard drive enclosures, the Processor itself and the DC Jack..
You can also change out a LAN card and a WLAN (wireless card) in under a minute....
as well as the software and drivers that you can reload..
Changing a screen takes about 20 minutes unless it has loads of glue on it in which case its a pain...
Keyboards- you can pop them out with a thin screwdriver or a thin blunt knife like a butter knife, you need to do it on the clips though or you will break it, the clips are easily visible on most Laptops around the outside of the keyboard, and its one thin celluloid plastic ribbon connector going into one IDC clip...

Watch out for sneaky hidden screws under labels/stickers etc...

I can do most job likes replacement. But it's things like jacks and soldering that I have a problem with. So i,m trying to learn.

I know of a company that can do the bga work for me on graphics chips.

But as there are so many things that can go wrong on a motherboard. I was wondering is there is a way to test them and narrow down the problem to a component.

We replace the boards if they are dead but I also know Dell send them to India for repair. Out there the bad caps get replaced and they then come back as refurbs.

I would like to be able to know how to find dead parts and replace them instead of just giving my customer a new motherboard.

Or is it cheaper to get a new motherboard than waste my time trying to track down an electrical fault?

Most replacement boards cost around £80 and come with a 90 warranty.

Thanks

 

[grantr37]

The workshops that do the motherboards have a specially built test machine (known as a ball tester or a test rig) that the motherboard sits on, this is different for each model of motherboard and is the same one that they have in the factories that make them (usually in the far east) and it runs through a sequence of tests and finds the fault in under a minute...would cost about 30,000 pounds to get one made, then you would have to load it with a specially made software package...so only any good for the actual warranty departments of the Manufacturer...

 

[midiman]

The workshops that do the motherboards have a specially built test machine (known as a ball tester or a test rig) that the motherboard sits on, this is different for each model of motherboard and is the same one that they have in the factories that make them (usually in the far east) and it runs through a sequence of tests and finds the fault in under a minute...would cost about 30,000 pounds to get one made, then you would have to load it with a specially made software package...so only any good for the actual warranty departments of the Manufacturer...

Thanks I know what you mean.

I have found a company that do laptop repair training the UK. Please see here Laptop Repair Training Course, Hampshire, UK

And then there are places like this that fix to level 5. LAPTOP REPAIR CENTRE, LAPTOP MOTHERBOARD REPAIR, NOTEBOOK COMPUTER REPAIR, UK LAPTOP REPAIRS - SERVICES

What I want to be able to do is fix to level 3 if possible. It wouldnt be practical for me to buy BGA tooling like you say.