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.

I ran wet on every job since 2008 too and thought dry was just a shortcut for guys who don't care about their lungs. In my experience the inspector will still flag you on full veneer because the dust gets everywhere and a vac only catches so much, especially up on a scaffold. Take that with a grain of salt but for anything bigger than a small patch I'd still drag the hose.