Soldering: Critique my technique.

[kvandekrol]

Because of a recent string of builds in the past 3 months that have intermittent instability problems, and being at my wit's end on what's causing it, I'm analyzing every single step of the build process that is common to all the pedals I've built recently. Power supply, component sourcing, PCB (etch vs. fab), to name a few... and having altered each of those variables in some way without solving the problem, the next thing to go under scrutiny is my actual soldering technique.

I am, like most people, afflicted with disadvantage of not having three hands, which means that I have trouble holding the component, the solder, and the iron at the same time, and ensuring that they all meet happily on the soldering pad.

I've tried R.G.'s suggestion of putting in place all the components of a certain height (e.g. all the resistors), and then turning the board on its back to keep them in place while soldering. Then lay out everything of the next height, flip, solder, etc. This works well for the resistors and diodes, but it gets tedious when dealing with caps of three different heights (ceramic/poly/electro), stand-up resistors, etc. It's also impossible to do if you need to replace a component on a still-attached board, like when repairing a Boss pedal for instance - or replacing components on a board that you've already finished soldering.

I also don't want to bend the leads to keep the components in place, because I've repaired and modded enough Boss pedals to know that those components stand a high chance of taking the pad with them if they ever need to be unsoldered from the board.

Because of this, I've taken to the following method. I generally use a chisel tip (e.g. one of these), which has the added bonus of being broad and flat, as compared to a conical tip with which this method wouldn't be easy. I use one hand to either hold the board upright and the component to the board (in the case of ICs, caps, and transistors that take a bit to heat up), or press down on the board to keep it from moving around per R.G's method (for resistors and diodes, which I always do first). Then I melt a very small amount of solder on the tip, and press it to the pad and the component lead at the same time.

In conjunction with flux paste, with this method the solder always flows within about a half-second, so nothing gets more heat than it needs. I'll typically hold the iron there for a split second longer for good measure. My joints are perfectly nice and shiny and my boards really do look good. I always clean off all the flux thoroughly before I test it out. I keep my tip very clean, using a wet sponge between just about every component, and tinning regularly. The solder is standard 63/37.

But what concerns me is that from all the soldering tutorials I've looked at, and all the threads I've read here, this method is never used or discussed - and I can't shake the feeling that this is not innovation but stupidity. It's hard to innovate on methods using 50-year-old technology! Even though I don't understand why this wouldn't work, again, I'm analyzing everything I do to see why my stuff is consistently not working as of late.

So, my question: Is there anything about this method that may cause issues in builds?

[tiges_ tendres]

I always found those tips useless for soldering anything other than jacks. 

I think your soldering technique is incorrect.  When soldering, I was always taught to heat up the component and pad first before applying solder to the joint.  If all you are doing is putting solder on the tip of your iron, and the flowing it onto the joint, there isn't going to be enough heat in the parts to make a good joint.

Also, the way those tips are shaped make it really hard to heat up the two parts you are trying to join together.

If you really insist on not bending the leads, use a little electrical tape to keep the part in place whilst you solder.  Then flip the board over onto the roll of electrical tape.  You should now have a sturdy surface on which to solder, and your part wont move.

[aballen]

I agree, your technique is wrong.  You may be creating a problem for yourself because you don't want to bend the leads. 

• Bend them... 45 degrees is enough to hold the component to the board.
• keep using flux
• I like a chisel tip as well, flat against the pad, and pushed over to the wire I'm soldering heats them both simultaneously
• use some helping hands to hold the board for you, component wont fall out with a bent lead
• tin the tip of the soldering iron, just enough to allow good heat transfer between the board and the component, you need to heat them both to get a good bond, and for the solder to flow
• flow a little bit of solder where you need it
• quickly remove the solder, then the iron, you should have a nice shiny joint
• socket all your ICs(I actually see people socketing transistors)

If you master this technique, you should not have the need to desolder anything, and bent leads wont matter to you.  If you still need to desolder, a $15 desoldering iron will make it easy to remove something you need to.

This technique works well with SMT parts as well.

[therecordingart]

I agree with everyone here. The only time it's really acceptable to carry solder to a pad my globbing it on the iron first is when "sweep" soldering surface mount ICs. You load a blob of solder on the iron tip and drag it across the pins of the IC once the IC is in place. I can solder a surface mount IC about as quickly as a through hole resistor.

[DavenPaget]

Well all you have to do obviously is to bend it , but solder it so slightly that the solder doesn't cover the beginning of the bend , be precise on that , then snip the leads off and dab more solder . That's what i do .
And also , if you do lots of standard through-hole work , please , use a very fine tip .
A chisel tip only work for SMD sweep techniques or tinning wires .
And do you seriously want to hold a component ?
I accidentally held a carbon comp resistor with a finger and it got pretty toasted .    It hurt .

[Seven64]

i keep a few strips of electrical tape handy (cut about a 4" secton into 3rds long ways) to hold sockets, IC's and other various things in place.  i usually bend all leads, regardless if the board will be on the table upside down or not.  for taller components i use my wire cutter handles as a cradle to elevate the pcb.

like when building this buffer:



i taped the transistor socket down, flipped, cradled and soldered, then added all components and bent legs, flipped, cradled, and soldered.

here is what i mean by cradling it.



you can obviously spread the handles for a larger pcb.

[LucifersTrip]

there's a couple more possibilities...

1) solder the exact same way you're doing it, then re-flow each joint afterwards
2) put a little solder on the tip and solder one lug just to keep the component in place (instead of electrical tape), then solder the correct way

[PRR]

> don't want to bend the leads to keep

Bend the lead! I don't mean the 95 degree bend used in the factory. A 25 deg spread will keep the component in the holes, and won't fight much coming out.

> I use one hand to either hold the board upright and the component to the board

IMHO: no. The parts should stay without hand-holding. Again, that's why you spread leads. On stuff smaller than a dinner plate, you also need a Uni-Vise, pliers with rubber-band, or hunk of pipe to keep the whole board from slip-slidin away.

If you try to hold-parts while soldering, first you are short of hands for iron and solder, then when the joint is cooling you twitch with relief and crack the still-pasty joint.

[phector2004]

Because of this, I've taken to the following method. I generally use a chisel tip (e.g. one of these), which has the added bonus of being broad and flat, as compared to a conical tip with which this method wouldn't be easy. I use one hand to either hold the board upright and the component to the board (in the case of ICs, caps, and transistors that take a bit to heat up), or press down on the board to keep it from moving around per R.G's method (for resistors and diodes, which I always do first). Then I melt a very small amount of solder on the tip, and press it to the pad and the component lead at the same time.

In conjunction with flux paste, with this method the solder always flows within about a half-second, so nothing gets more heat than it needs. I'll typically hold the iron there for a split second longer for good measure. My joints are perfectly nice and shiny and my boards really do look good. I always clean off all the flux thoroughly before I test it out. I keep my tip very clean, using a wet sponge between just about every component, and tinning regularly. The solder is standard 63/37.

Do you add more solder once the "very small amount" gets on both pieces?

I tend to use the tiny blob of solder on the tip to my advantage... seems to heat things up more quickly than a drier iron, and once both parts tin, I add more solder to complete the joint

But melting and dripping the solder isn't gonna work! Also, with practice, you can bend your leads just right so they're almost perpendicular to the board but hold the resistor in place rather firmly

[deadastronaut]

i use a 'helping hands tool'  a lot...but i also use a bit of blue tack rather than tape to hold a tricky part  (tranny socket etc)  in place, it works for me..

[Perrow]

i use a 'helping hands tool'  a lot...but i also use a bit of blue tack rather than tape to hold a tricky part  (tranny socket etc)  in place, it works for me..

Blue tack, works perfectly for this, I agree.

[newfish]

Hi!

I'd agree with bending the leads.  Not only does it stop the component from falling off the board when you flip it over, but (more importantly), it establishes a connection between the two metals to be joined.

Solder is not glue, and performs better when applied to an existing mechanical joint.

Also +1 to heating up this mechanical joint *before* applying solder - a couple of seconds is all it should take, then quickly apply a dab of solder. 

If they help, here are a couple of things I've learned about soldering...

1) If you think your iron is hot enough, give it another 2 or 3 minutes (somewhere safe, like a soldering iron stand / holster).  The tip should be hot enough to melt solder almost immediately.
Not only does this 'prove' your iron is hot enough, but it also tins your bit (having a thin, shiny layer of solder on the tip of your iron) - which is essential for a good, clean joint.

If your iron is not hot enough, you'll end up applying the iron for too long - and that's where you start to 'cook' traces, pads, components etc...

2) Keep the tip clean between joints.  A damp sponge (or pan scrub) is handy to have to hand to wipe any excess solder (or oxidisation - which will occur) off your tip before making your next solder joint.

3) ...and this I found the hardest one -  if you solder with music on (why wouldn't you?), don't sing along when you're making your joint.  I developed a bad habit of effectively 'blowing' on the joint as I was singing along to Ozzy one evening.  The result was *lots* of dry joints!
Let each joint cool by itself - it'll be much more dependable.

4) Those helping hand / mini-vice things are perfect for holding PCBs.  Saves your fingers getting too hot - and gives you both hands to work with - one for your iron, and the other to dab the solder.

5) Practice.  Don't beat yourself up about making bad joints.  Am fairly sure no-one was ever born with an in-built perfect soldering technique.

Good Luck.

Cheers!

[boogietone]

Painter's trim tape works well to hold parts to the board (http://tinyurl.com/3dtj6b6). It is easy to tear by hand and is less sticky that electrical tape. Also, I have found that a wooden clothes pin glued to a 2x4 makes an excellent third hand. It is very stable.

[davent]

Darron put up a video in the summer showing him building a pedal. His soldering technique is a treat, Mr. Dexterity manages to use his two hands as three holding the board and feeding the solder with the same hand. Never seen anyone do that before but it must have taken a load of practice, anybody else mastered this technique or is this pretty common and i'm out of touch?

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg797017#msg797017
dave

[aballen]

hey I just looked at that picture you posted of the chisel tip... it looks huge,  I stated I use one, but to be accurate I use more of a screwdriver tip, I don't this it is as big as yours.

http://www.arcade-electronics.com/weller%20soldering%20iron%20tips.aspx

I like the flat screwdriver tip for through hole, the tip on mine is about as wide as the via on the board, good for some SMT too(like SOIC parts, when you get down to 0603 sized parts, only a fine tip will do imho)

[GGBB]

Chewing gum.  Spearmint works best.  And make sure you throw it out when you're done. 

[DavenPaget]

Darron put up a video in the summer showing him building a pedal. His soldering technique is a treat, Mr. Dexterity manages to use his two hands as three holding the board and feeding the solder with the same hand. Never seen anyone do that before but it must have taken a load of practice, anybody else mastered this technique or is this pretty common and i'm out of touch?

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg797017#msg797017
dave

Well umm , i did . I used my pinky and 4th finger to hold the board , and the rest to grab the solder , but i bought a third hand to replace my finger .
I hate getting flux on my finger ... and legs .


And yeah , guys , i use this tip for everything , works VERY WELL .
Previous work i did ruined the top of the tip a lil bit , need tinning on the next round .
Now that's what a nearly properly tinned tip should look like ( the fine part )

[CodeMonk]

Some of the things I do:
Use a piece of tape to hold a component on the board.
Have a very TINY bit of solder on the iron tip BEFORE you apply said tip to PCB/component. This helps to transfer the heat faster. Then I feed the solder in using the "magical" technique of holding 3 things with 2 hands.
Yes, I to have more or less mastered the technique of holding the iron, part and feeding the solder all at the same time.
But I have also been soldering since the early 80's.

I used a lot of flux paste. Use paste as opposed to the liquid flux.

This is a crappy drawing and a bit exaggerated...

I just bend the leads so they are on the outer edges of the hole the part goes in.
The pressure helps to keep the part from falling out when you turn the board over.

[DavenPaget]

Some of the things I do:
Use a piece of tape to hold a component on the board.
Have a very TINY bit of solder on the iron tip BEFORE you apply said tip to PCB/component. This helps to transfer the heat faster. Then I feed the solder in using the "magical" technique of holding 3 things with 2 hands.
Yes, I to have more or less mastered the technique of holding the iron, part and feeding the solder all at the same time.
But I have also been soldering since the early 80's.

I used a lot of flux paste. Use paste as opposed to the liquid flux.

This is a crappy drawing and a bit exaggerated...

I just bend the leads so they are on the outer edges of the hole the part goes in.
The pressure helps to keep the part from falling out when you turn the board over.

Usually if the part is too long / incorrect size for the board by a few µm i use a plier to bend it by placing the plier exactly next to the part , and then bend . ( applies to axial components only )
Lesson learnt : Install resistors first next time for the flattest , neatest profile . Tight fitting resistors usually won't seem to move out slightly before soldering .