Ah... perhaps you need a better method for installing DIPs on a board. What works for me is: 1: Put all the chips in 2: Hold a piece of cardboard over the chips and flip the board bottom side= =20 up onto your bench. The chips will now be in their holes but not necessaril= y=20 tight against the board. 3: Tack solder two corner pins of each chip. Don't worry that they aren't=20 flat on the board. 4: Pick the board up. Apply pressure from behind with your finger to one=20 chip as you reheat the corner pins with the iron. The chip will settle down= =20 flat on the board. 4: Lay the board back down and solder all the remaining pins on each chip. -- Bob Ammerman RAm Systems ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Cristiano Cesaretto" To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:48 PM Subject: Re: [EE]Soldering iron with solder dispenser > It's not main main job but I solder 100-150 small boards every month. > Boards are small, usually around 5cmm x 5mm and they mount mainly DIP=20 > chips. > > At the moment I put the chip in place, use adhesive tape to keep it still= , > put the pcb in the vise, solder, remove the pcb, put next chip, adhesive > tape... so I spend a lot of time putting and removing the pcb from vise. > > I am wondering if anyone has any suggestion to become more productive. > > Thanks > > > > On 10 January 2012 18:37, Mike Hord wrote: > >> Are you doing production work or is this strictly for hobbyist/prototype >> work? >> >> I tend to think it would drive me crazy- I THINK that the number of=20 >> angles >> that I hold my >> solder at while working is large enough that being restricted to one=20 >> angle >> would be a >> real pain. >> >> Perhaps a better solution would be to invest in a PCB vise? >> >> MikeH >> >> On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 11:20 AM, Cristiano Cesaretto < >> cristiano@cesaretto.it> wrote: >> >> > Hello. >> > What do you guys think about a soldering iron like this one: >> > >> > >> > >> http://www.tme.eu/html/EN/jbc-al-2a-soldering-stations-with-solder-dispe= nser/ramka_2736_EN_pelny.html >> > >> > It incorporates a solder dispenser and for me it seems the greatest=20 >> > thing >> > in the world. >> > I think I would save a lot of time with a soldering iron like that:=20 >> > with >> > one hand I would hold the pcb (usually small) and the component=20 >> > together >> > and with the other I would solder the component. At the moment I use >> > adhesive tape to keep the IC on the pcb before I start soldering it. >> > >> > It's quite expensive and I can't find similar models so I deduct they= =20 >> > are >> > not very popular. >> > >> > Regards >> > Cristiano >> > -- >> > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive >> > View/change your membership options at >> > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist >> > >> -- >> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive >> View/change your membership options at >> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist >> > --=20 > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist=20 --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .