Heat question

[coxter]

Just wondering if IC chips like the 4558 and TL072 get damaged by direct heat from a solder iron.

What about transistors? I solder them directly to my stipboards and they turn out fine.
But I can't be sure if they turn out fine instead of turning out great. LoL.

[aron]

I think all components can get damaged by heat. Just be careful and solder quickly and efficiently. Use a good soldering iron with the right tip for the job.

[Rafa]

Hi:
Some days ago I burned a tl084 with a single spark on a pin I cause with the power supply.
Transistor like 2n3904 are easy to burn too.
Rafa

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

The key is this: it isn't how hot the leg of a component gets, it is HOW LONG it is hot for. Hence the oft-repeated advice to use an iron that is hot enough to allow you to get in & out fast.
And, if component leads are tarnished & consequently difficult to solder - that can lead to you taking too long. With bad results.
Everythng shiny & keep the iron clean and at teh right temp - then it is very difficult to damage anything.

[oldrocker]

The only component I ever fried was a couple of 3904 tranny's.  Not that they were soldered without sockets.  They were socketed but I was doing some re-soldering with the battery still plugged with power on.  Took me a while to realize they were fried.  I have soldered some things directly but I don't like to unless absolutely nessessary.  Reason being is that when it doesn't fire right up it's always in the back of your mind. (Did I fry that transistor or IC when I soldered it direct?)  If you feared that you might have fried your IC you have to un-solder it to try a new one.  Now you have to super heat the IC to de-solder it which might fry it even if it wasn't already.  Then to de-solder it to find out it was someting else not the IC you have this IC laying around that you don't know works after de-soldering.  For me it's almost always worth socketing IC's and tranny's even though 99.9 percent of the time the components are fine after direct soldering.

[petemoore]

  I found out the hard way a socket can be used, I burned up LM386 when soldering on it for a Smash Drive, toasty project dumped.
  Socket makes it possible to not heat or over heat chips.
  Transistors are pretty good at taking the heat if the heat isn't too great...hard to know exactly where that 'overheat-line' is drawn and how much it moves when soldering a node with greater thermal mass.
  IC's...I just socket.
  My Transistors mostly get 'socketted anyway', but an alligator testclipped to the leg of the transistor to be soldered will prevent all but the most rude heatings...I've not burned up a transistor, and don't always use heat sinks....YMMV.
  Anything with a diode in it...IC"s transitors diodes...all are heat sensative.
  Caps...I don't think I ever burned a cap with heat.
  ''Resistors''...go figure, they are extremely 'Resistant'...I suppose anything can get burned if heated hard enough.

[MikeH]

  My Transistors mostly get 'socketted anyway', but an alligator testclipped to the leg of the transistor to be soldered will prevent all but the most rude heatings...I've not burned up a transistor, and don't always use heat sinks....YMMV.

When you use an alligator clip or heat sink when soldering transistors, does it matter where on the lead you clip it?  Do you want to clip it opposite to the component from where you're soldering, or between the component and your solder joint?

[Hfeisnteverything]

the latter.

[Sir H C]

If you go to the spec sheet for the part ( http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/28775/TI/TL072.html ) for the TL072, you will see under Absolute Maximum Ratings Lead Temperature (1/16 inch) from package for 10 seconds is 300C.  So you can see a hot iron on the package for 9 seconds is what they concider safe.  Beyond that, melt that metal.

[petemoore]

  No sockets are a drag for IC's IMo, unless it's already known how to...and that's working for you, they 'can be soldered directly in...but
  then, when that IC is noworkie, it's a headache to diagnose it with all the 'other' debug possibles taking back seat to 'did I overheat it?'
  and desoldering/resoldering is not necessary when socket is used.

[coxter]

So... Basically I have to becareful with Diodes too?

Does that mean i need a socket for them too ?

[darron]

So... Basically I have to becareful with Diodes too?

Does that mean i need a socket for them too ?

i've burnt a diode being nasty ripping it out of a circuit, thinking i wouldn't need it again. it was a clipping diode. when i needed to put it back in (whoops?) there was a lot less distortion, and more volume, the effect that you would expect if the diode wasn't there in the first place

Reason being is that when it doesn't fire right up it's always in the back of your mind.

good call! then once you know that it works later then what's the point in taking the socket out? (: