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Soldering with a Toaster Oven
nullset sent in a link to the Seattle Robotics Society about soldering in an unconventional way. Instead of the traditional soldering iron, Kenneth Maxon has successfully used a toaster oven to solder surface mount parts. The "magic ingredient" that facilitates this is a water-soluble solder paste. I wish I'd thought of this back when I had to solder one of those *ahem* aftermarket accessories to my playstation, since the whole process looks easier than trying to hold a soldering iron steady.
Wouldn't this paste have a higher resistance than the solder we know and love? Couln't a soldering iron be used to heat it with greater efficiency? Does it have any use outside of SMD?
No, it wouldn't have a higher resistance, at least not significantly more (or less). It's still just basically solder.
As for uses outside of SMD - no, not really. Traditional rosin-core, or whatever else floats your boat, is best for through-hole.
However, through hole is a pain in the butt. It's also impossible to use throughhole for more advanced circuits. Through-hole is a dying technology. It's terrible noise-performance wise, space wise, and in solderability. SMD is terrific - you just need to get used to it.
It also takes a fraction of the time to solder this way, and (done properly) reflow has the distinct advantage that an idiot can do it. The parts will simply wick to their proper locations. It's (mostly) foolproof. Plus (if you're careful) you won't damage components because you're not heating them with several-hundred-degree heat like a soldering iron does.
i hope that toasters used in this manner get retired from toasting food products.