[sdiy] Starting with SMT hand-soldering

[Dave Manley]

Another technique for removing small components with a single iron is to ADD solder to both ends and quickly move the iron back and forth between the ends.  With enough (not that much really) solder on each end, the solder won't have time to cool and you can gently push the component off the pads to where (as Harry says) it can't stick back again.

Nobody has mentioned reworking SMT, but you can also 'tombstone' components where one end of the component is soldered down and the other end sticks up in the air like a tombstone, where you can then attach wires, or other components.  It may be a little fragile if you try to stack things too high.

-Dave


 On Fri 10/10/29  9:03 AM , "Harry Bissell" harrybissell at wowway.com sent:
> In my case, its the latter (mad two handed technique) I use an iron in each
> hand to heat bothsides of the component at the same time and lift it off the board, or shove
> it where it can't stick back again. I also (sometimes) use two irons to
> 'reflow' two component pads and center an errant component.
> I also use solder wick to remove bridges and excess solder from packages
> too fine to solderwith any reasonable size tip...
> 
> H^) harry
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Adam Schabtach <lists@
> studionebula.com>To: 'Synth DIY' <s
> ynth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>Sent: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:19:26 -0400 (EDT)
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Starting with SMT hand-soldering
> 
> > 1) A couple of you mentioned multiple irons - is
> that for a variety oftips
> > or is there some mad two handed soldering
> technique you've got going. No -> I'm serious.
> 
> I considered trying some mad two-handed method, but I have only one
> goodsoldering iron. This is the most inexpensive rework tool I've found on
> themarket (which isn't to say that I did an exhaustive search):
> http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_1
> 0001_224629_-1
> They're not great but they do work. They're fine for removing 0805 and
> 1206resistors and caps. (I tend to use 1206 because I have middle-aged eyes
> and1206 is large enough that I can do most work without a magnifier. I use
> 0805for decoupling caps since the smaller package is easier to place close
> tothe power leg of a chip.) The broad tips work fairly well for removing
> ICs,although it requires a modicum of patience. You hold the tips against all
> ofthe legs of the chip, wait a few seconds, give a little twist to see
> whetherthe solder has melted. Once it does you just lift it off the board. 
> 
> In my experience this tool has only been necessary a couple of times,
> andonce was when I was modifying an audio interface and had to remove a
> wholebunch of 0805 resistors. If you're building stuff and have budgetary
> concerns, a package of Chip-Quik is a more economical approach. I did
> nearlydestroy a PCB by trying to remove a TQFP microcontroller by cutting its
> legs, so personally I shy away from that least-expensive approach. (For
> perspective, the board I nearly destroyed was worth 2x what a package
> ofChip-Quick costs. Also note that the aforementioned hot tweezers won't
> workfor quad packages.)
> 
> > 2) Temperature controlled iron - nice if you've
> got it or vital?
> Vital, but I would say that's true for through-hole work also. I don't use
> afancy SMT rig, though--just a Weller WES51 with several sizes of tips.
> Iused to use a fine chisel-point tip for just about all SMT work, but
> recently I've been using a broader chisel tip for drag-soldering IC
> leads.
> --Adam
> 
> 
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