Soldering parts

[charles489]

I'm a beginner and i have a question : i have to sold 8 parts to a 8 pin IC socket. But the pins of the socket are very small and pretty close each other so if i weld a part, the next pins will also be weld to the part. Is there a problem with that ?

[KORGULL]

There's definitely a problem with that if the next pin isn't supposed to be connected to the part.
You just need practice soldering.
Try using less solder.
You may be able to drag the soldering iron between the pins and pull the excess solder away - disconnecting the "bridge".
If you haven't already - you should read some "how to solder" tutorials to be sure you do everything correctly.
Good luck.

[charles489]

I don't see how i could weld the parts the pins without touching the other pins...the pins of the socket are about the size of a leg of a part like a diode for instance...it's very small. But i think there's a problem; the holes on my board are really really close to each other compared to the board used by Aron in the beginner project. The socket he used have a longer and bigger legs than mine.

[Dai H.]

right, practice. You gotta have a steady hand. Plus, maybe your tip (on the iron) is too big for the job. Also try a smaller gauge of solder. That may make it easier to control how much you feed into the joint. Make sure everything doesn't move, clean free of oxidation, etc. etc. There should be a bunch of soldering related links in the archives, so try searching. Good luck.

[ibanezts808]

here are a couple of tips:

1.  Smaller tip, or even iron, there is a great little iron called cold heat, takes AA batteries.  has a very small tip.

2. Smaller solder gauge.

3. Solder Flux, this makes soldering things easy.  The solder goes right where you want it.

I hope these help you.

[charles489]

thanks guys ! But I juwst wanna be sure : is it possible to sold a leg on a pin if the pin is only 1 mm wide and 2 mm from the other pin without touching it ?

[The Tone God]

... there is a great little iron called cold heat, takes AA batteries.  has a very small tip.

P.O.S. :!: Nuff said.

3. Solder Flux, this makes soldering things easy.  The solder goes right where you want it.

Not always. Flux can become conductive under certain conditions so you don't want excessive amounts of flux on your circuit. If you use a flux core solder, which most are, then you don't generally need extra flux. If you are having a hard time making a connection stick you would be better off making sure your surfaces are clean before soldering and that your heating both surfaces then putting on more flux. Using too much flux can even become an inhibitor in some situations. Extra flux should almost be a last resort. This is electronics, not plumbing.

is it possible to sold a leg on a pin if the pin is only 1 mm wide and 2 mm from the other pin without touching it ?

Sure. Notice the spacings on the pins themselves ? They are not that far apart to begin with. That should give you an idea of how close you can go. As mentioned before it just takes practice.

Andrew

[Mike Burgundy]

SMD can be soldered by hand with the right tools and experience, and that's even smaller. SMD transistors practically are the size you illustrated for just one leg, INCLUDING the three terminals AND space to separate them
It just takes practice. Quite a bit.

Aside from that, mother nature is *very* strict. If you connect two things that shouldn't really be connected, it won't work correctly. If you *don't* connect two things that should be, it wont work correctly. If you connect the right things, but in a wrong way, the device won't work correctly. It's like stuffing a  puzzle in it's box. Might be tidy, might be "coherent", but the picture simply doesn't work. You need to be very specific.  Good tools, and acquiring skills is what the doctor ordered.

[petemoore]

What I do anyway, it's there, usually is easier to deal with than those pads, I can see and touch probes to it easily, and mods don't look so messy, I don't get bridges near as often.
 LOOK AT THE NODES.
 PLAN THE LAYOUT OF EACH NODES COUNTED CONNECTIONS
 somethimes I cut an R's lead to about 1/2 to 2/3'', stick it through an adjacent hole to an OA socket pinlug, use the wire snippers or thin nostril picking pliers to put a small u shape to the end, then draw it back up, the end of the lead is then pressed into the padhole with the OA lug...doesn't work with round lug sockets.
 The other method is trim lead length, insert through socket pinlugs Adjacent hole, 'clamping the lead by very gently 'prying' it against the edges of the perfhole so the correct length for bending it to touching next to the OA Socket pin and padhole...[shaping an s] ...then I like to hold very firmly the lead against the pin, then pull the resistor to sharpen the curve of the s, so that when it's held from the top of the board, it's actually 'leveraged' and pushed against both pad and pinlug...this low profile method is good for future soldering of adjacent pins.
  Sometimes I 'stack' a row of connections, each occupying the next farther hole, straight out from the side of the opamp.
 I used to do pins 2,3 6 and 7 first, as it's a little easier doing the 'outside' pins [1,4,5,8 last.].
 For something I want to change alot, and many in one spot [like diodes and cap for clipping/voicing] I dedicate an 8 pin IC socket, all four pins on each side 'row' connected...for perfers and board drawers only.

[ibanezts808]

The Cold Heat is all based on opinion, I use it all the time, and I Love It.  As far as flux, I just said to use, not to slather it.  Be careful with what you do, and when in doubt, ask questions.  Try different things, and see what works for you.

[bwanasonic]

here are a couple of tips:

1.  Smaller tip, or even iron, there is a great little iron called cold heat, takes AA batteries.  has a very small tip.

AAgh! I'm not sure that is the best iron to use near an IC! Maybe I have fallen prey to an urban legend, but it is my understanding the way those *cold heat* irons work would most likely fry an IC. OK for soldering spark plug wires in your lawnmower, etc. but not on a semiconductor. Search here for *circuit specialists* and *Soldering station* for an inexpensive set up that will work very well.


Kerry M

[petemoore]

When it comes to IC's, because I'm usually only doing one circuit of something, I always socket...after going to all that soldering, the OA is buried, and if it's bad, which is not unlikely if it's seen heat, the board's trashed.
 I like trying different OA types.

[The Tone God]

The Cold Heat is all based on opinion...

I tried one recently so here is my opinion. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being craptacular and 10 being how many pounds of sledgehammer I'm going to use I gave it several consective repeated 10s.

I second the socketing suggestion.

Andrew

[Sic]

less solder

go slower

only touch the soldering iron enough to get solder to flow

use sockets...

using sockets is prolly the best advice

[Dai H.]

check this out, a couple of short videos of actual soldering:

1.(Tinning, cleaning the iron tip)

http://cai.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/sugsi/Lecture/circuit/f_04-03.html

2.(Soldering)

http://cai.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/sugsi/Lecture/circuit/f_04-04.html

3.(Tinning wire)

http://cai.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/sugsi/Lecture/circuit/f_04-05.html

a picture is worth a thousand words and all that...

[RLBJR65]

I tried one recently so here is my opinion. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being craptacular and 10 being how many pounds of sledgehammer I'm going to use I gave it several consective repeated 10s.

I'll second that!

Definatly a P.O.S. my wife bought me one from Radio Shack it didn't work took it back got another it didn't work the 3rd one worked but it's not very usefull around small components. I'm going to take it back and trade it for some parts!

Practice, Practice, Practice, IC sockets are tough but they are put in every day, just takes practice.

[petemoore]

Start with  a clean Tip.
 most recommend a pretty damp cotton rag and a quick wipeoff, I try to keep the tip from any plastics or other goo stuff, and just 'knock the blob off' [I use cheepo RS irons and tips], not recommended for you Weller users to be smashing the iron around tho.
 Starting with a non blobbed tip...
 I use a Brick, others use a third hand.
 I stick the iron in the brickhole, and bring the 'to be soldered items to the iron....this gives me one more 'free hand. I find that I can plan approaches and retreats easily if I turn the board 1/4 or 1/2 turn.
 Having something that clamps the board is about as good, you have to clamp it in different positions to get optimal approach angles.
 Soem people tape the part to be soldered in position...this saves you jumping around because the heat on the lead above the board is burning into your finger during the soldering process.
 With the clean tip touching as much of the metals [solid ones] that you want heated so the bond can happen, [and nothing else] brush the solder past [touch of solder]...this allows the heat to quickly flow from tip to pieces [leads/pads]...give it about a second and a half, they should be ready to 'grab' the solder, try using a little less solder, allow the heat to penetrate the solids and the 'frugal' solder application should 'jump' on all the surfaces. I like to leave solder enough for a small 'Hershey's kiss' shape on the pad for structural integrity.
 With a half worn out RS tip, I can 'grab' some of the 'too much solder', knock it off, grab some more, knock it off...cleaning up 'oversoldered' pads, and eliminating bridges between them.
 Anything more than about 7 seconds is too much heat IMO. If you have a rather large pad, with say 6 leads to be connected, and they were connected one at a time, reheat the entire node after installing the parts.
Multiple connections with greater thermal mass require a little more tip contact time for all the leads, pad and solder to bond properly.

[charles489]

I got it ! My solder was too big for the purpose so i bought a smaller one and it's perfect !