daniela85•26d agoProlific Poster

Fixed my first surface mount resistor with a $5 hot air station from the flea market

For years, I'd just replace whole boards when a tiny SMD part went bad because I only had a soldering iron. Last month, I found a basic hot air station at a swap meet and tried it on an old radio. I heated the area for about 15 seconds, lifted the bad resistor, and put a new one on cleanly. It felt like a real step up from my old way of doing things. Anyone have tips for keeping the nearby parts from moving when you do this?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucasw8425d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, is it that big a deal? I just use a regular soldering iron with a small tip for those tiny parts. Works fine for me.

pat_murray5326d ago

Replace whole boards" is exactly what I used to do too. Grabbed a cheap hot air gun last year and it totally changed my mind, feels like a real game changer. For keeping stuff in place, I just put a little piece of kapton tape over the parts next to what I'm working on.

emery_jackson2926d ago

Ever try using a bit of solder paste with that? Makes the whole process way cleaner and faster. I was shocked at the difference it made.