Preheater hand protection - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: lukego
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 04:38:04 pm
content: I've started working over a PCB preheater (Hakko FR-830 hot air) and a big problem is hot air escaping around the sides of smaller boards and burning my hands. A small problem is also the PCB being hot to the touch and difficult to repositionIs there a solution? I'm reworking boards full of 0402 etc parts under a microscope.Maybe there are suitable heat-protective gloves? They would need to be unobtrusive and easy to work in. I could potentially cut off some or all fingers because it's usually my pinky or the side of my plan that's in the line of fire.Or maybe something else entirely? A way to channel the air better? I'm fishing for ideas.

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 05:01:06 pm
content: It won't help with your hot air setup but I had the need for a quick & cheap preheater so I bought a 400W halogen floodlight and a 400W lamp dimmer which worked surprisingly well.Total cost about £12

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 06:48:45 pm
content: You should not need to work over the pre-heater. Move the board away from the pre-heater when you need to work on it.Get some kind of holder to suspend the board over the pre-heater. You can then move the holder instead of handling the board.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 08:53:57 pm
content: I have the same problem.I use a very old panavise that has the very wide jaws.I can move the panavise laterally and its base weighs a ton so its not going anywhere. Its knobs are bakelite so they can handle heat.Quote from: MosherIV on October 19, 2020, 06:48:45 pmI try to work fast. But I am also afraid of burns.

author: lukego
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 09:18:59 pm
content: Quote from: MosherIV on October 19, 2020, 06:48:45 pmI am assembling PCBs by hand soldering one component at a time. I'll usually have the board preheated continuously while I'm working in order to keep the flux and solder flowing smoothly. I am basically treating assembly as a rework problem i.e. every part on the board needs to be "reworked" by soldering it in place. In this context it would seem awkward to have to repeatedly pause to reheat the board instead of just working continuously.I realize this is a little eccentric and that most people would use a reflow oven. I don't think it's contrary to what the preheater is designed for though?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 09:47:35 pm
content: Quote from: MosherIV on October 19, 2020, 06:48:45 pmNice suggestion if you are not up to doing some actual work. I use rubberized ESD gloves and in some cases a few layers of toilet paper to cover airflow if air blows directly on my hand.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 03:25:04 pm
content: Looking at ebay I see a lot of esd gloves but don't know how suitable most of them are for this particular application, (use with a preheater.)Are there any ones that can protect from heat, arent too thick, that also are cheap?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 05:16:52 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on October 20, 2020, 03:25:04 pmIf they are rubberized, should be fine. TME has some which cost around EUR 2/pair, I use them myself.