I soldered today 2 shift registers to my LED cube.
It is soooo delicate, I'm still in shock that I didn't short circuit 2 legs or fried the chip.
Is there a trick to this things ? Or maybe something like breadboard but small for chips ?
How do you do it ?
Thanks
Order DIL packages whenever possible and not SO16 SMD packages.
DIL packages will fit your breadboard.
Stay calm.
Practice.
Practice.
And practice.
How do you do it ?
1- fine tip soldering iron (Weller WP35 or equivilent)
2- solder paste to tin the iron tip
3- liquid flux from a small squeeze bottle
4- put the flux on the pins
5- heat up the joint for several seconds
6- add solder and hold the iron on until the solder flows
My advice is practice on junk components till its boring. Copper builds up an oxide layer which doesn't
let the solder wet it, so clean it to bare metal (you can get fine abrasive pads or wire wool (but remove
all the fragments of wire wool they can short out tracks). Tinned components wet OK since solder is
mainly tin. When soldering copper or multistrand wires tin them first (to tin is to add liquid solder to
coat something).
MarkT:
Tinned components wet OK since solder is mainly tin.
Well, not quite. Tin also oxidises.
What was your issue? Were you trying to solder the parts without a piece of prototyping board or anything?
Small pieces of generic prototyping board are pretty much a must for prototyping. Different people have different favorite types of prototyping board - I like this stuff (I have it made, and sell it):
Similar products are available from other vendors, in a few different varieties - Some have strips of copper running the length of the board connected, and you're expected to cut that trace as needed, some have no connections between the holes (like the green stuff from ebay) , and some are like the ones I showed above.
In terms of technique and equipment, I think the most common issues are:
Crappy non-temperature controlled iron that gets too hot, and cools down when being heavily used. You need at least a basic temp-controlled iron.
I have a Weller 35W WP35 non-temp controlled that works fine and has worked with tips from small to large. I always use flux to the point where if I am out of liquid flux I'll even use Plumber's copper pipe braizing flux by heating up the joint and dabbing the plumber's flux on the joint while it's hot. I have used both temp controlled and single irons like the Weller and even Metcal stations equipped with the Tweezer accessory and I truthfully can't say the Metcal or Weller Temp controlled stations work any better than my Weller WP35 ( I have one at work and one at home). As long as you tin the tips and use liquid flux along with Rosen Core solder (I use Kester 44), I have been able to solder big and small and the performance is so similar , when used properly , that if you asked me which iron I used for some job I would have to stop and think for a moment, in stark contrast to one's memories of using crappy equipment. I would say that general technique and overall experince are as much a part of the overall soldering success where every joint comes out perfect. Sometimes the equipment at work is just not up to the task due to wattage requirements, and I get my 40W Weller or 60W Hako 456 63W iron, either for soldering heavy guage wire or desoldering something. By the same token, having the right equipment doesn't guarantee anything. It is still possible for someone with no experience to pick up a Metcal and butcher some PCB. Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.
I don't no but if you can't solder this may be the wrong hobby to have. Solder is the glue that put's it all together and it's really not that hard to do you just got to spend the time to learn it solder old parts make a mistake fix it but always look over your work before you turn on the power and check for mistakes and all well work out for you.
Soldering is a door that opens up unlimited possibilites. When I first realized I could just make a shopping list, go to Radioshack and Fry's Electronics on Friday and spend all day Saturday turning a brown paper bag of parts into a living breathing circuit, I was hooked. I built so many protoboards that I had to give them away or throw them away eventually because I had too many. I've done engineering prototype circuits so sorta makes the hobby painless for me. And the hobby spills over into my work.
Now I can automate tests if I want to. (test fixture). In a way , you could say it's similar to an auto mechanic being able to help a neighbor or fix their own car. Learning how to excel in soldering is one the best investments of your time, similar to a chef who cooks for friends for practice.
DrAzzy:
What was your issue? Were you trying to solder the parts without a piece of prototyping board or anything?Small pieces of generic prototyping board are pretty much a must for prototyping. Different people have different favorite types of prototyping board - I like this stuff (I have it made, and sell it):
I sell these on Tindie - I have smaller ones tooSimilar products are available from other vendors, in a few different varieties - Some have strips of copper running the length of the board connected, and you're expected to cut that trace as needed, some have no connections between the holes (like the green stuff from ebay) , and some are like the ones I showed above.
In terms of technique and equipment, I think the most common issues are:
- Crappy non-temperature controlled iron that gets too hot, and cools down when being heavily used. You need at least a basic temp-controlled iron.
- Not knowing that solder won't wet the wire/metal well unless you melt the solder for the first time right on the wire - that "rosin core" of the solder (also what makes the smoke when you melt solder) cleans up the surface so the solder can form a good bond. (flux - the kind designed for electronics, not pipes - can be used, and is very useful for SMD parts, but not normally necessary)
- Using lead-free solder. It's crap, get the tin-lead stuff, it's much, much easier to work with. Don't eat it
I used a prototyping board, but not like yours.
Where can I buy the prototyping that looks like a breadboard, it looks extremely useful for connecting H-bridge, shift registers ...
tautau123:
I used a prototyping board, but not like yours.Where can I buy the prototyping that looks like a breadboard, it looks extremely useful for connecting H-bridge, shift registers ...
You asking about the ones in my picture? https://www.tindie.com/products/DrAzzy/2-x-4-prototypingproject-boards/
I've also seen ones that look exactly like breadboard. I think adafruit sells those in a few styles.
H,
What sort of soldering iron and solder are you using?
Post a picture if possible.
Are you using IC sockets?
Thanks.. Tom.. 
List all your soldering equipment and your procedure. Be specific.
I just have a simple soldering iron with temperature control and a solder wire.
My procedure is to take a drop of soldering wire with the soldering iron and put it where I need it.
Is that specific enough ?
I was taught to heat the joint and apply the solder to the hot joint from the wire. It's to do with an alloying process and creates a good electrical joint. This creates a decent electrical joint as the solder creates an alloy with the component leads at the surface. The method you described will create poor joints, both electrically and mechanically. There is a hell of a lot more to it than that, but this sticks in my mind as my lecturer at university told us this in February.
Aethelstan:
I was taught to heat the joint and apply the solder to the hot joint from the wire. It's to do with an alloying process and creates a good electrical joint. This creates a decent electrical joint as the solder creates an alloy with the component leads at the surface. The method you described will create poor joints, both electrically and mechanically. There is a hell of a lot more to it than that, but this sticks in my mind as my lecturer at university told us this in February.
When I take an LED and put a drop of hot soldering wire on one of the led legs, he heats up instantaneously. he heats up so fast, that when i soldered 64 leds, I've destroyed 8 from over heating.
So preheating the leg of the LED will definitely kill it.
Hi,
The keys are;
We need to see a picture of your iron and roll of solder.
What is the wattage/power of the iron?
How big is the tip?
Hope it helps.. Tom..
tautau123:
My procedure is to take a drop of soldering wire with the soldering iron and put it where I need it.
There's your problem.
By "cooking" the solder on the iron before getting it on the joint, you burn off the flux and it cannnot do it's job and soldering becomes almost impossible. No wonder you are having these problems!
Sparkfun soldering guide (not too good, but gets the basics right)
// Per.
Thanks zapro and tomgeorge, I'll read your tips.
But still, If I'll preheat things they will get damaged.
Just to clarify
The thing that do the smoke when I touch the solder is some kind of "glue" that should allow the solder wire to connect better ?
