Share tips you have come across

larryd:
Came across this technique while back, I do like it for adding things to PCBs.

Please explain. What type of pads are used for the components?

larryd:

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Why should I always use distilled water on my soldering sponge ?

RudiAhlers:
Why should I always use distilled water on my soldering sponge ?

As non-distilled water evaporates, it leaves behind all the minerals dissolved in the water. It does not take many cycles of this to create a buildup on the sponge giving it a crust that decreases the cleaning effect.

If you run a dehumidifier or window air conditioner, you have a free source of distilled water.

vinceherman:
As non-distilled water evaporates, it leaves behind all the minerals dissolved in the water. It does not take many cycles of this to create a buildup on the sponge giving it a crust that decreases the cleaning effect.

If you run a dehumidifier or window air conditioner, you have a free source of distilled water.

Or a tumble drier.

RudiAhlers:
Please explain. What type of pads are used for the components?

That circuit layout uses SQUARE PCB segments, from single sided FR4 material, for the pads.
See this web site:
http://www.qrpme.com/?p=product&id=MEP

You can make your own pads by cutting segments of copper clad board at appropriate sizes, tin snips work for this.
Here I used a hole punch, it produces round plugs.
Glue the plugs in place, after the glue dries, solder components to the plugs/pads.

Here I routed a generic pattern to copper clad material.

You create a ground plane with the solid copper board that the plugs/pads are glued to.

As mentioned above.

Also, regular water contains salts and corrosives.
The heat from the iron's tip makes these attacked the metal.

The damp sponge soon has enough buildup to make the concentrations very high.

Distilled water is only water, no salts . . .
No dissolved salts will mix with your melted solder connections.

Your sponge will last longer also.

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Note: Purified water is NOT distilled. It has just had the living stuff in it killed. You need to use either steam distilled or reverse-osmosis filtered water.

Just get a gallon of the stuff meant for steam irons.

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polymorph:
Just get a gallon of the stuff meant for steam irons.

haha. In my country it's called "tap water" :wink:

But I get the picture.

I'm building an inclinometer based on the measurement of the capacitance between several electrodes in a high dielectric constant fluid. Deionised water at Er ~ 71 would do, though an old chemist friend of mine pointed out that HCN would be better - Er of ~120.

Bit of a low boiling point, I replied, apart from other minor problems....

Allan

Bit of an Agatha Christie solution.. :o
(Pun intended..)

An old cyanide chemist? I don't believe it!

Rather worse than that - his specialism was nerve agents when he lectured at Cambridge, and examined candidates for PhD's at Porton Down.

He's in his late 70's now, and seems pretty fit.....

So an old CAREFUL chemist.

One of the cleverest men I've ever met, and a fine pianist as well.

Allan

Fixed it for you...

allanhurst:
So an old CAREFUL LUCKY chemist.

When I was young my father had me cleaning pipettes. He had me sucking chromic acid into them like a kid uses a soda straw. Being a curious young lad, after I had finished, I asked, "What would happen if I sucked some of that into my mouth?" He replied, "I cannot get you to the hospital fast enough to save your life. So don't do that."

RudiAhlers:
haha. In my country it's called "tap water" :wink:

But I get the picture.

Only if you like your iron crusty with minerals. Snerk.

Hi,
I had to replace a SOIC TL074 today that was situated in the middle of a 28pin DIL socket, it was the buffer amp for the 4ch DAC IC that plugs into the DIP socket.

A bit confined getting the SOIC in position.
I had used my pick-up magnet to pull the pins, that when I cut off the old SOIC, had to float off the solder pads.

The IC had just enough metal in it for the pick-up magnet to hold the IC and become a put-down magnet.
magres.jpg

Tom.... :slight_smile:

magres.jpg

Careful :wink:

An aluminum channel can be used to mount all kinds of motors, solenoids etc.
If your work piece has a parallel body, this technique can be used.
These channels come in different dimensions; select the appropriate size for mounting.
You need a hose clamp to compress the work against the edges of the channel.
Make two slots in the aluminum, the width of the hose clamp, see the image below.
Your work is clamped as seen, two clamps maybe need, one is often enough.
The channel can be attached to a secondary surface using screws.
Tools such as a Foredom handpiece or other hand held rotary cutters are held securely, freeing up both hands.
You can tune your item’s position by sliding it on the channel, then tighten the clamp.
All it takes to remove your work is a screwdriver or a hex socket/wrench.

Two.jpg

The aluminum channel can also be an anchor point for other hardware such as gears, pulleys, sensors etc.

Do you have a sneaky easy way to cut those slots?

I'd use a Dremel then clean up with a small file....

Allan