What is Digg?41 Comments
- PeTeRZz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15"You do it again, and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron."
- SjRaptor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11They're only dangerous when inhaled in the state of California. Anywhere else... fair game!
- topcat5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Anyone here remember the Heathkit projects from the 70s?
- orientis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7You're talkin to me all wrong here
- rodm13, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8My solder still has lead in it. And, I still solder on a piece of asbestos to prevent fire. Ah, the good old days...
- Twango, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3#1 rule: use the iron to heat the object, then let the object melt the solder.
#2 rule: keep the iron clean. - edilclyde, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4i love making small balls out of melted solder....
God i have no life - emfb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Here's my little digstructable on removing and soldering smd components:
what you need: tweezers (eyebrow tweezers work just fine), solder wick, solder and a soldering iron.
To remove a small smd component:
Heat up one side of the resistor and glob on some solder (helps with the heat transfer) move the soldering tip to the other side and apply heat. Important note: If you have a variable temp control do not turn it to its highest setting!! The time it takes to remove a component will vary depending on the wattage of the soldering iron and the ability of the pcb to sink heat, such as components connected to ground planes. Using too hot of an iron can damage the components and cause the soldering pad to lift off the pcb. The trick to desoldering is to let the heat do the work - do not try to push the part off the board with the iron when desoldering. Let the part slide off smoothly. If the part sticks to the tip of the iron use the tweezers to pull it off.
Use the solder wick to remove all solder from the soldering pads on the pcb. The component too, if you plan to reuse it -- use the tweezers to hold the component in place.
How to solder a smd component (This will work for any smd component including ICs):
After you clean up the pads with the solder wick use the soldering iron and heat up on of the solderpads and apply solder until you have a nice bead of solder. The point of this to prepare the pad to "tack" on the component to the pcb. Next, using the tweezers, align the component, heat up the bead of solder and slide the component in place. Dont worry about the quality of the solder joint, it's only temporary. Now with the component "tacked" in place solder the other pad (or pads in the case of ICs). To solder a pad: apply heat to the one corner where the component meets the solder pad and apply solder at the other corner and allow the solder to flow into the joint being careful not to apply too much. When all the solder joints are completed go back to the "tack" joint and either clean up the solder joint until it looks good or remove the solder with the solder wick and resolder the pad correctly.
That's it! - BentCorner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I bend the leads of a hole through component to a 45 degree angle and cut the lead excess off BEFORE actually doing the soldering. Otherwise the heat from the iron radiates up the component lead and away from the joint. The excess lead acts as a radiator. Look at the back of almost any circuit board and you will see the leads of the hole through components have an angle. They don't come through the board at 90 degrees, straight up and down like they do in this example.
Also, the surface mount soldering looked terrible. - digitalsin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Good article, but sheesh, the author doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're".
- Twango, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@topcat5 "Heathkit projects from the 70s?"
Oh yeah. Still have my H-8 in the closet. 500 solders just to do the backplane (the boards plugged into). - Whateveragain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Anybody have a good tutorial for welding? I could use some skills. I don't know why, but it seems like something a person should know how to do.
- HardwareLust, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Having been trained in precision soldering and micro-miniature repair (gotta love the military), his advice is pretty darn good. Biggest problem most beginners have is using too much of everything. Too much heat, too much solder, too much flux and leaving too much dirt. Avoid those 4 things, and you should be competent in a short period of time. Soldering ain't rocket science, but a little practice goes a long way. Make sure you have good strong illumination where you are working and if you can find/afford it, a good fixed magnifying lens is a great help. You'll give yourself headaches from the eyestrain if you spend a lot of time soldering small things.
(And get some decent tools. Stay the ***** away from that junk at Radio Shack!) - stuffhappens, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Very good point - bending the leads at around 30-45 degrees gives some mechanical strength to the joint. Also, cutting the leads before soldering has two other benefits:
1) The end of the cut lead is sealed so the copper does not tarnish or corrode from the inside.
2) If the soldering is done properly, the joint has a rounded top. 'Pointy' joints can act as antennae and leak rf signals in high frequency circuits causing havok with logic and timing - good soldering can make the difference between the circuit working or not. - acidtrx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.duggmirror.com
- nofxjunkee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1From the sounds of it you guys are lost in the Technology section here on Digg... ;-)
- SNIa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1With LEAD this is easy, try it with tin, as what you're supposed to use now. Not so easy. much hotter!
- zephc, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Like all things in life, soldering is just a primitive, degenerate form of bending.
- ishmal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@twango:
That is true. Those are basically the two most important things for a newb to remember when starting out. All of the other factors are refinements of those. Once someone starts practicing soldering that way, skill comes soon after.
Just like welding (getting the bead right) or brazing (getting the right flux on a clean surface), once you have the basics, the rest follow quickly. - DigginTuesday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes!
- wiremonkeymommy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ISBN-10: 1566379873 Modern Welding
ISBN-10: 1563921103 Welding Manual (Haynes Manuals)
arc welding is simple, although some welds will take some practice, as a hobbyist, I've found the above two books very helpful - dtd00d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@madformadness
Don't breathe it?! Where has he been? - andrewman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is one of the best soldering guides I have ever seen. I will send people to this in a heart beat because every time I teach someone by about mid way through I just want to burn them out of spite.
- emehrkay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wish this was available three years ago when i was modding my xbox. It took me three times
- ryderstep, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Wilsnipeforfood
Haha, yeah, I thought it was a military article. - AriaStar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Soldering is fun. My dad used to let me play with a small soldering gun as a child (under supervision!). Of course, last time I used one I was a moron and ended up with a third-degree blister on my finger. That was about a year ago.
Screw the fumes. Adds to the fun. - koji29, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The best part of this story is the open flame technique... deserves its' own post! :).. brilliant, I'm carrying some spare solder with me now-
- unknownsoldierX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"You're talkin' to my man all wrong. It's the wrong tone. You do it again, I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron."
- johnstar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1one word coldheat, I am mad noobish but that thing is awsome!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1How to soldier? Just load up your gun and shoot.. BING BING BING.
Congrats, you're now a soldier. - SjRaptor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Don't feel bad... people go to school for welding. Welding is an art, anyone can put two pieces of metal together and make em' stick, but a skilled welder can join various metals together for maximum strength. It's not something you can pick up in a weekend.
- Wilsnipeforfood, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Did anyone else read this as "How to soldier for beginners."
- smb3d, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Did anyone else try to mod a Geforce card into a Quadro by shifting the resistors around on the back of the card? Those tiny things are the most difficult components to solder. I had to super glue them in place so they wouldn't stick to the soldering gun. I did it once successfully, but fried my friends card. Oh well, at least it wasn't mine.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Soldering is fun!! Especially with a blow torch.
- jarrydm, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Who here was even around in the 70's, my bet is the majority of users were born after 1985
- mr1337, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2@ActivitY
I know. - ActivitY, on 10/12/2007, -13/+3@ mr1337
I thought it was the fumes from the flux? besides.. I thought most solder doesn't contain lead anymore? - mr1337, on 10/12/2007, -15/+3A little lead never hurt anyone.
- madformadness, on 10/12/2007, -17/+4As Tom Dickson would say. Those are soldering fumes, don't breath it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -16/+3Will it melt??
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