Over the years, among the most discussed subjects has been the impact of the RoHS directive, which came into effect in 2006 and banned the use of traditional lead-based solder across the EU. Nearly two decades later, most have adapted... or stocked up generously on lead solder while they still could! We’ve also explored several soldering station projects using Weller RT cartridges. These included a version based on the Elektor Platino board in 2015, a follow-up using a Microchip ATmega32 in 2019, and most recently, a 2021 redesign featuring the ATmega4809 and a 3D-printed enclosure. In “Soldering – So What?”, author Peter Beil shared practical insights into making the most of lead-free solder. And just last year, in “Tin Soldering Techniques,” Davide Scullino devoted a full eight pages to an impressively thorough overview of gear tailored to beginners.

Nevertheless, soldering remains one of the cornerstones of electronics, and the tools keep evolving. We’ve put together a fresh rou...