Soldering Iron Interview
1. What kind of soldering iron do you own? (What are its uses and materials you solder)Hakko FX-888, an electic-powered soldering station. That means I can change the temperature with a dial. Its use is soldering (of course) and I solder copper with leaded solder wire, 60/40 or 63/37 type. (1mm thickness).
2. What do you solder and how often?Its main use is PCB soldering, occasionally, stranded wires. I solder every time I have a project, and the intervals between projects vary a lot.
3. Can you or do you solder multiple materials with your iron?
My soldering iron is only for soldering metals, melting plastics is a no-no, it ruins my tips, which can cost 7 to 15 dollars. Some people keep cheap, low quality irons just for poking holes in plastic and melting hot glue.
I mostly use it on copper. Some metals are very hard to solder, you need a larger tip and more temperature, but the industry has already solved these problems with either higher powered soldering tools or welders.
4. Do you leave your iron out once you have completed your work?No, I instinctively place it in its stand. However, I sometimes forget to turn it off (*hint*).
5. Is safety a concern while soldering? (Have you burnt yourself)I haven't have any mayor issues with burning. I don't like the handle of my soldering iron to get too hot, though. Soldering multiple wires can be a safety problem, though. They are very hard to keep in place, you sometimes have to move where the wires are (ex. in a fixed installation), some come combined with more wires as a cable and are therefore heavy. Some are just thick, heavy and hard to flex, some are too tiny to handle easily. Some sort of very very versatile holder would be absolutely fantastic, like the "third hand" thing but much more improved.
6. Do you feel any stresses or dis-relief in your hand or wrist during operation?No, tropical heat and back pain caused by bad positions while working are worse. Sometimes you can't avoid it if you solder tricky stuff like wires or some though hole PCBs. I should get a Panavise to hold PCBs...
7. Is weight an issue for your soldering?
Yes. A *lot*, specially soldering though hole PCBs as I said. Components fall off unless you bend the legs carefully. Cables are a pain most of the time. Electrical wire like the ones you find inside your hose are not really the issue, it's cables like CAT5, the cable used in 3.5mm and enamel coated headphone wire.
In regards to actual soldering iron weight, I have no idea, but you can research how weight affects shaking of the hand when holding the iron. Maybe it's already known somewhere.
8. What is your average time duration of usage?Depends on the situation, but it is hardly ever less than 15 minutes with the iron on, typically up to 2 hours. It's not continuous use, as you mess with wires and PCBs (placing components, inspecting), then solder, then mess around again.
9. If you could add or subtract anything from your iron, what would it be?
I would have an On indicator! This soldering station only lights its LED when the iron is being heated. I would have an IEC plug, like the one you find in computer power supplies.
I actually have a design for the digital version of this soldering iron. To give you some context, Hakko decided to make a digital version of this iron and discontinue the analog version I use. They completely ruined the beautiful design and has an absolutely horrid user interface, everybody says so:
Here is their design:
![](http://www.gotopac.com/v/vspfiles/photos/FX888D-23BY-HAK-2.jpg)
Here is my take on a digital FX888:
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/hakko-fx-888d-decalibrated-(doh!)/?action=dlattach;attach=42753;image)
Here is the original post, with an explanation of how it works:
Here10. Would a single handed soldering iron benefit you?
It would help me hold wires with my other hand, but I would not use it on PCBs, only on tricky wires. Maybe an electrician would make more use out of it. You could also have a battery option where the battery clips to your belt. The battery would be aimed at the electricians market. If you decide to do this, remember how you're supposed to solder: you heat the surface first, then you apply solder on that surface, not on the iron. You could practice soldering to understand how it works and the issues you can find with your proposed design and how to solve them.
Good luck with your project!
Iván E. Veloz Guerrero