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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?
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lucasw845mo ago
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.
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spencer_gonzalez14mo ago
Isn't it funny how we all find what works and just stick with it?
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alice9284mo ago
Oh man, "find what works and stick with it" - my buddy Dave spent years wrestling with those tiny SMD resistors using needle-nose pliers and swearing. A friend finally lent him a pair of nice tweezers last month and he texted me like he'd discovered fire.
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pat_murray535mo 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.
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emery_jackson295mo 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.
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