sikacz wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 9:10 am
I need some recommendations from y’all especially if you have some experience in soldering on motherboards. I have a computer with a bad capacitor I need to remove and replace. The computer has not been in service for a long time, but contains many of my drafting programs and other files. Since the pandemic has really killed my income from the office I work at, in reality one foot out the door, since my hours are really down to a few hours a week if that. I can’t rely on using the office programs much longer. So here’s what I want to do, I know which capacitor is blown and I intend to replace it. I need recommendations on a soldering iron to use on this task. I plan to buy some spare parts from old boards or if I can find one a new capacitor.
The soldering iron is less important. You'll need soldering heat sink tape--it's a brown clear plastic tape--look for Kaptan Tape and other brands. You can search Amazon for "Soldering Heat Tape" as well. This the most important thing you'll need and you'll need to cover every nearby component and circuit line with it to protect them. Otherwise you'll blow up more than the capacitor. It's great stuff. I actually was able to replace the micro-usb charging/data port on a Samsung Galaxy phone with it, successfully.
You will also need a de-soldering vacuum tool. Some are as simple as a squeeze bulb you release to suck out the old solder, others use a spring-loaded plunger you release--they work better.
EDIT: I forgot to mention de-soldering tape--it's a flat copper braid that the old solder bonds to.
You'll also want some small heat sink clips to protect the new capacitor. You can use locking forceps as well.
For soldering you'll want either a pencil iron or a soldering gun. Dial-in pencil irons are the best, but an expensive investment.
You'll want non-acid flux core electronics solder. Solid core is fine but you'll need a small can of flux. Do NOT use plumbing solder or flux, only electronics.
Finally, you'll want to "tin" the leads of the new component--protecting it with a heat sink on each lead, heat the lead till it melts and sucks the solder around it in a very thin layer.
Work as quickly as you can, safely. Dawdling over a solder increases the chances of fucking up (Ask how I know...better yet, DONT!).
I've done a lot of electronic soldering, but the phone's charging/dataport was the most complex as there are 10 or more tiny leads.
I'm not nearly as good at plumbing soldering, but just 2 days ago I had to replace a cut-off valve under our kitchen sink. Luckily I had a spare one, and it ain't a pretty sweat job, but it's sealed and doesn't leak.
Hope this helps.
Kaptan Tape or its equivalent!
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