Why is too much solder worse than not enough? --BobG -----Original Message----- From: pic microcontroller discussion list [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Dwayne Reid Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 1:50 PM To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: [OT]: Soldering pin headers At 04:34 PM 8/8/02 -0500, Dave Dribin wrote: >Yeah, I've pretty much determined I suck at soldering. :) Practice - lots of it. In other words, keep doing it - even though you are not getting perfect results. You *will* get better at it. >I've bought a nice Weller temperature controlled iron (well, it's nicer >than my >$15 Radio Shack iron, at least). How hot to you set you iron for on >something like this? I tried 650F, but turned it down to 600F when I >noticed they started melting. Try 700F. Flood the tip with solder, then shake off the excess. What you should now see is a nice, brightly tinned tip. Touch the iron to the pin and PCB, jab just a little bit of solder right where the tip touches the pin, watch the solder start to move to the rest of the pin and trace. Now add just a tiny bit more solder. Take the solder away - keep the iron there for a split second longer, then remove the iron. That first little bit of solder is what helps the iron heat up the pin - it makes a good thermal connection between the tip and what you are soldering. Once the pin and trace are heated, add the solder it takes to make a nice fillet. Remember: too much solder is worse than not enough. Watch the solder as it flows along the pad and pin. If it is not flowing within about 1 second or so, something is not right: tip too cold, tip not making good contact with the pin, something. Take the iron away and do another pin - allow the first pin to cool down before trying again. It takes somewhere around 1 - 2 seconds per solder joint with a good, clean, HOT iron. Count to yourself as you are soldering: ONE AND - you should be done that joint. Less than a second is probably not good unless the pin and PCB trace are both really small. All it takes is practice! dwayne -- Dwayne Reid Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax Celebrating 18 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2002) .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .- `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu