Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Home made soldering/desoldering station
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david77:
I wanted to treat myself to a vacuum desoldering station this christmas.
Turns out it's harder than I thought it would be to get one at a reasonable price though. The cheap options like the Zhongdi stuff are for some reason not available at the moment and after my experience with their soldering station ZD916 also not really desireable.
The next route is of course something used from a proper manufacturer off of ebay. The affordable stuff there usually needs shop air, which for several reasons is not an option. There are relatively few good brand stations with built-in pump it seems and the few that come on the market are so old that spare parts are no longer available, like the Weller VP800. This one would suit me fine and I'd even chance it without parts supply - for a reasonable price. The idiots are regularly bidding close to 300Eur for a 20+ year old station.

Now I've found something that might do what I want for not too much money.
There's a company with the not overly confidence inspiring name of StarTec Products.

http://www.startecproducts.de/index_eng.php?page=ent_eng#top

They sell cheapish soldering and desoldering stations. Really the only redeeming feature is that the stuff's Made in Germany, at least that's their claim.

Now, they do sell something quite brilliant: Desoldering attachments for Weller and Ersa soldering stations. It's a nozzle that fits the most common (in Germany) soldering irons. Simply attach it to a vacuum pump and Bob's your uncle. They sell the suitable pump as well.

http://www.startecproducts.de/pdf/601xxGB.pdf
http://www.startecproducts.de/pdf/90200_eng.pdf

I've bought the nozzle thingy for the Weller LR-21 iron and the pump now and tried it out. It actually works like a charm, been desoldering random things all yesterday evening.
My thinking was to get a second hand Weller WECP or WS50 station off of ebay and permanently attach the nozzle to it.
Seeing as I'm a terrible cheapskate I've changed my plans yet again. I found a circuit diagram for a WECP controller on the net and I have all the parts in my numerous junk boxes, so why not build a desoldering station myself? Actually I could fit everything in a neat box, the WECP contoller and the vacuum pump. I could actually add another channel for the MLR-21 iron I have recently bought.
Now all I need to get is a good deal on another LR-21 iron.

Here' the link to the WECP controller.
http://ibis.telesat.si/weller/weller_eng.htm

I'll post some more as I go along this project.
Evol:
David77-
I am interested in adapting my Hakko FX888 soldering station by attaching one of the StarTec desoldering tips you mentioned in your post. I reviewed these tips on the StarTec website but was unable to determine if any of these tips will work on my iron. Do you know if any of these tips will fit? I sent an email to StarTec on this and have been awaiting their response.
Evol 
David Hess:
My home made vacuum desoldering station is a Weller DS227 vacuum desoldering head mounted to a Weller Magnastat station and an old vacuum pump intended for refrigeration servicing.  The whole setup is way more powerful than needed.
Southerner:
The Star Tec accessories like very useful.  I do not see any distributors listed and don't see any USA outlets selling them.  Do you know of any?  Also the 90200 you linked,  is there a USA version?

I have not seen very many DIY desolder stations on the web,  at least none that any of my search engines found.  I wonder if that is because most people just spend the $75 for the Chinese rework stations and call it good.  Personally I would like a dedicated desolder station or the 60131 WCTP attachement for my Weller WCPT.

I have a Weller DS1000 and a WD2000 but have not found any manual for them and not sure what they take for soldering and desoldering pencils.  I also suspect that I still need to provide shop air and that is not practical for me.
Southerner:
I liked your suggestion about getting the 90101 desoldering station from Star Tec.  After 2 months of corresponding with someone at Startecproducts.de I ordered a 90101_US yesterday.  Today I got a refund from StarTec saying they are not UL approved so can't deliver a USA version.

Can you recommend a decent desoldering station that I can buy and use in the USA that is not professional (pronounced high cost)?  I have seen the Hakko FR300 or FR301 and its Chinese clones but can't afford the Hakko and do not trust the clones.

I do own a Weller DS1000 and a WD2000 desoldering pack but have been unable to find a soldering iron (EC1202 I think) or the desoldering head and Weller has been no help there.  In fact they keep sending me links to the WD2M desolder pack which is NOT THE SAME AS The WD2000.  These were ebay purchases a few years ago.  I am surprised no EC1202 or EC1202A irons are showing up even on ebay but I am not sure what I need for a desoldering head for them.

Can you suggest anything?
Thank you.
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