Re: Re: PG-380

10/10 Thank you, much appreciated. Regards


On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 8:23 PM, Matt M [email protected]
[midiguitar] <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> Long time lurker here who just wanted to share my soldering experience.
>
> Now as Bob and some others have said...
> Right... use flux & dont be afraid to use plenty of it.
> Besides being a "cleaner" it also aids in heat transfer from the tip of
> your iron to the solder you're trying to flow.
>
> You don't wanna gop it on but use it liberally, spread it all over your
> contacts/pads (where you want the solder to flow).
> Just like with plumbing you want a solid bond without leaks (or when
> dealing with electronics, intermittent connections) so you clean the joint
> to ensure a good bond (cold solder joints can play hell with electronic
> repairs).
>
> You use sand paper to make the joint *physically clean* & the flux
> ensures your bond will be *chemically clean*.
> A little oil from a leaking cap can cause problems with the solder
> sticking properly so that's where the flux is necessary to clean away the
> oil & it also makes the solder flow like a pro (watch some youtube videos
> of soldering IC's by hand).
>
> Since this isn't plumbing sanding shouldn't really be necessary as these
> small boards are usually kept in conditions where oxidation shouldn't be a
> big problem so just a little bit of flux should do just fine (otherwise you
> risk damaging the traces on the board from sanding).
>
> The trick to a good bond is to get your iron up to temp then get in & get
> out.
> Overheating the pad by taking too long can cause the copper trace to lift
> off the board which complicates the repair so if you're new to soldering
> then practice on old electronics till you get the hang of it & your timing
> is where it needs to be.
>
> I get alotta boards out of TV's, stereo's, computers, etc from a junk man
> friend of mine to experiment with.
> He says you can find electronic stuff in the trash just about anywhere.
> I have re-purposed lots of it (buttons, switches, potentiometers, film
> caps, etc) & have modded many guitar pedals & stuff with all the junk he
> brings me. I guess I'm doing my part to be "green" & recycle.
>
> It's important to get comfortable reflowing solder around transformers &
> other components to get a feel for your equipment & what sorta time is
> involved before jumping in both feet first & trashing your board. Once you
> do that most all mods & repairs will be a breeze to do.
>
> A problem I have noticed when I hear about solder not flowing for people
> is that most people don't ever re-tin their tip & that can cause heat
> transfer issues as well.
> Stop in your nearby electronics shop, they'll have tip tinner & get the
> proper solder (using plumbing solder is like trying to thread a needle with
> a rope, it's too big).
> Grab a "kester pocket pack" of solder or equivalent.
> Most electronic solder should be around .75mm (.031") - 1.0mm (.040") in
> diameter & be like 60/40% Tin/Lead.
> I use "Kester 44" which is 1.0mm (.040") diameter & is 66/44 Tin/Lead.
> It's like $14usd for a 1lb roll & flows well.
> So... Grab some solder, some size 2 desoldering wick (if you don't have a
> desoldering bulb or vacuum pump for removing excess solder) & a small can
> of "tip tinner", it's like a compound that prepares your tip if its caked
> up with carbon.
> Along with tinning the tip of your iron you should also have a damp sponge
> at your station as well to remove excess solder from the tip of your iron.
>
> Heat your iron till it's up to temp, then stick it in the tinner. Wipe it
> clean on the damp sponge & your iron is ready to go.
> If you've already removed the existing caps then flux the pads on the
> board, place the desoldering wick on the pad then apply heat with your
> iron. The flux will melt first then the solder should liquefy quickly after
> then get absorbed into the wick. Remove the iron & wick while it's still
> hot to prevent the wick from sticking to the board.
> Now apply flux on "both" the new cap & the pad on the board.
> place the cap (in the correct polarity) on the board & touch the iron to
> each solder joint. It should bond quickly if prepped properly.
> Usually there's enough solder left on the pads when removing/replacing
> existing components but In some cases a small dab of solder is necessary.
> You should only need to "tin" components when they're new, like a new
> board or bare wire.
>
> Replace any other leaking caps or defective parts in the same manner.
>
> If you were patient & careful you should now have a working board again.
>
> Now that's just my opinion & it may vary from others but I've always had
> good experiences using the above methods.
> Hope it will help some of you guys & if you need me to clarify anything or
> have further questions just holler & I'll answer to the best of my
> ability...
>
> Matt
>
> 
>