OC & Modding Getting into DIY, need a little help

viralbug

viralbug

Skilled
I'm getting into some DIY stuff. I hope this is the start of a fun and interesting journey ahead! :D

Okay, so I need to start from the very beginning here and that includes buying soldering tools. :p

I'm gonna do some SMD soldering so I think I would need a slightly fine tip? Here's what I need:

Soldering iron - I suppose a nice Soldron would do for now. A 20-25W, 0.8-1.0mm pencil tip should be good I guess.

Solder - Flux core solder. Please mention what size, name of solder I should be getting. Or if any would do.

Stand - I think a cheap stand with sponge would be for around 50 bucks right?

Desoldering wick

Liquid flux - What should I get? Liquid flux, flux pen? How much does it cost?

Any other important thing I'm missing? Where do I get all these? I mean, are Soldrons easily available at hardware shops? Can I find any in Hypercity? :p (I'm going there today so I'll check if I do spot any :p)

Now, another thing that I need is a practice board. I don't wanna start directly on my build and end up screwing some part. So I would like to practice a little on some scrap board first. But unfortunately, I don't have anything lying around which I can use for practicing. I just read in the other thread where Cranky mentioned he had once got a scrap motherboard from raddiwala for 10 bucks. I'll try to see if I can find something like that nearby.
 
Keep aside about 1500 bucks for soldering tools. You will need a hot air gun for desoldering work or for redoing dry joints with hot air, a purpose-built SMD iron and a regular Soldron for through-hole components like capacitors. I don't use a stand, but if I had a table to work on I might have needed one. A sponge is very handy to keep the tip in good condition.

The solder usually has flux at the core, so you might not need any for regular TH work. For SMD, coating the board with a flux pen and then using the adhesion of the flux to keep components in place while you solder is a good idea. I generally don't bother.

You will also need cutters (or snips) to shorten component leads post-soldering, a pair or three of tweezers to hold small components - don't skimp on tweezers, specially for SMD components.

One trip to Lammy should net you all of this, a practice board and some SMD components to waste so you can get your chops primed.

Good Luck!
 
^ Thanks a lot. Oh yes I forgot the little but very important tweezers! I think I have a couple. If I don't find them, I'll get new ones.

I have a few cutters so won't be needing that.

I'm a bit paranoid on using a hot air gun. Wouldn't using a simple desoldering wick be easier?
 
I was also thinking about this. It would be great if you can post what all items you've purchased and its cost.

I was checking the Soldron website for the prices of Soldering Iron and its about Rs 222 for a 25w model. Does it cost that much in local stores too? Also I have seen other brands for a much cheaper rate, should I avoid those or are they enough for basic soldering etc?
 
A 25W Soldron should set you back by about Rs 150 or so. The cheaper ones will run hot (at the grip), take forever to warm up and then transfer too much energy into the joint. Not advisable.

The hot air gun is required for SMD desoldering. The wick is useless for that as solder is usually under the component, and the wick can't get at it. It is of course possible to use a pair of snips to crush the component and then use a regular iron to clean up the mess, though.

A SMD station is about Rs 250 (locally made, and usually good enough). the rest of the stuff wouldn't be more than about 100 bucks or so.
 
^ Thanks for the help.

So I guess I'll need to go to lammy after all. I was hoping I could get everything here. But then I'm jobless anyways, so no worries. :D
 
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