My employer has recently completed construction on our Forever Home (a new office building) and has allocated some space for Makeration. Part of this allocation is a budget for a “reasonably awesome soldering station”. I’ve suggested a few small things, like a standard Weller and a rework station, but I’ve been encouraged to think bigger.
What is your dream soldering station? Is there a single piece of hardware that does solder, rework, magnification, extra hands, etc?
Not as one product…for the soldering units themselves we have had a lot of luck with Hakko units/tips (available elsewhere), our hot-air re-work station https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14557, a BRIGHT overhead lamp, good solder https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10242, good wick https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8775, a dispenser https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14232, 3rd hand https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11784, and https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9316
I’m just an innocent bystander with no vested interest in the topic, but I would definitely recommend your boss invest in a CNC mill so you can do intricate woodwork and also craft your own PCBs.
Are there any other dream stations out there?