Spark Fun has barely had the capitol to invest in a hot-air rework station… as business has increased, revenue has allowed us to purchase a few bottom-dollar machines to help… it was all a waste of money…

If you have ever tried soldering ICs and surface mount elements to a circuit board, then you know how hard it is. Unfortunately, the only commercial alternatives cost thousands of dollars. At least until Spark Fun turned a $30 hot skillet into a reflow oven! “I don’t think anything can replace the large scale, multi-zone, IR/convection reflow ovens. But I could by 100 hot plates at $30 a piece”

They also review the traditional toaster ‘reflow’ oven and commercial alternatives. $30 is still outside my price range. I’ll take the soldering iron.

Everyone has seen the infomercials for cold heat™ soldering irons. They seem to answer all the easy questions. How much does it cost? Can anybody use it? Can it replace my old worn out iron? However they leave out the most complicated question. How does cold heat™ work?

This circuit remains broken until you put something conductive, like solder, in contact with both halves of the tip. The solder completes the circuit… Resistance in both the solder and the tip produce heat, and the solder melts.

Personally, I have never used a cold heat iron. Everyone who has either love them or hates them. How Stuff Works was more comprehensive than your friendly infomercial and mentioned a few downfalls they came across.

We suspect that they have the knack for using just the right amount of pressure at just the right angle, completing a circuit without shorting out any electrical components being soldered or breaking the tip.