Modular Synth Panels

I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
under-reviewed topic.

From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:

PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
Alcohol

Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning

Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip

Temp: 700F

Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?

Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?

Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided PCB vs bottom?

Dwell time?

I work with my iron hot, above 700. I find fast and
precise is best, and I rotate component legs. Not only
does this allow for cooling time, it also allows for
me to flip the board and align any crooked parts
before soldering the last leg. This works really well
with Box caps and power connectors for example.

No clean flows much better for me with a hotter iron.
But, you have to be careful not to work with too hot
an iron. You can literally boil the solder which will
leave bubbles in your joint and a less secure
connection. The finish of the solder will not look
like chrome with these types of problems. It can
almost look tarnished or milky. Anyone else have this
problem?

Thomas

--- Steve <steve@...> wrote:

> I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its
> a much
> under-reviewed topic.
>
> From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my
> own knowledge from
> my checkered soldering past I've come to the
> following technique:
>
> PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray
> pure Isopropol
> Alcohol
>
> Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
>
> Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1"
> conical tip
>
> Temp: 700F
>
> Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
>
> Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
>
> Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual
> sided PCB vs bottom?
>
> Dwell time?
>
>
>

Thomas White
Natural Rhythm
www.naturalrhythmmusic.com

Tip temperature is idling temperature, the temperature of the tip in air
before it's applied to the work. As soon as you apply the tip, heat
begins to transfer to the joint and the controlled station will try to
maintain that. The idling temperature is chosen for the size of the
work and 700F is recommended for small PC board work. You could use 750
for jacks, etc., that have a larger area, but I normally stick with 700
for everything. The objective is to heat the work so that the solder
flows properly. I don't see an advantage in using a higher temp. Jack
lugs just take a few seconds to heat, and the jack isn't damaged. Some
hints and tips:

Keep the tip tinned well. I tin the tip every time I remove it from the
holder.
To tin, first clean the tip on the damp sponge, then coat with solder,
then tap lightly on the tray to shake off excess.
You should apply the tip to the work within a second or two after tinning.
The tip should touch all parts to be soldered at once.
Apply solder to the work, not to the tip, after heating the work. Let
the work melt the solder. It must flow freely.
As soon as the solder flows, remove the tip. The joint should be shiny
and have no bubbles.
Use a jig to hold the work in place, if you can.

Don't hesitate to redo a bad joint. Clean up with solder wick and start
over.

Kester 331 is water washable, so why use alcohol? Use an old toothbrush
and get all the flux off. You can immerse most PC mounted parts except
non-sealed trimpots.

As for soldering from the top, I generally avoid it. It can be done
when you want to make a repair and don't want to disassemble a module to
reach the back of the PC board (which is an advantage of the Oakley
mounting system: you can always get to the back).

Richard Brewster
http://www.pugix.com


Steve wrote:

> I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
> under-reviewed topic.
>
> >From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
> my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:
>
> PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
> Alcohol
>
> Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
>
> Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip
>
> Temp: 700F
>
> Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
>
> Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
>
> Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided PCB vs bottom?
>
> Dwell time?
>
>

I seriously doubt that my techniques are optimal, but they generate great results. One day
perhaps I will be able to buy a soldering "station", but in the meantime I'm using a weller
WP35 iron, with the ST1 tips (which are cleverly designed to last a long time but not as
long as one would like, but are available cheaply at digikey). I use the kester 331 for most
stuff, just washed with hot water and an old toothbrush. Kester 245 for anything thats not
washable.

I used a rat shack 25 watt iron for the first 2 years I was building. The only real problem
with it was that the tips that fit it only lasted 8-12 hours on-time. The weller tips last
considerably longer.

Solder from the back (non-component) side, leads clipped after soldering - no need to get
too anal about all this. Works. 5 years, and all modules constructed this way working
perfectly - never had a problem with a bad solder.

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <steve@...> wrote:
>
> I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
> under-reviewed topic.
>
> From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
> my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:
>
> PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
> Alcohol
>
> Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
>
> Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip
>
> Temp: 700F
>
> Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
>
> Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
>
> Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided PCB vs bottom?
>
> Dwell time?
>

For people using an iron like this, wiring a cheap lamp dimmer in series can
do a lot to extend your tip life.

Try out different settings and then calibrate with a Sharpie or a piece of
duct tape.

Dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of sduck409
> Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 7:52 PM
> To: ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [ModularSynthPanels] Re: on soldering
>
> I seriously doubt that my techniques are optimal, but they
> generate great results. One day
> perhaps I will be able to buy a soldering "station", but in
> the meantime I'm using a weller
> WP35 iron, with the ST1 tips (which are cleverly designed to
> last a long time but not as
> long as one would like, but are available cheaply at
> digikey). I use the kester 331 for most
> stuff, just washed with hot water and an old toothbrush.
> Kester 245 for anything thats not
> washable.
>
> I used a rat shack 25 watt iron for the first 2 years I was
> building. The only real problem
> with it was that the tips that fit it only lasted 8-12 hours
> on-time. The weller tips last
> considerably longer.
>
> Solder from the back (non-component) side, leads clipped
> after soldering - no need to get
> too anal about all this. Works. 5 years, and all modules
> constructed this way working
> perfectly - never had a problem with a bad solder.
>
>
> --- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <steve@...> wrote:
> >
> > I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
> > under-reviewed topic.
> >
> > From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
> > my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:
> >
> > PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
> > Alcohol
> >
> > Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
> >
> > Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip
> >
> > Temp: 700F
> >
> > Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
> >
> > Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
> >
> > Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided
> PCB vs bottom?
> >
> > Dwell time?
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I use a GC Electronics Model 12-070 Temperature Controlled Soldering
Station. It is about 30 years old and no longer available, although the
XYtronic 168-3C is a close match.

http://www.xytronic-usa.com/168_index.htm

I found it interesting that I was able to build my entire MOTM
synthesizer over the past six years without having to change the tip!

Richard Brewster
http://www.pugix.com

sduck409 wrote:

> I seriously doubt that my techniques are optimal, but they generate great results. One day
> perhaps I will be able to buy a soldering "station", but in the meantime I'm using a weller
> WP35 iron, with the ST1 tips (which are cleverly designed to last a long time but not as
> long as one would like, but are available cheaply at digikey). I use the kester 331 for most
> stuff, just washed with hot water and an old toothbrush. Kester 245 for anything thats not
> washable.
>
> I used a rat shack 25 watt iron for the first 2 years I was building. The only real problem
> with it was that the tips that fit it only lasted 8-12 hours on-time. The weller tips last
> considerably longer.
>
> Solder from the back (non-component) side, leads clipped after soldering - no need to get
> too anal about all this. Works. 5 years, and all modules constructed this way working
> perfectly - never had a problem with a bad solder.
>
>
> --- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <steve@...> wrote:
>
>> I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
>> under-reviewed topic.
>>
>> From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
>> my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:
>>
>> PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
>> Alcohol
>>
>> Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
>>
>> Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip
>>
>> Temp: 700F
>>
>> Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
>>
>> Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
>>
>> Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided PCB vs bottom?
>>
>> Dwell time?
>>
>>

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "John L Rice" <Drummer@...>
wrote:

>
> I'm really up in the air now about iron temperature. I don't

remember why I

> used 750 when I recently built 3 MOTM kits but it seemed to work

well and

> the modules work perfect. Then I read someone's post on Muff Wigglers
> forum, I think it was Flight, that was saying 550 was optimal for

circuit

> board work. So I thought CRAP, maybe I was endangering the heat

sensitive

> components. Then I read some people are using 700 to 750 so . . .maybe I
> wasn't crazy/ignorant or?????
>
>
>
> John L Rice

Yep, that was me. I use 550F when hand-soldering *SMD* though, since
I'm so close to the die. I also use 550 when soldering wires onto mini
& sub-mini switches since their datasheets usually specify max
wave-solder at 550F for 5sec & I got tired of melting the cases. For
through-hole, I use 600F. However, I also use Kester "44" leaded
solder. As long as cars use lead-acid batteries (ever thought about
the massive batteries in the electric cars that are "the future"?), no
ROHS here.

I use alcohol because I'm afraid of the minerals from water being left
behind and shortening the lifespan of everything- and of water getting
trapped in places...

Speaking of rinsing, how do people feel about washing after adding
capacitors?

FYI I'll summarize all the input on techniques and put up on
http://modularland.com in a tech section soon... Modularland is my studio.

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, Richard Brewster
<pugix@...> wrote:

>
> Tip temperature is idling temperature, the temperature of the tip in

air

> before it's applied to the work. As soon as you apply the tip, heat
> begins to transfer to the joint and the controlled station will try to
> maintain that. The idling temperature is chosen for the size of the
> work and 700F is recommended for small PC board work. You could use

750

> for jacks, etc., that have a larger area, but I normally stick with 700
> for everything. The objective is to heat the work so that the solder
> flows properly. I don't see an advantage in using a higher temp. Jack
> lugs just take a few seconds to heat, and the jack isn't damaged. Some
> hints and tips:
>
> Keep the tip tinned well. I tin the tip every time I remove it from

the

> holder.
> To tin, first clean the tip on the damp sponge, then coat with solder,
> then tap lightly on the tray to shake off excess.
> You should apply the tip to the work within a second or two after

tinning.

> The tip should touch all parts to be soldered at once.
> Apply solder to the work, not to the tip, after heating the work. Let
> the work melt the solder. It must flow freely.
> As soon as the solder flows, remove the tip. The joint should be shiny
> and have no bubbles.
> Use a jig to hold the work in place, if you can.
>
> Don't hesitate to redo a bad joint. Clean up with solder wick and

start

> over.
>
> Kester 331 is water washable, so why use alcohol? Use an old

toothbrush

> and get all the flux off. You can immerse most PC mounted parts except
> non-sealed trimpots.
>
> As for soldering from the top, I generally avoid it. It can be done
> when you want to make a repair and don't want to disassemble a

module to

> reach the back of the PC board (which is an advantage of the Oakley
> mounting system: you can always get to the back).
>
> Richard Brewster
> http://www.pugix.com
>
>
> Steve wrote:
> > I'm glad people started talking about soldering- its a much
> > under-reviewed topic.
> >
> > >From discussion with Paul Schreiber as well as my own knowledge from
> > my checkered soldering past I've come to the following technique:
> >
> > PCBs: Kester 331 Organic- and washing with Techspray pure Isopropol
> > Alcohol
> >
> > Pots and jacks: Kester 245 No Clean - no cleaning
> >
> > Soldering Station: Weller WES-51 iron with an ETS 1" conical tip
> >
> > Temp: 700F
> >
> > Was it suit and Tie Guy that said he works at 750F?
> >
> > Anyone else want to suggest optimal technique?
> >
> > Any opinions on soldering from the TOP of the dual sided PCB vs

bottom?

> >
> > Dwell time?
> >
> >
>

Is there a reason why you wouldn't use no clean solder for a whole project?

-=john

On Dec 24, 2008, at 9:11 PM, John Audette wrote:

> Is there a reason why you wouldn't use no clean solder for a whole
> project?
>
> -=john

Well... you could, but it simply doesn't look as nice since the flux
is left on the PCB. I use water washable where I can on Synthasonic
products just so that it looks as nice as possible, but for stuff for
me, I'll either use all no clean or rosin core (still my favorite all
these years later). I dunno... personally, I'd rather make music than
look at the PCB, but there are always a few folks out there to whom it
*really* matters. Plus, I like to be as neat as I can with my
products, so there you have it...

:-)

Sam E.

Regarding mineral deposits, I took a tip from the Blacet assembly
instruction manuals and use distilled water from a bottle for the final
rinse (after I'm done brushing with the warm water).

Water isn't going to stay trapped for long. It evaporates! I put
washed boards under my warm work light for an hour or so before continuing.

Whether to solder capacitors before washing depends on the type. Mylar
and polyester caps are no problem. I leave polypropylene and
polystyrene for after the washing. As for electrolytic capacitors, they
are sealed well enough, but there is a question of whether flux would be
trapped underneath radials and not get fully washed. The Synthesis
Technology (MOTM) kit manuals at first did say to install the
electrolytic caps prior to washing, but then some of the later manuals
were the opposite and said to install them after washing with no-clean
solder.

The only problem I have actually noticed from inadequate washing was on
some transistor leads that I didn't sufficiently brush when water
washing. Over time they built up a bit of visible crust that must have
been from the organic flux. (Of course, I can't see under the radial
electrolytic caps. So I'd recommend using no-clean for them.)

Richard Brewster
http://www.pugix.com

Steve wrote:

> I use alcohol because I'm afraid of the minerals from water being left
> behind and shortening the lifespan of everything- and of water getting
> trapped in places...
>
> Speaking of rinsing, how do people feel about washing after adding
> capacitors?
>
> FYI I'll summarize all the input on techniques and put up on
> http://modularland.com in a tech section soon... Modularland is my studio.
>
> --- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, Richard Brewster
> <pugix@...> wrote:
>
>> Kester 331 is water washable, so why use alcohol?
>>

Another reason not to use no clean solder everywhere: If you end up
with a solder bridge somewhere, or if the PCB has short somewhere
because all of the copper didn't etch properly, then the flux residue
makes it very difficult to visually examine the board for the defects.

--
John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com


Sam Ecoff wrote:

> On Dec 24, 2008, at 9:11 PM, John Audette wrote:
>
>
>> Is there a reason why you wouldn't use no clean solder for a whole
>> project?
>>
>> -=john
>>
>
> Well... you could, but it simply doesn't look as nice since the flux
> is left on the PCB. I use water washable where I can on Synthasonic
> products just so that it looks as nice as possible, but for stuff for
> me, I'll either use all no clean or rosin core (still my favorite all
> these years later). I dunno... personally, I'd rather make music than
> look at the PCB, but there are always a few folks out there to whom it
> *really* matters. Plus, I like to be as neat as I can with my
> products, so there you have it...
>
> :-)
>
> Sam E.
>
>
>

Here's the main thing I'd like advice on with soldering. I've ruined a
few tips so must not be tinning/cleaning correctly. I have a little
container of the Radio Shack tip tinner. What I do is fire up my iron,
dip it in the tinner, wipe the excess off on a damp sponge, solder,
wipe on damp sponge and then dip in tinner. It then sits for a few
seconds while I get the next component ready, I then wipe on damp
sponge, solder, repeat... Eventually parts of my tips have started to
turn black and won't heat up so I have to replace them. 2 things I'm
wondering about are when I'm done soldering I wipe on sponge, tin it
pretty well, then turn the iron off. Should I not tin the tip before
turning off for the night or whatever? Also, the stuff in the tinner
container starts to look pretty nasty, and the way I use it is to
submerge the tip and get it pretty heavily coated - is this correct?
Are you more supposed to wipe along the surface, as you would with a
sponge, and not use the sponge at all?

1) When using leaded solder you should wipe the tip clean before you turn
the iron off. With lead-free you should clean the tip and then flow some
solder on to it and then turn it off.
2) Some users prefer using stranded steel cleaners instead of a damp sponge
as this (a) does not reduce the tip temperature as much and (b) has a better
cleaning action
3) Lead-free solder WILL eat through your tips quicker so be prepared to
replace more often
4) A build up of black residue is through oxidation of the solder and tip.
Regular cleaning during the soldering process should minimize this. If it
becomes excessive then it probably indicates the need for a new tip
5) Look around at the variety of lead-flux mixes. Experiment and find one
that works well for your environment and tools. Aggressive fluxes make
soldering easier but can attack the board, components and iron if not
cleaned properly.
6) You will need to clean your tip during the soldering stage, more often
with lead-free solder although it is good practise to clean every 2 or 3
steps.
7) Don't use a WET sponge, use a damp one and keep topping it up. Too much
water will drop the tip temperature which will cause bad soldering on the
next joint unless you wait for the tip to re-stabilise.
8) There is NO reason why EVERYONE shouldn't be using lead-free solder now!.
It does take a bit more effort to get it going but the correct choice of
solder/flux, tip and good habits usually addresses most problems.

Best Regards

(Mr) Laurie Biddulph
Phone: +61 (0)2 4340 0938
Mobile: 0400 257 645

Elby Designs
ABN: 70 022 727 605
http://www.elby-designs.com

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
for the addressee only.
If you are not the addressee you may not copy, forward, disclose or
otherwise use it, or any part of it, in any form whatsoever. If you have
received this e-mail in error please notify the sender and ensure that all
copies of this e-mail and any files transmitted with it are deleted.
Any views or opinions represented in this e-mail are solely those of the
author and do not necessarily represent those of Elby Designs.
Although this e-mail and its attachments have been scanned for the presence
of computer viruses, Elby Designs will not be liable for any losses as a
result of any viruses being passed on.

Please consider the environment before printing this email

----- Original Message -----
From: "joshdaigleusa" <taviny@...>
To: <ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 5:24 AM
Subject: [ModularSynthPanels] Re: on soldering


> Here's the main thing I'd like advice on with soldering. I've ruined a
> few tips so must not be tinning/cleaning correctly. I have a little
> container of the Radio Shack tip tinner. What I do is fire up my iron,
> dip it in the tinner, wipe the excess off on a damp sponge, solder,
> wipe on damp sponge and then dip in tinner. It then sits for a few
> seconds while I get the next component ready, I then wipe on damp
> sponge, solder, repeat... Eventually parts of my tips have started to
> turn black and won't heat up so I have to replace them. 2 things I'm
> wondering about are when I'm done soldering I wipe on sponge, tin it
> pretty well, then turn the iron off. Should I not tin the tip before
> turning off for the night or whatever? Also, the stuff in the tinner
> container starts to look pretty nasty, and the way I use it is to
> submerge the tip and get it pretty heavily coated - is this correct?
> Are you more supposed to wipe along the surface, as you would with a
> sponge, and not use the sponge at all?
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Thanks!!

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Laurie Biddulph"
<elby_designs@...> wrote:

>
> 1) When using leaded solder you should wipe the tip clean before

you turn

> the iron off. With lead-free you should clean the tip and then flow

some

> solder on to it and then turn it off.
> 2) Some users prefer using stranded steel cleaners instead of a

damp sponge

> as this (a) does not reduce the tip temperature as much and (b) has

a better

> cleaning action
> 3) Lead-free solder WILL eat through your tips quicker so be

prepared to

> replace more often
> 4) A build up of black residue is through oxidation of the solder

and tip.

> Regular cleaning during the soldering process should minimize this.

If it

> becomes excessive then it probably indicates the need for a new tip
> 5) Look around at the variety of lead-flux mixes. Experiment and

find one

> that works well for your environment and tools. Aggressive fluxes

make

> soldering easier but can attack the board, components and iron if

not

> cleaned properly.
> 6) You will need to clean your tip during the soldering stage, more

often

> with lead-free solder although it is good practise to clean every 2

or 3

> steps.
> 7) Don't use a WET sponge, use a damp one and keep topping it up.

Too much

> water will drop the tip temperature which will cause bad soldering

on the

> next joint unless you wait for the tip to re-stabilise.
> 8) There is NO reason why EVERYONE shouldn't be using lead-free

solder now!.

> It does take a bit more effort to get it going but the correct

choice of

> solder/flux, tip and good habits usually addresses most problems.
>
> Best Regards
>
> (Mr) Laurie Biddulph
> Phone: +61 (0)2 4340 0938
> Mobile: 0400 257 645
>
> Elby Designs
> ABN: 70 022 727 605
> http://www.elby-designs.com
>
> This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and

intended

> for the addressee only.
> If you are not the addressee you may not copy, forward, disclose or
> otherwise use it, or any part of it, in any form whatsoever. If you

have

> received this e-mail in error please notify the sender and ensure

that all

> copies of this e-mail and any files transmitted with it are deleted.
> Any views or opinions represented in this e-mail are solely those

of the

> author and do not necessarily represent those of Elby Designs.
> Although this e-mail and its attachments have been scanned for the

presence

> of computer viruses, Elby Designs will not be liable for any losses

as a

> result of any viruses being passed on.
>
> Please consider the environment before printing this email
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "joshdaigleusa" <taviny@...>
> To: <ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 5:24 AM
> Subject: [ModularSynthPanels] Re: on soldering
>
>
> > Here's the main thing I'd like advice on with soldering. I've

ruined a

> > few tips so must not be tinning/cleaning correctly. I have a

little

> > container of the Radio Shack tip tinner. What I do is fire up my

iron,

> > dip it in the tinner, wipe the excess off on a damp sponge,

solder,

> > wipe on damp sponge and then dip in tinner. It then sits for a few
> > seconds while I get the next component ready, I then wipe on damp
> > sponge, solder, repeat... Eventually parts of my tips have

started to

> > turn black and won't heat up so I have to replace them. 2 things

I'm

> > wondering about are when I'm done soldering I wipe on sponge, tin

it

> > pretty well, then turn the iron off. Should I not tin the tip

before

> > turning off for the night or whatever? Also, the stuff in the

tinner

> > container starts to look pretty nasty, and the way I use it is to
> > submerge the tip and get it pretty heavily coated - is this

correct?

> > Are you more supposed to wipe along the surface, as you would

with a

> > sponge, and not use the sponge at all?
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>