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Torn between a hot air station and a soldering iron for my first SMD rework job
Got a Canon 24-70 f/2.8 in from a guy in Sacramento with a dead aperture flex cable, and I had to pick between buying a $60 hot air rework station or just using my old Hakko iron with a fine tip. I went with the hot air station since everyone on here keeps saying you'll lift pads with an iron on those tiny ribbon connectors. Took me two tries to get the temp right because 350C was way too hot and curled the flex, but 280C with low airflow worked fine. Now I'm wondering if I should've just practiced on a dead board first instead of learning on a customer's lens. What temp and airflow do you all run for flex cable work like this?
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kai_burns738d ago
I remember reading a repair tech say that flex cable work is less about temp and more about how fast you can get in and out, and that stuck with me. Everyone throws around 350C like it's some magic number but that's way too hot for thin ribbon stuff like that aperture cable. From what I've seen, the 280C range with low airflow is right where you want to be, so you landed in a good spot even if it took a couple tries. The bigger thing I heard is you want a tip or nozzle that spreads heat evenly so you're not sitting on one spot too long, that's what curls the flex more than the number itself. Low airflow matters too because too much and you'll blow those tiny parts right off the board. Learning on a customer's lens is a little wild but honestly that's how a lot of people learn, you just got lucky it worked out. Next time grab a dead board from a parts lot and practice the motion first, it'll save you the stress.
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