Gaming Cheap reflow station to start out

[ZombiePosessor]

I'm sick of doing xclamp fixes and having 50/50 shots on red ring repairs. What's a cheap (under $200) reflow station I can get that I can use on 360s and PS3s? I googled but I don't know enough about the actual machines. Anyone with experience have any tips?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Cheapest heat gun is 40 bucks. you can find them at frys if you live near one. You can buy them online if you have to.

Heat guns liquify solder for quick removal or placement setting of soldering paste. It is the very basic thing you need.

An actual reflow station cost about 500 and up. (as in a real station/desk with all the tools.)

you might want to get wood/bamboo tweezers for placement or SMT parts. With metal tweezers you might crush smaller SMT parts.

 

[431unknown]

Here's one tho it's currently out of stock right now. Link

I was actually thinking of buying that one.


It's just like how do I do that said tho it's just the reflow part of the work station the other shit costs extra.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

The more expensive ones will be those with digital temp and variable air output.

 

[FAST6191]

I would not suggest it but you can probably knock together a rig and IR lamp (better yet you can do nice things like prewarm the board to lessen chances of delamination) and maybe even a cheap IR thermometer to monitor the temperature for about $150 (the lamp- something like http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GE-LIGHTI...mp;ci_sku=1K281 maybe and thermometer ($40 for entry level one and just under $100 for a basic Fluke thing) being the bulk of the price)

On the other hand
http://www.ownta.com/wholesale-dropship-re...epairing-tools/
If you do get one do share with us how well it works- I have been thinking about getting this sort of stuff for my workshop.

In the end though cheap machines are always going to be cheap machines, it has got better in recent years but still to get it sorted it still represents a proper investment in tooling.

 

[dilav]

Aoyue 968 + Presto Griddle (as a preheater) + k type Thermocouples 2 sensors + nozzle +jury rigged air wand holder

That is the standard cheap method.

But for under 200 I guess you can get a aoyue 850 or something cheaper KADA(?). Nozzle 38x38mm should work for gpu/cpu.

I had the aoyue 2702 that broke down on me and I've been using a 968 recently, the temperature readout is not accurate at all on my 968. I'm guessing you can adjust it tho. Thermocouples are also a must to monitor the temp of the top and bottom of the board and to obtain a good reflow.

 

[ZombiePosessor]

I have no idea how to even work one of these things, or the differences of the machines. I'm gonna google up on how to use reflow stations or hot air rework stations... thanks for the input guys