SMD Soldering

[Loxmyth]

I do soldering almost daily at work. The link below is what I use, I just picked up a second unit for the team this week too. Had mine for over 3 years. No problems yet and I still haven't had to replace the elements.

http://www.gqelectronicsllc.com/come...idProduct=4393

[asid61]

For SMD parts, you could just make a reflow toaster.
Take a $20 toaster, a $10 Arduino clone, a $20 thermocouple, and a $10 relay. Or if you're cheap, a toaster and a seconds timer can work (although not as well as a real reflow oven will).

[mman1506]

I use one of these , it works great and usually comes with some extra tips. I like the soldering iron a little better than our Hakko F-888D and having the hot air rework is great for smd and other things like heat shrink, polycord welding .etc too.

We've also used a hot plate in a box to do some quick small batch reflow. Works quite well as long as you have a accurate thermometer to dial in temps.

[Michael Hill]

Honestly, I would shy away from the SMD toaster ovens. They're really just toys that kinda do the job. Heat distribution is terrible in them and even the metal grates you put them on can be disastrous. Plus, you still have to get stencils made, unless you want to try to put paste on the pads by hand (have fun with that).

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Honestly, I would shy away from the SMD toaster ovens. They're really just toys that kinda do the job. Heat distribution is terrible in them and even the metal grates you put them on can be disastrous. Plus, you still have to get stencils made, unless you want to try to put paste on the pads by hand (have fun with that).

I have done the paste by hand. It's really not that hard for the standard types of smd stuff with legs and tiny resistors; just use a toothpick to apply. Unless you've got a ton of circuits to solder, in which case it makes sense to invest in a stencil.
I don't use the grate. I use a large metal plate that came with the oven, and that seems to do the job.
For stuff like QFN I would be worried about proper positioning, but you can hardly solder those by hand easily either.
I don't know about heat transfer, but I have done quite a few boards with my $20 toaster, including a sensitive high power LED board. With my shaky fingers I do not want to SMDs by hand (although I imagine it would involve a lot of cussing).

[SquishyIce]

Originally Posted by Loxmyth

I do soldering almost daily at work. The link below is what I use, I just picked up a second unit for the team this week too. Had mine for over 3 years. No problems yet and I still haven't had to replace the elements.

http://www.gqelectronicsllc.com/come...idProduct=4393

This looks like a rather viable option. It also appears that the tips this unit uses are 900M (A rather standard size), so it would be easy to replace them.

Thanks for all the help so far, everybody! I never would have imagined that I'd get so many responses in less than 24 hours.

[Loxmyth]

Originally Posted by SquishyIce

This looks like a rather viable option. It also appears that the tips this unit uses are 900M (A rather standard size), so it would be easy to replace them.

Thanks for all the help so far, everybody! I never would have imagined that I'd get so many responses in less than 24 hours.

I forgot to tell you, If you want free shipping, look for them on Ebay! Same company, same item.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-PACK-GQ...em3cc622 7884

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I find the most essential tool for SMD work is a good magnifier. I have used a binocular microscope in the past but I am using one of those dual magnifiers most of the time now.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#magnifiers/=va4pev