I would like to BORROW or BUY a reflow oven UK for a weekend

[ManCave]

Hi all, I know this is a long shot. I have a few PCBs I need to assemble over the weekend on a short notice. I was going to buy a reflow oven or a toaster oven and a controller, but time is tight and no reasonably priced reflow oven can be bought to be delivered by Friday. I was gonna buy a T962 or similar.

I live in Aylesbury, UK. Does anyone within 30 mile radius have a reflow oven I could borrow or buy please?

I am happy to reimburse you of course If I can borrow one.
- I have electronics gear you might be able to borrow in return. 
- I have a 3D printer so could print something for you
- I can give you a hand/advice with something. etc...
- and there is a cash option of course, I'm pretty open.

I'm also happy to buy one new/used if reasonably priced for what it is (£200 max).

Thank you!!!

ManCave

[Simon]

I have one if you want it but friday delivery means shipping tomorrow - should be able to do it. I have just bought a new oven and was going to put this on ebay but as your asking bg all means buy it.

[jc101]

If all else fails....

I have a Eurocircuits reflow oven, previous generation to the one on their website.
Though I'm in Cambridge so it would be a bit of a trip, but it would go into the boot of a car though.

[kaz911]

I'm about 40 miles away (Kew TW9)

I have one of the stupid french reflow ovens you can borrow.
http://uk.farnell.com/cif/f31114/reflow-oven-190-x-290mm-230v/dp/1120351


works fine though. Don't leave it unsupervised.

/k

[Simon]

yea me too (NN10) so driving it down on friday afternoon is doable. Mines the very T962 not had much use

[trevwhite]

Buy a halogen oven. Line the inside with foil and turn it on. Watch through the glass and see it reflow. Turn off and open lid.

Andy Brown did a controller and worth watching his vids as he bent the fan blades a bit to ease the strength of air flow which blew the components off the board.

https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/daewoo-halogen-oven-with-12l-capacity?istCompanyId=bf3344d9-83f5-4abd-b69a-da131f7567d1&istItemId=xxalxwttit&istBid=tztx&source=&gclid=CjwKCAjwhcjVBRBHEiwAoDe5x1v49QRoZooYrsUj8QxH14dpnBCW8frcklMrCmO7xQvF74lrvYIVsRoCXvoQAvD_BwE

[trevwhite]

Toploser might have an oven for sale still

[mikeselectricstuff]

I've never found the need for a controller and I've done many hundreds of panels in a £40 toaster oven.
IMO you do need to be able to control power, and run the elements only slightly glowing to reduce scorching - the inbuilt controls on ovens may or may nor be useful. 
I use a big variac as i already had one, but a triac controller would also do. I have used ovens with no external control at all. At a pinch maybe just a big diode to halve the power.

I first got into reflowing a few years ago when I need to build a batch of boards quickly - this is how I did it using elements from the cheapest 2-slice toaster I could find :
http://electricstuff.co.uk/smtoast.html

In your position, I'd suggest going down to a local electrical retailer and pick up a cheap toaster oven - something with a big window and heaters top & bottom, and a shelf that doesn't jump up & down when you open the door.

And obviously use leaded paste for maximum reflow-to-incinerate margin.

It really isn't nearly critical as you'd think.

 

[tggzzz]

Suggestion 1: contact a local hackspace.

Suggestion 2: for single-sided boards, use a cheap saucepan, a gas ring, and a non-contact IR thermometer. Optionally with a layer of sand on the bottom to spread heat and provide a thermal buffer. FFI, see my .sig

[ManCave]

I'm about 40 miles away (Kew TW9)

I have one of the stupid french reflow ovens you can borrow.
http://uk.farnell.com/cif/f31114/reflow-oven-190-x-290mm-230v/dp/1120351


works fine though. Don't leave it unsupervised.

/k

Kaz, I am going to London Friday evening so could pick this up. That would be great!!

Simon, what is your price? If I can borrow one from Kaz I might not buy today but might still buy one eventually.

Thank you all for kind offers and advice!! It's nice to see the community here working together. Anyway, if you guys need something let me know.

ManCave

[Wilson]

I will be buy too

[Simon]

Simon, what is your price? If I can borrow one from Kaz I might not buy today but might still buy one eventually.

Thank you all for kind offers and advice!! It's nice to see the community here working together. Anyway, if you guys need something let me know.

ManCave

uh how does 120 pounds sound ? I finish work at 12 on a friday hence I can do something in the actual afternoon.

[ManCave]

Simon,

Which one is it? the original or an A version?

[Simon]

It's not an A version. The letters denote size, mine is the smaller one.

[Howardlong]

I've never found the need for a controller and I've done many hundreds of panels in a £40 toaster oven.

...

In your position, I'd suggest going down to a local electrical retailer and pick up a cheap toaster oven - something with a big window and heaters top & bottom, and a shelf that doesn't jump up & down when you open the door.

...

It really isn't nearly critical as you'd think.

^^^ this. I built a controller some years ago, but only use it under manual on/off contro. I can also monitor the temperature to give a ball park idea. Mostly, though, I just look through the window and have good lighting shining in. Once the solder is melting throughout the board, leave for ten seconds more or so, turn off, open the the door, and gently pull out the shelf that the board's on.

Trying to match a thermal profile with a controller I've found simply isn't possible with the ovens I've tried.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I just look through the window and have good lighting shining in. Once the solder is melting throughout the board, leave for ten seconds more or so, turn off, open the the door, and gently pull out the shelf that the board's on.

That's exactly what I do - you get to know where any colder spots are, or how close to the edge you can get away with.
The bright light is very important.
If the joints are hard to see because of the part types, add some stencil apertures to put some dots of  paste on the tooling bars or unused areas of the PCB to use as a "reflow detector" - spread them around the edge to show when all edges have reflowed

My oven pulls the shelf out as you open the door, avoiding the risk of bumping it

[ManCave]

Mike, Howard,

Thanks very much for your suggestions.

I will go and get one, but don't want to dick around for now as I'm extremely busy. I've arranged it with Kaz for the moment. I also found this oven which I'm gonna get and use in the future (hopefully):

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7193831?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199888833|agid:17471076873|tid:aud-144400486596:pla-371198913754|crid:74692319553|nw:g|rnd:12587527381022126727|dvc:c|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9046138&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqM3VBRCwARIsAKcekb3YkcI0csh5avnD_v593iOOUG7YTcV3D81NT-K825eRMytb9UkatbwaAqNREALw_wcB

Thanks again all for your input and thank you Kaz for letting me have your oven for the weekend!!!

[mikeselectricstuff]

Mike, Howard,

Thanks very much for your suggestions.

I will go and get one, but don't want to dick around for now as I'm extremely busy. I've arranged it with Kaz for the moment. I also found this oven which I'm gonna get and use in the future (hopefully):

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7193831?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199888833|agid:17471076873|tid:aud-144400486596:pla-371198913754|crid:74692319553|nw:g|rnd:12587527381022126727|dvc:c|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9046138&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqM3VBRCwARIsAKcekb3YkcI0csh5avnD_v593iOOUG7YTcV3D81NT-K825eRMytb9UkatbwaAqNREALw_wcB

Thanks again all for your input and thank you Kaz for letting me have your oven for the weekend!!!

Be sure to leave a review on the Argos site- no mention of reflow performance in any of the current reviews
 

[Simon]

Mike, Howard,

Thanks very much for your suggestions.

I will go and get one, but don't want to dick around for now as I'm extremely busy. I've arranged it with Kaz for the moment. I also found this oven which I'm gonna get and use in the future (hopefully):

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7193831?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199888833|agid:17471076873|tid:aud-144400486596:pla-371198913754|crid:74692319553|nw:g|rnd:12587527381022126727|dvc:c|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9046138&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqM3VBRCwARIsAKcekb3YkcI0csh5avnD_v593iOOUG7YTcV3D81NT-K825eRMytb9UkatbwaAqNREALw_wcB

Thanks again all for your input and thank you Kaz for letting me have your oven for the weekend!!!

Be sure to leave a review on the Argos site- no mention of reflow performance in any of the current reviews
 

You mean so that they dont publish it. Reviews on websites are bullshit because the retailers censor them....... and argos is one of them. My review of their exercise bike that makes my penis go numb did not make the cut

[ManCave]

Be sure to leave a review on the Argos site- no mention of reflow performance in any of the current reviews

  Will do

[TopLoser]

Thanks again all for your input and thank you Kaz for letting me have your oven for the weekend!!!

Please let us know how you get on with the French monstrosity, I have a couple of them piled up that I really need to get rid of to new homes...

[Mr. Scram]

I'm about 40 miles away (Kew TW9)

I have one of the stupid french reflow ovens you can borrow.
http://uk.farnell.com/cif/f31114/reflow-oven-190-x-290mm-230v/dp/1120351


works fine though. Don't leave it unsupervised.

/k

What makes it stupid?

[Brumby]

What makes it stupid?

If you ask an Englishman, they will answer "Because it's French" - and they will consider that a full explanation.



As an Aussie, over the years, I had noticed there seemed to be some tensions between the English and the French, as well as between the Scots and the English - but when I was actually in the UK for a conference (sometime last century), I found there was a bit more to it.

[kaz911]

What makes it stupid?

I was not implying the French are stupid but the oven is not made well when it comes to high voltage part. The power supply circuit is not made quite right (other threads about it here) - so quite stupid power design....

[ManCave]

Just reading the manual.  And I thought Chinese manuals were entertaining 

"Playing with A or B buttons, the 8 following functions are accessible validating by the yellow C "

"During cycle, the defect screen displays the different process levels."

"9. Maintenance
Clean the oven once a week thanks to a soft dust"