Many people here have spent a fortune on rework tools.
That is not necessarily warranted when working on some $100 QRP kit.
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These boards go through an auto assembly house using no-lead solder.
That makes them very hard to work on, as that solder doesn't melt till it gets extremely hot.
Easiest way to get a part off the board is to use some low temp solder alloy such as chipquik,
there are cheaper kinds of this stuff to consider if you use a lot of it.
Melt some of that into the nasty lead free high temp solder the boards come with.
Then you can pick the part up using a hot air gun.? A cheap embossing gun might work,
though one of the $20 1500W heat gun (such as from Harbor Freight) would also work
and might be useful for larger jobs.? I've never had a heat table.
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Be sure to thoroughly clean the low temp solder alloy off with solder braid and flux.
You don't want parts falling off the board on a hot summer's day.
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I then use isopropyl alcohol to clean flux and such off the board, the less water the better
since the water takes much longer to dry off and can affect how things work.
Most of the stuff at the drugstores is 70% alcohol, but some do have 90%.
If you see the 99%, get a couple bottles.
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Here's a cheap soldering iron kit I am happy with (though I do have Hakko's and Wellers too):
Includes several tips, flux, and solder, good temperature control.
That one does not have a safety ground at the power plug,? not a bad idea to run a
ground wire from the soldering iron barrel to your workplace ground
in case there is a minor fault inside the iron.
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You might want thinner solder for some of the smaller parts, but that's a good start.
You can wet the iron with most any size of solder, then bring the tip to the pin you
wish to solder, having put a bit of flux on the pin first.
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Lots of light and good magnification is a must, need to see small defects like solder whiskers.
Here's a cheap magnifying headband that has been mentioned in the forum:
All three choices are the same except the mid-level item has a brighter light,
and the high end one also has a bag you can store everything neatly away in
if you happen to be that sort of person.
Many reviews do say that the nose rest on it could be more comfortable,
that will depend on your particular nose.
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Beyond that, basic hand tools such as tweezers, wire stripper, xacto knife, and needle nose pliers.
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Be careful about static, especially if it's freezing cold out and humidity is low.
A static mat on your work surface plus wrist strap is ideal but can be expensive.
I doubt most in the forum bother.
At least get in the habit of touching a ground point on the device first before
sticking your finger into some especially sensitive signal node.
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