What do you all use when the design has a DIP footprint and the manufacturers and reputable suppliers only have SOIC? I know there are adapters but my eyes are 63 years old and I do not want to buy a rework station.
Unless you already have a pcb with through hole footprints, use SOIC and 1206 footprints.
They are very easy to hand solder, and no special tools are needed.
Just tack solder one lead first to hold the part steady, then solder all the others, and then redo the first lead.
They are very easy to hand solder, and no special tools are needed.
Just tack solder one lead first to hold the part steady, then solder all the others, and then redo the first lead.
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Homemade stencil frame, adapted sandwich toaster, excellent results:
Sandwich toaster? Please do tell, I know I could search on youtube for this but my eyes will bleed before I find something instructional. How do you tin the adapter or do the SMD components come with the pads pre loaded with solder?
I fear the accuracy and speed required to correctly land the iron tip and solder sliver or wetted tip may elude me. It is one thing making joints on 1/4 Watt resistors and 0.1" DIP components but I doubt I put enough effort into my hobby to be likely to find proficiency at this new skill.
I have made the usual impossible damaged track repairs and actually earned a living soldering for a company owned by the dreaded Thorn Group but I am struggling to see me with a Weller TCP soldering these things. Maybe if I was 30 again with the eyes of an outhouse rat and nerves not tested by years of enjoying beer.
There is of course a simple way to find out, buy a few cheap 8 pin chips and suitable footprints and try.
I have made the usual impossible damaged track repairs and actually earned a living soldering for a company owned by the dreaded Thorn Group but I am struggling to see me with a Weller TCP soldering these things. Maybe if I was 30 again with the eyes of an outhouse rat and nerves not tested by years of enjoying beer.
There is of course a simple way to find out, buy a few cheap 8 pin chips and suitable footprints and try.
I find the main thing that offers success when soldering surface mount is tons of flux. I use a flux pen to flood the pads with flux, then position the chip, tin the iron tip and just touch it to one corner pin. the solder on the iron tip will flow onto that pin. Make sure everything is aligned, thne hit a pin on the opposite corner. Once two are soldered you can hit each one indivually. Placing a small amount of solder on the iron tip will solder 2-3 pins. I have to use a large magnifyier with a light, I'm 61yo.
no coffee, but a half glass of wine stabilizes your grip. a surgeon once told me.
Or buy solder paste, a hot plate and hot air station. After a while you’ll feel like a wizard when your components flow into place under your heat wand.
A lot of times I use solder paste and then hold the part with tweezers and hit each end with the iron.
There is no additional skill required for SOIC and 1206 footprints.
They are literally just as easy to solder as a DIP and through hole resistors.
Just tack solder one lead to hold the alignment, solder the rest of the leads ,and then resolder the first lead if needed.
If you try it, you will see that this is not any more difficult for you. I also use a Weller, with the small chisel 700F tip.
I read all and with reflection I realise I got the answers I deserved. I will order a few cheapo* 8 pin SOIC and try my hand.
* From the usual suppliers, no need to introduce expected failure by trying to solder material XYZ.
If I fail I will still want to know if there exists a reliable hot air cheat that does not involve the cost of a rework kit.
* From the usual suppliers, no need to introduce expected failure by trying to solder material XYZ.
If I fail I will still want to know if there exists a reliable hot air cheat that does not involve the cost of a rework kit.
Sometimes you will get a solder bridge between leads, a bit of solder braid works well to remove it.
Good, the only precaution is that pads on some boards benefit by tinning before soldering.
Always use hot, clean solder tips.
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I'm 61 too and my eyes are not great anymore , but I love working with SMD's . I use 2 glasses on top of each other to see well. With an extra magnifier I still manage the smaller TSSOPs and 603's , even the 402's. Tinning those small footprints is not possible , so directly on clean copper. All with soldering iron with small tip. SOIC's and 1206 , 805 are still easy to do.
Second the head mount. I was at my dentist once and he was using this really inexpensive plastic one. He of course also had a precision one that looked very expensive. I think he ordered one of the plastic ones for me and it was around 15 dollars. He said he liked the plastic one for some jobs better than the expensive ones. The other thing I'll do since I only have two hands and just do better when I use solder at the joint is to use one of those cheap third hand things and just use the alligator clip on top of the soic so it does not move. I don't clip it just put it on top of the device to hold it down. I also use a very fine solder (.38mm) and of course a small tip and flux.
I use a 1500 W toaster oven and an Amprobe (Fluke) TMD-50 K-type thermocouple thermometer. I tape the thermocouple to the PCB using Kapton tape. Crank the temperature to the highest setting and use the 'bake' setting on the oven. With this setup I'm able to follow the recommended reflow temperature curve simply by unplugging the oven at strategic points.
For leaded solder I unplug the oven at 110 ºC. This allows for the 90-second soak between 100 and 150 ºC. I plug the oven back in once the time is up or the temperature starts to droop too much. I then unplug the oven once 225 ºC is reached and open the oven door after 30 seconds. This follows the recommended temperature profile pretty tightly except the soak is a little too long and it takes too long for the oven to reach 225 ºC. The latter is simply a function of the power (and maybe lack of insulation) of the oven.
I use 63/37 Sn/Pb solder paste from ChipQuik. It works very well. I would hesitate to use lead-free solder because it requires higher temperatures. Also, the commonly available lead-free solder paste is SAC305 which is awful to work with. If you absolutely cannot find leaded solder paste go with one of the 99.3/0.7 Sn/Cu alloys.
I deposit the solder paste through a stencil made by OSH Stencils. It's pretty easy. Just put some solder paste on the stencil and spread it using the spreader provided by OSH Stencils. They also sell some acrylic L-shapes that can be handy for aligning the stencil and the board.
Google "toaster oven reflow" and you shall find. Obviously don't use the toaster oven for food after...
I decided on the toaster oven reflow rather that hotplate/frying pan reflow as I've seen issues with uneven heating and cooked boards with hot plates in the past. But some have made those methods work for them.
Tom
For leaded solder I unplug the oven at 110 ºC. This allows for the 90-second soak between 100 and 150 ºC. I plug the oven back in once the time is up or the temperature starts to droop too much. I then unplug the oven once 225 ºC is reached and open the oven door after 30 seconds. This follows the recommended temperature profile pretty tightly except the soak is a little too long and it takes too long for the oven to reach 225 ºC. The latter is simply a function of the power (and maybe lack of insulation) of the oven.
I use 63/37 Sn/Pb solder paste from ChipQuik. It works very well. I would hesitate to use lead-free solder because it requires higher temperatures. Also, the commonly available lead-free solder paste is SAC305 which is awful to work with. If you absolutely cannot find leaded solder paste go with one of the 99.3/0.7 Sn/Cu alloys.
I deposit the solder paste through a stencil made by OSH Stencils. It's pretty easy. Just put some solder paste on the stencil and spread it using the spreader provided by OSH Stencils. They also sell some acrylic L-shapes that can be handy for aligning the stencil and the board.
Google "toaster oven reflow" and you shall find. Obviously don't use the toaster oven for food after...
I decided on the toaster oven reflow rather that hotplate/frying pan reflow as I've seen issues with uneven heating and cooked boards with hot plates in the past. But some have made those methods work for them.
Tom
There is a combinanation solder powder / flux paste used here for motherboard and cell phone repair, they clean the board, spread the paste on the area, and dip the new part legs in it, place it in position, and use a hot air jet from a temperature controlled work station to melt the stuff, it seems to be attracted to where is should go, they make it look easy.
The stations range from US$10 to 40, the branded ones can be eye wateringly expensive.
Practice a bit, seems easy enough.
The stations range from US$10 to 40, the branded ones can be eye wateringly expensive.
Practice a bit, seems easy enough.
IME a Weller TCP will get you pretty far, provided you buy a few accessories for it:
- A very thin tip (0.4/0.8mm)
- Some very thin leaded solder (0.3mm or so)
- Some good-quality solder wick for touch-ups and maybe a bit of flux for "stubborn"components.
