Homebrew PCBs

Hi Leon,

>
> > Any ideas on how to solve this, without purchasing more chemicals or
> > equipment, would be most appreciated.
>
> If you use turned-pin sockets, you can just about solder the pins on the
top
> and bottom if you raise them slightly.

This I wish I could do, unfortunately the sockets I have a gazillion of
isn't turned-pin.  Next time I go buy sockets, I will have to keep this in
mind, its a good point.

>
> You might be able to put thin wire down the holes next to the pins, and
use
> that for the through-board connection. Tricky, but I've heard of people
> doing it.

Lol, this was one of the last things I tried last night before I had hosed
the board - I didn't have enough thin wire to do what I needed =(.  I was
using some spare wire-wrap wire I had laying around.

>
> Or, you could design your boards so that a via is used for the
through-board
> connection (the ICs should just have pads on the bottom layer) instead of
> the pins, then connect the top and bottom pads of the vias with wire. I
can
> do this quite easily with the PCB software I use (Pulsonix).

I think I may have to do this and just re-design the board to accomodate
this. At least while I'm at it, I can fix other issues in the board as well
that would cause me a problem should I ever want to send it to a production
house.

I did have one last idea that actually worked fairly well - my only problem
was I put too much on - was using my SMT re-work hot air iron with some
solder paste.  I was obviously too tired last night when I got the idea and
I ended up putting too much solder paste on shorting some of the pins in the
process of removing I destroyed the board (too much re-work on the pads
figuring out solutions caused the pads to lift).  But I do think that the
solder paste would have worked.  it did definitly connect the top pads to
the pins of the socket.  But just the same, I think I'm going to go and
re-work the board.

-Tony