Hardware hacker wanna be then you will need to know how to solder.
 

Hi,

For new or old hardware hacks then you must know how to properly solder. Full Solder Comic is a simple but useful guide to get you started.

Remember practice, then practice some more and be sure to be safe. :)

Did you find this on the Raspberry Pi web site? ('Cos it's there as well!)

Over here in the EU we're being tied to RoHS (Pronounced "ROSH" and meaning Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) which was put in force on the 1st July 2006 which, unfortunately, prevents the use of resin (rosin) cored solder so it's nigh impossible to get hold of here. Note the "Don't breath in the fumes" comments from the Icelandic guys who wrote the comic.

I spent three weeks of my apprenticeship back in the late sixties learning to solder and have to say that non-lead based solder is definately not as easy to use. I have great difficulty getting the solder to "wet" the component lead and pad to give a good joint. The magic marker style flux needed to do the job of the resin (rosin) doesn't seem to be as efficient. Then again... Maybe it's me. :)

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Member Response
 

Hi,

I think it was from the Pi pages originally.

I made bulk purchases of micro rosin core lead a few years ago. One # spools and enough to last me years of projects. You can use a fan to blow the fumes away/collect them through a filter box with a fan drawing the fumes. Depending on the job, I tend to rely on third hand devices to aid when soldering. One set to hold the board and another to hold or heat sink the device being soldered. Surface mount devices are a different animal. :)

Most school systems in our area have dropped shop classes. Some project classes do offer elementary sessions for electronic device handling and builds. Local manufactures are sponsoring mini-robotic academic based competition so some are learning techniques via experienced mentors. This is a win-win for everyone. Advanced education does need to address issues now but it would be best if elementary-secondary provide some hands on or develop interest in these type of learning sessions. Motor skills, hand eye coordination are important when mechanically doing something. This can be taught and improved with practice. As they say: 'Practice makes perfect' or: “A tool is but the extension of a man's hand and a machine is but a complex tool. He that invents a machine augments the power of man and the well being of mankind.” - Henry Ward Beecher

Today everyone wants to play games and not really desire to know the underlying operations be it electronic/mathematical or graphical operations. Everyone tends to think that games build or development are the demand. I think otherwise. I am not saying everyone should know how the systems are built but system builds/electronic interfacing are becoming a lost art. Heck, some of my projects still evolve from wire-wrap & perf. Others may come from a breadboard before even consider of a proto-board. Really depends on the complexity of design and the frequency spectrum for the devices on which technique is to be used for proto-board or circuit.

As to your difficulty with non-lead; Be sure the device leads are clean and the pads have been buffed. Sure the job of resin is both isolation of the solder joint and cleaning of the two contact joints thus allowing a good electrical bond between the pad and device lead. Placement of the tip & proper tip type can be a problem for some. Then where you place the solder in respect to tip & joint is very important. Good iron is very important. I use a closed loop temp controlled pencil iron. Keep your tip clean!

Recently I needed to repair a CMS for my Yamaha Venture motorcycle. I could tell that the circuit hand been partially wet soldered and hand soldered for spot jobs. Molex board mount receptacle pads had broken joints(known problem for the 1983). Just sucked all of the pads for the connector(one row at a time to prevent creep). Rosin joints had to be cleaned thoroughly for some of the discreet components. Surprised the problem had not occurred earlier. This repair was a real challenge, even for me. Reasoned the type of solder was the main point to remove the old solder completely instead of wetting again with a repair joint. Best to remove the old solder completely then re-solder. Successful!

Great comic onebuck, you brought this out right on time.
My acer aspire 3620 dcjack went bad & I recieved the new part a couple of days ago. I went shopping for soldering supplies today, but aborted mission.
Was trying to ask the guy at radioshack which iron 15 or 30 watt was best for pcboard he was too busy.
1.Which iron 15 or 30 watt ?
2.Is flux necessary?
3.What size or guage of wire?
Thank You in advance. I miss my acer.

I spent quite a lot of my working years soldering, so this quote from that comic explains everything:
:D

Member Response
 

Hi,

For an experienced user a 30W pencil iron with a clad thin chisel tip for components. A clad thin pointed tip is best for DIP/Transistor joints. You should use a heat sink for DIP/Transistor work. You will be using resin core solder, additional flux is not always necessary unless the solder is a alloy then additional flux can sometimes be a good thing. You can get flux in a marker type applicator or paste. If the pads are clean then the resin cored solder should be enough. As to the wire size/gauge, are you speaking of interconnection? If so then short lengths of 24 AWG wire wrap wire can be used. If you are speaking of the solder diameter, it will depend on the soldering job at hand.

For general component, discreet & integrated parts I will use 21 AWG(.031 Dia) single core resin 40/60(you can get multi-core at more $$). Even smaller gauge for flat pack/surface mount (SMD). If the task is new then I will use a smaller gauge solder with more heat so that my solder time is cut short. Experience will dictate your soldering time for each task, as you get better at the task then your time can become shorter. Be very careful since you can make cold joints or resin joints if you do not use enough time for heat. That is one reason to have temperature controlled pencil iron(closed loop), once you set the temp then the tip will remain at a constant temperature when out of the cradle.

If you need to solder discreet active components (transistors, DIP or like) then be sure to use quality heat sinks. For transistor I will use hemostats or alligator clips. DIPs', I have sinks for each DIP series size that I custom made. I use these to insure no possible damage to very expensive DIP. At the time these were very expensive so I used a Mill to make a set. Some will use a DIP test clip but these really do not have enough sink. Most times I will not heat sink general DIP chips since the single pin heat requirement should not damage the substrate with single pin heat application. You can look at the data sheet for each DIP/series for heat limits for flow soldering which can be a good indicator.

I do purchase refurbished/used surgical tools that suit my soldering jobs; tweezers, hemostats(many type) straight & angled(locking/free clip),scalpels of all type, Dental tools: picks, probes & points.

Please remember that your soldering task does include cleanup. You can purchase board cleaners in liquid or spray. I use alcohol with a fine toothbrush(this can be used to prep for the soldering task). If you choose denatured alcohol then test a board area on outside edges to see if the mask will be harmed. If not then proceed to remove resin.

Most important cleanup is yourself. Wash your hands and exposed areas especially if you choose to use lead based solder. Even with alloy you can experience respiratory issues if you do not use a fan/filter box. If your repair board is older then you will be reheating lead based solder so be sure to use caution & good cleanup. Also remember here that the older solder should be removed. Do not mix alloy & lead joints.

Inspection of the board after soldering is important. You can use a magnifier to inspect for shorts created while soldering or shorts between pads or leads. Solder beads can cause issues if not removed. I use a lighted magnifier and dental picks to probe the areas in question.

REMEMBER: Safety first, so use those goggles/safety glasses. I have been splattered many, many times and my glasses saved the eyes from damage.

Few more useful links;
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/tut...s_id=36&page=1

http://www.infidigm.net/articles/solder/

http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/solder.htm

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-solder/

HTH!

Last but not least how can you tell if they used lead instead of lead-free solder?

Member Response
 

Hi,
Visually, not always possible, sometimes the slow cool of alloy will be a dull color instead of shiny but that too depends on the alloy type. Early use for alloy solder was pre-tinning a PCB for wave soldering since the alloy melting temperature was high and cooling slow. Of course, again the alloy type will dictate here.

If you re-heat a test joint then the melting point for tin-lead is lower than solder-alloy. Experience will allow you to identify types. Again, you can use manufacture references to identify. 'MSDS' can/should provide this data.

You can sometimes use the manufacture dates on the PCB to potentially identify solder type if the 'MSDS' is not available. I believe the turning point was in the early to mid 80s'. Testing 'alloy' started in the early 70s'. Some advantages for 'alloy solder' is the higher melting point. Most consumer products do use 'alloy(Sn60, ASTM60A, ASTM60B)' or for common electronics uses then 'alloy' (Sn63, ASTM63A, ASTM63B) to meet industry standards to have lead free products. I really do not know of too many people who put a PCB in their mouth but 'Stupid is as stupid does'. Boy, I love that movie!
Really the problem is if the device fails and the joints melt then producing gasses that are potential carriers.

"Life's tough...It's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne

HTH!

The fumes of heated lead and lead-free solder can also be a health issue. Glad it was posted to wear safety glasses above. Assume all controls are to be used. The device you are soldering to may have lead. Again lead free isn't safe to breath or eat either.

Surprised they didn't offer correct soldering iron temperature ranges. More heat is not better.

My radio shack soldering iron 15-30 watts would not heat up joints on the circuit board enough to remove but it does melt solder that's from the spool.

That is why a better soldering station is used by people who do this for a living. They don't rely on watts, they rely on both their training and the stations ability to set temperatures for the task.
Simple things can also reduce the heat at the tip. I had to solder a wire in the middle of winter on top of a ship in Japan. I never could get enough heat to melt the solder as it was so cold outside and the wind was blowing like 50MPH. I guess extension cord also played a part but I tested it before I climbed the mast. Darn shame I had to do that in the PI. It was warm enough there.

Lead-free solder is best done in an oxygen free environment. The lead-free solder tends to oxidize much faster than the lead-based solder. This is what causes the 'wetting' issue.

From a training video I saw from PACE, their lead-free solder rework stations has a small built-in nitrogen generator that generates the nitrogen gas from the surrounding air. The gas is applied over the joint to be soldered via a small nozzle in close proximity to the solder tip. This displaces the air and prevents the oxidation problem. This elimimates or greatly reduces the problem of proper wetting during the soldering process.

This is in no way an endorsement of, or an advertisement for PACE, but IMHO, they make the best damn solder rework stations around. And I've used quite a few others over the last 30 years or so.

I ended up taking the other soldering iron back & getting a 40 watt got the part off now I just have to cleanup some of the solder in the holes & put the new part on.

Wow! There's one for the Health and Safety Directorate! Either you use the old multicore resin (rosin) solder which works great but may possibly cause you to die a horrible death from inhaling the fumes, or you use leadless solder in an oxygen free environment and risk a horrible death from asphyxiation!! :D
The Whole World's gone mad!

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Member Response
 

Hi,

You can use a SolderPult from Radio Shack. Simple device that creates a vacuum via a plunger that is spring loaded. You reheat to wet the solder for component or through hole then when you place the solderpult on the opposite side of the reheated hole, you activate the solderpult via the trigger then the hole is cleared. Same for a component lead. If you are wanting to change a DIP then use a micro-snip to cut each lead then reheat the pin with the solderpult over the pin then active so the solder and pin are sucked into the cylinder.

HTH!

I finally got the holes cleared & the jack installed, even the 40 watt iron barely melted the solder.
If I was desoldering copper pipe I would've just put flux on it, as the flux makes it easier to melt, but I wasn't sure if I should use that technique on a pc-board. All in all I think that the irons & bulb were too cheap.

With out flux you can't really do this.
And it does not matter you are taking out or putting in the parts.
To heat up a DC jack a 50W soldering iron should do the trick.
The flux wont hurt the PCB board at all. It used in electronic repair factories too.

To clean a PCB board just heat up the connector and take an old tooth brush and clean the solder off. (don't leave the solder on it, otherwise it will cause a short cut)
Then you can take out easily the old DC connector.

If you ever had a good old Abit motherboard then you should know how to change the creepy/cheap capacitors on it next to the CPU.
But it happens to be this is my original line, so I know how to do soldering.

Member Response
 

Hi,
Sometimes you will need to add solder to a joint/hole to properly clear it. To much heat and you can damage the through hole/PCB.

Copper pipe & PCB work are handled differently. You are not going to damage the pipe with too much heat. You can lift a pad or damage a hole with too much heat. Once you have used a temp controlled iron on job/task then you will wonder why you had not done it the easier way to begin with. Even the cheaper temp controlled irons are better than one that is not controlled. I do not like a solder bulb, I would use wick if A solder suck is not available.

Just remember that you will sometimes need to apply additional solder to get a good wet for solder removal.

I keep a couple of rolls of this solder around. It is good for everything from electronics to repairing stainless steel cracks on motorcycle fenders even.

I have no connection with this product vendor. Just letting you know of some neat solder rolls.

http://cmjeler.ro/ro/shop/viewfamily...d=242&type=Ind

Looks like you can get it in the UK. I bought mine back in El Paso Tx. I bought their welding rod and wire welding spools also. It's good stuff, but not cheap though.

This solder is very strong and good for heavy solder connections requiring strength. Melt temp is not high either.

Full Data Sheet PDF

Nah! you heat the snipped pin and remove each separately with needle nosed tweezers THEN you use the solderpult to suck the hole clear. I've done it a thousand times with 7400 and 5400 series ICs way back in the 60's/70's Ah... fond memories... :)

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Member Response
 

Hi,
Each to his/her own. I have been using my method for years. Less heat & clean hole. At least for me! :)

If tis were my thread I would mark it as solved.
I repaired my dc/jack got my ac/adapter now it's charging like it's supposed to.
Thanks for all of your help.
GOT MY ACER BACK ONLINE!!

Member Response
 

Hi,

Glad to hear that the thread/information has helped to solve your issue(s). I am sure there are other members who have contributions or techniques that will expand on this subject thus helping.

Most users do not realize that to solder a joint and component is to provide the best possible electrical connection to allow good flow of the electrons. There are some mechanical bonds but electrical bond is the primary goal to provide a good electrical connection. Over time, depending on environmental conditions the bond can be broken by vibration or mechanical movement of the component(s) thus causing the circuit to malfunction due to the break in electrical bond.

Soldering is a artisan skill and improvement over time by repetition or practice. Once you learn to solder then the more you do solder the better you get.

“A tool is but the extension of a man's hand and a machine is but a complex tool. He that invents a machine augments the power of man and the well being of mankind.” - Henry Ward Beecher

“Man is a tool-using animal.”- Carlyle

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”- Elbert Hubbard

“Men have become the tools of their tools”- Thoreau, Walden

I was taught that you shouldn't apply heat for more than a second or you could damage the device (That's a semiconductor device; Transistor, diode, IC...)Works for me.

Then again, my instructor said you should be able to heat up your soldering iron, unplug it, run 100 yards in the pouring rain to an aircraft on the tarmack and make a perfect joint to repair its inertial navigation system (Pre GPS navigation using Gyros!) :D

Maybe he was exagerating just a tiny bit...

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Member Response
 

Hi,

I agree that one should be careful when soldering a new device in place. I use heat sink devices to protect the device while soldering.

I can imagine the scenario you presented above. :)

I also forgot to mention that while performing surgery I was able to clean the fins on cooler & fan & the laptop doesn't get hot anymore.

Member Response
 

Hi,

Talk about multitasking. :)
Was that robotic surgery that allowed you to work on the body while performing laptop maintenance? :)

I couldn't help myself. :D

All I know was that the start of this thread was well timed, you must be psychic .

You're not supposed to run with soldering iron.

@buccaneere
I was told this in 1969! Before the invention of Health and Safety laws! I could also make perfect solder joints using resin multicore solder before they black listed it as well! :D It's a wonder anything gets done these days! :doh:

Play Bonny! :hattip:

Member Response
 

Hi,
I made purchase of several different grades of solder before the ban. Still have spools of mutli-core, single-core different AWG to meet my needs for years to come. Really do not like using the lead free solder unless required too. Not doing certified repairs or designs lately. Too much on my platter at this time. :)

I have 2 power supplys that went bad 1 of them is a raidmax rx-500s & was looking for schematics to try & repair but can't find anything on line, not sure if my search was good enough.
I tried searching fo "raidmax rx-500s schematics" & "raidmax rx-500s trouble shooting" & have found nothing.

Member Response
 

Hi,

Look at: 300W ATX switching power supply

General schematic that should help you trace or get idea of general specs for comparison. Of course layout will be different but the overall schematic for a generic PSU are the same principles.