Sid A.; August 30th, 2020
This article will discuss some of the tools that we use to solder, rework, and debug prototype printed circuit boards. Disclaimer: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases”. The statement says “I”, but really that includes anyone who is part of FutureScape. This money helps us cover operating expenses for FutureScape, including the website, job applications on freelance sites, marketing materials, software, etc.
The following are FutureScape’s favorite soldering and board rework tools. This list is not comprehensive but it includes many of the items you would need to solder or rework a board that includes only basic packages. If I forgot anything on the list, or you have suggestions, please let me know in the comments! Some additional tools might be required for more complex boards or for different requirements.
Soldering
First things first, you will need a soldering iron. I recommend purchasing a “Weller”. These are top-of-the-line German made soldering irons. You can purchase the one depicted at this link to the Weller Amazon store: https://amzn.to/3lqteqG (Commissions earned)
Here is the link to Weller’s website: https://www.weller-tools.com/professional/USA/us/Home
Very helpful soldering accessories (in addition to quality soldering iron tips):
Brass to clean soldering tip. Hakko is a popular choice: https://amzn.to/2QBrfS6 (Commissions earned)
Copper wick to remove liquid solder. The NTE wick is very good quality and is what I use: https://amzn.to/3bbVYyY (Commissions earned)
Iron “helping hands” to hold board or wires while soldering. These are very useful to have even if you have developed your soldering ambidexterity. This particular model is a good choice, but anything similar would work as well. Even binder clips work in all honesty. Link to this product: https://amzn.to/3lxlxze (Commissions earned)
Of course you will need actual solder to do soldering. I use this Kester solder. It is a good diameter (0.02in) to solder pretty much most SMT and throughole components without feeling too thick. You can purchase it at this link: https://amzn.to/3lU9IlP (Commissions earned)
You will probably want to get some flux, especially if you are soldering SMT parts. This will help your solder stick to the pads. I use this ChipQuik No-clean flux, which you can just paint on with the pen onto the pads you need to solder. You can purchase it at this link: https://amzn.to/3j7nFv4 (Commissions earned)
Rework
Another important tool that we use is a hot air rework station. We have the station shown here, as well as one with an IR plate that is even better for desoldering chips from boards. Yihua is a quality brand for hot air and rework stations. Here is a link to Yihua’s amazon store: https://amzn.to/2YPlKDZ (Commissions earned)
Here is Yihua’s website: http://www.yihua-gz.com/
Another useful accessory is an SMT desoldering alloy. These can be melted like solder, but stay liquid for longer, allowing one to desolder small components 2-5 lead components quickly and easily. The item depicted here can be purchased at this link, but any similar item would work: https://amzn.to/3hLdc8D (Commissions earned)
Other
A generally useful tool for both soldering and rework is a quality microscope. AM Scope is a popular brand for electronics scopes. The one depicted here can be purchased at this link, and is probably the most basic tier for electronics scopes: https://amzn.to/3gMsZm9 (Commissions earned)
In order to pick up the tiny electronic components that you would typically be working with, you will need a set of tweezers, in particular ones designed for picking up static sensitive devices. I use these in my workspace. You can purchase them through this link: https://amzn.to/2HbWVfH (Commissions earned)
Sometimes you will need to make an extra connection on a board. This often requires the use of a jumper wire. This 30AWG wire is perfect for soldering to the small pads found on modern electronics and can even fit into 10mil diameter vias. You can purchase this wire through this link: https://amzn.to/3iZd19C (Commissions earned)