GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:

haffeysucks wrote:

i think someone in the [H] thread had been talking about the actual temperature needed to get that solder to reflow.  it was in the 200s.  385F was probably overkill, and he's lucky the rest of his card didn't break in the process, but a 200-something F degree bake shouldn't be too bad.
200F-300F is 93.333-148.888c degrees. I don't think soldering reflows in that temperature.
just found this

Mister E @ HardForum wrote:

Since soldering is my everyday job I thought I'd ring in.

I work for Esterline in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and I see electronics all day. 4 SMT lines, 4 Selective Soldering lines, and countless 2nd Operation and Final Assembly lines. I'm amazed this trick works so well. Usually reflowing of solder (specifically lead free which is my specialty on Selective Soldering line #1) requires some sort of flux, oa (organic acid, water-soluble) or no-clean, in order to reflow properly. Using a home oven is ghetto at best but hey, if it works it works and its free!! Just be careful at how high of temperature you guys use. I hear a lot of arguing in here about what solders reflow at certain temps. I can say with confidence that lead solder will flow at 190°C and lead free will flow at 220°C. But that's minimum. In order to reflow properly we are talking 260°C for lead and 290°C for lead free and that includes flux application.

I'm happy to hear that so many of you are having success with this. Just be careful and don't expect miracles.
"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"