Soldering hints - English Amiga Board

If anyone wants some soldering lessons I could arrange for them over the net. You'd need to have a web cam + broadband + reasonable soldering iron.

The practice parts would cost only a few pounds from your nearest Maplin electronics shop.

Two weeks, 10 mins a night and before you know it anything above the lowest surface mount pitch will be easy.

The hardest part about soldering is learning how to hold 3-4 things with two hands. The Solder, the Soldering Iron and the wire and the thing you are soldering.

The second hardest part is knowing how much solder to use and how long to leave the soldering iron in contact with the thing you are soldering. I always used too little solder and took the soldering iron away too soon as I was frightened of breaking things.

Third hardest part, good tools. Cheap crap soldering irons with tips the size of bournmouth are useless. The soldering iron tip should go to a pencil type point, ideally be temperature controlled and be the right weight.

Throw your solder suckers away and use solder braid to get rid of unwanted solder.

Keep the solder tip clean and cool, dab it in the damp sponge that is part of your soldering iron stand between solders.
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Solder suckers are good for removing through hole components, but for everything else, like solder spills or bridges, use braid like Alex said.

I might also add that the soldering iron must be powerful enough, but not too powerful. Something like 50W is quite ok and should handle most electronics soldering situations.

Try to get an iron with some kind of thermostat.

Don't attempt to solder while your iron is still heating up, if it's a slowly heating iron. Wait until it's hot enough, otherwise you will get really bad joints.
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Put a dab of solder on the end of the iron to get the heat going

Cover wire ends in solder before soldering (tinning?)

Dab/wipe the iron on a damp sponge often

Having more solder doesnt make a better connection. Use just enough
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I use a clamping station with directional lights and upto 2 magnifying glasses depending on project.

you could use a simple modelers 2/4 arm clamp there quite handy :-)

a point to mention that i am sure is a moot point but its all well and having a good 0.4cm or lower tip you MUST have a good solder as well...

even though its more expensive for anything audio I like to use a gold-solder, its best you know what your doing with a soldering iron as gold-solder is damn expensive (as you might think) (about Ł5 per 8 inches (20cm) lol)

truth is though a decent quality solder with a good dirt-free connection will do.. it is in this that flux is your friend, in making a good quality weld, a smidge of flux goes a very long way!

@alexh
I would be very interested in viewing some of your techniques :-)

it would be cool to record them an have like a little soldering-school :-)

if you need a server for streaming.... just let me know :-)
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Here is a nice website that gives you the basic of 'How to desolder components.'
---> Linky
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That isnt a great link.

That guy is doing everything we said not to do.

He's got a VERY cheap, rubbish soldering iron. The tip is bigger than the bow of the Titanic.

He recommends cleaning the area with alcohol before introducing high temperatures. Fire alert!! Use it after you've desoldered and wait a long time for it to evaporate.

Not using solder braid, made life 2x more complicated.

Use a metal screwdriver to push the component and clean the resist off WTF? If you've desoldered properly the component just "wiggles" free! I am suprised he didnt accidentally cut through the tracks.

If you need to clean up excess flux & PCB mask resist after you have desolderd, you use an abrasive fiberglass pen! That way you cannot accidentally cut through a track!
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@alexh
As I said, it gives you the basic idea. I know it's not the best way to desolder components.
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So im ordering today one good soldering iron, one hotair rework station and couple of accesories thingies.

will be ready to classes i hope .)
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If someone needs a Desoldering station I have a spare one.
It's a APE EX-525 Desoldering system. Fully working. For more info PM me.
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Originally Posted by Chain:
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my god

Hahaha! Looks like the quality work little Jope did when he was 10 years old and had his first soldering iron (cost the equivalent of 10 euro, one of those orange-handled beasts that plugs straight into a power outlet). :-D

Seriously, please don't anyone take heed to the instructions at hardwaresecrets. That is no way to treat your precious circuit boards.

You'll only end up with burnt and lifted traces.
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wow only just noticed this :-) pics guys, lots of pics or maybe movies even!

great work to all concerned tho big up guys! :-)

i think i'll start with summat in a budget range and start with stuff like soldering speakers etc learn the basics first!
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@sarek2k
I cannot stress enough my friend the importance of a good quality Iron and bit... without them..

It doesn`t have to cost much a good Ł25 well spent wll save sooooo much stress and hassle down the line...

heres what i would recomend....

(jope / alexh jump in here at will too :-) )

heres a good iron
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20W-LEAD-FREE-...QQcmdZViewItem

"this is only a 20watt solution, bare this in mind if you start using heavier thicker solder *like the cheap ass nasty stuff* it will take an age to flow!"

heres some good quality solder too

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3M-LEAD-FREE-S...QQcmdZViewItem

I have bought from this seller quite a lot before ALWAYS good ! :-)

This is a good solution for arround Ł20, you can get extra-bits for the iron to giving you greater access to REALLY small welds!

lets see what others suggest...

you got Ł20.... I would be very interested in seeing what alexh and jope would buy :-)
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I would buy a soldering station like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WELLER-WTCPS-S...QQcmdZViewItem

And a nice and small new tip for it. Suitable bit temperatures are 7 or 8 for normal soldering, perhaps even 6, although it is on the low side.

The temp control is based on the curie effect: when the bit cools down enough, it attracts a magnet which in turn switches on the power. Then when it reaches the designated temperature, the magnet gets pulled back by a spring and the power is switched off.

It's also powerful enough (50W) for solder spots in larger ground planes, yet thanks to the magnastat, it will not overheat and you still have a good power reserve when you need to heat something.

One of the nicest things about it is that when you flip the switch, it reaches soldering temperature in less than a minute.

Weller is not a pro manufacturer, but the tools they make are very good for hobbyists like us.

I have had my W-TCP/S for .. er.. 13 years now and it's still going strong.. You could say I'm biased, but I have been very satisfied with mine.
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good info jope!
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I have a WTCPS combined with a IG101 and it's superb for soldering and desoldering.
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I use a weller whs 40 temperature controlled station, not as nice as the TCP ones, but a lot cheaper, and has a good temperature range so I can turn it way down for delicate SMT work, or all the way up for valve kit. Though I have a pencil tip for fine work, for general through-hole or point to point wiring, I prefer to use a screwdriver style flat tip, it's easier to make good contact with pads and component leads, and the larger tip area means it holds heat better than a long thin tip, of course, weller use the thinnest of thin nickel plating on the flat tips, so they don't last very long at all.

Other things, neither solder suckers or braid are great, generally I prefer a good sucker, but the ideal choice is a vacuum rework station, but they're expensive, so only really an option if you intend to do a lot of repair or component salvage. Artery forceps are invaluable for gripping wires and positioning parts in difficult locations, and since they lock, can be pushed into service as a heatsink when soldering temperature sensitive parts. Minature vices are useful for holding plugs in place while you solder wires to them, if soldering DIN, and especially mini DIN plugs, I find it helps to put them in a socket before soldering to them, the plastic they use for the bodies melts quite easily, the plug holds the pins in place during the inevitably fiddly operation of soldering the wires on.
Gas irons are a pain in the ass, and should be avoided, except possibly as a cheap source of hot air for smt rework with the appropriate hot air head, soldering guns are great, but totally unsuitable for any form of computer repair other than degaussing monitors.
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I use this one for small projects
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...35016&doy=18m2
and a weller 75W blunderbus for soldering up batteries etc (for the R/C cars)
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The OP misses the question, how he wants to solder.
There are TWO possibilities: with and without lead.
With all the RoHS bollocks coming up, more and more people are making careful attempts to learn the "unleaded" way of soldering; yet I personally CANNOT solder that way and if I inhale some of the lead fumes - so what! You can die one way or another.
This is so goddamn over-hyped crap! :-)
I'm waiting for the moment when soldering using leaded solder is regarded the same way as if committing a crime!

In Germany for example, a lot of hardware freaks have started exploiting the very last resources of leaded solder!! Since they know: if they don't do it now, it might be considered ILLEGAL at some time in the future and then they will have to get their leaded solder from the black market!!
What a Brave New World, isn't it.
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Im finally ready for some soldering lessons :-) :-)

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just testing hotair rework on old vga card

Image

:-)
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I sooooooo need to get me a hot air re-workstation!
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with budget around 120 quids ive got:

hotair rework (250W) with 6 nozzles
soldering iron (40W) with two tips (small, mid)
flux and paste (50q each)
vacuum tweezer (w 3 tips)
ESD wristband
fibreglass brush
solder wick
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What old card would you go to so much trouble for? Surely you can pick one up on ebay for half the cost and half the effort?
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im just testing how that rework station works :-) these cards was good sources of 4256 dram chips and now are useless. so no loss when i burn something on it.

its not that easy as it looks and i dont want to try it on miggy boards so thats a reason
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All my soldering equipment cost a tenner :-)

Its ok for what I do

Rework stations look pretty expensive at the majority of places
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Erm,

how to remove SMT capacitor if you're now that great with soldering?? :-)

I have to remove 2 of them (1.D.4 mobo A1200) as Apollo is not that stable with this mobo.

Thanks!
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Originally Posted by Anubis:
Erm,

how to remove SMT capacitor if you're now that great with soldering?? :-)

Take a jeweller's screwdriver and your soldering iron. If you have desoldering braid, it will be useful.

If you have it, suck up as much solder as you can from the ends of the cap using the desoldering braid.

Then alternately heat both ends of the cap and apply gentle force with the screwdriver to the side of the component.

Eventually it will heat up enough and you can gently push the component off it's place.

Do not push hard! If the component doesn't move with a gentle push, the solder is not hot enough. Pushing hard will lead to lifted solder pads on your motherboard and ugly looks from the person that ends up repairing it for you. ;-)

Don't use a solder sucking pump for anything other than through hole components. It won't be as effective and it could even cause damage to surface mount components from the recoil kick the pump gives.
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Thanks for the hints and explanation.

I will have to get better tools before I even start. :-)
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@ Zetro

A simple hot air rework station = Black & Decker paint stripper gun on lowest setting, with one of these I've desoldered and resoldered 48 pin TSOP chips (ahem). If you check Youtube someone even repaired his Xbox 360 with one.

If anyone wants soldering hints and tips, I am happy to help, I got the handle Merlin by being able to get TVs, VCRs and other stuff working again, just like magic, my soldering iron is my magic wand.....

For best results, you have to get a good flux, sometimes flux cored solder just doesn't cut it, I recommend Fluxite or Chipquick as the best fluxes from my experience. Also, a good thin surface mount grade reel of solder is a must, especially for surface mount resistors and the like. My day to day weapon is an Antex 15 watt iron with a needle tip from Maplins, with a 25 watt big brother for bigger things like heat sinks and shielded cases.

Merlin
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Sweet

great info merlin!

(off to Wicks for a new black and decker! bbiab :-) )
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the problem with a paint stripper, though they work (or at least mine did, until it decided to break, probably just within warranty, but I'd lost the receipt) is that they don't offer much control over the size of area they work on, they're fine for large chips or totally depopulating boards, but I wouldn't want to use one for repair work on a densely populated board.

The solution I came up with for fixing my A4000's audio was to get a hot air head for my gas soldering iron, not too much control over the heat or the flow rate, but it is a fairly small stream, so I managed to do it with only one unpleasant incident, carelessly overheating an SMT electrolytic. They go off with impressive force, unlike through hole types, they vent by blowing the can off, rather than neatly splitting open at the top.
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Yep, I've had similar experiences with my Iroda Solderpro 70... if you get the hot air head from Maplin to fit the Solderpro, you find that after a while the little bit of wire gauze burns away and you are left with a blowtorch... it's amazing what one of those cheap stainless steel pan scourers from the local Ł1 shop can do, if you cut small chunks off them :-)

if it's a circuit board that's not too busy with components I shield the bits I don't want to heat up with tin foil, works wonders....

I have a friend who would not believe I could take some multi strand wire, strip it to a single strand, tin it and solder it to a single leg on a Playstation chip without a magnifying glass, until he mucked up his PS2 and he watched me fix it :-)

Soldering is all about patience, a steady hand and eyes like the proverbial outhouse rat...

Oh, on the paint stripper gun, I find an old can with the end cut off, cut lengthwise then fastened to the nozzle of the paint stripper gun with a hose clip takes some of the ferocity out of the heat, you can shape the end of your custom nozzle into whatever shape you need. Handy hint no. 36.....

Merlin
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awsome info guys...

i can see it now....

1001 Ways
To Solder / De-solder
Absolutely
ANYTHING
by Merlin

hey i'd buy..... or download it free :-)
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Originally Posted by Merlin:
Oh, on the paint stripper gun, I find an old can with the end cut off, cut lengthwise then fastened to the nozzle of the paint stripper gun takes some of the ferocity out of the heat, you can shape the end of your custom nozzle into whatever shape you need. Handy hint no. 36.....

I've been meaning to do that to my paint stripper-smd station as well.. Currently I've been using it mainly for removing components and then soldered new ones in with a normal iron, but a more precise jet of air never hurts. :-)
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