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Electronics-Lab blog recently mentioned a Surface Mount Soldering Guide available at Curious Inventor. This guide is very good and includes video demonstrations of soldering many common surface mount parts. Several methods are demonstrated to deal with various package types. If you have been shying away from SMT parts take a look at this guide.
Surface Mount Soldering Aids - [Link]
This 9 min. overview video demonstrating Surface Mount Soldering with inexpensive equipment. Includes soldering of a 603 resistor, PLCC, 44 pin QFP, 208 pin fine-pitch QFP, desoldering using hot air and ChipQuik®, and prototyping with SchmartBoards®
Surface Mount Soldering - [Link]
Ever wonder just how bad soldering fumes are for you or how much lead you’re breathing? As it turns out, the fumes are one of the leading causes of occupational asthma, BUT, there is likely zero lead in the fumes. Lead boils at over 3000 degrees F, and most soldering (should) occurs below 750 degrees F. As it turns out, the more aggressive fluxes used in lead-free solder are actually worse for you. Some more information about solder fumes, what’s in them, regulations, and protecting yourself.
How Bad are Soldering Fumes? - [Link]
Here’s an outstanding surface mount soldering guide from curious inventor -
Surface Mount components, as the name suggests, attach to the surface of boards, not through holes like older components. SMDs (“Surface Mount Devices”) are lighter, cheaper, smaller and can be placed closer together. These factors, among others, mean that the days are numbered for through-hole components with widely spaced leads.
This set of guides will demonstrate (relatively) inexpensive tools and methods for soldering and desoldering SMDs. The first page, Surface Mount Soldering 101, contains a 9 min. video overview. The pages that follow contain more pictures and go into more detail. They also cover some topics not in the video, like hand soldering a QFN chip and using solder paste with a toaster oven. [via]
Surface mount soldering guide - [Link]
The Weller WMRS was specially developed for industrial production applications, rework and repair, and laboratory use. The short distance between the handle and tip allows the utmost precision in handling. The Weller WMRS has a extremely short heat-up time using the WMRP soldering pencil which makes it ready to use right away, even after a tool-free tip change.
The Weller WMRS has a digitally controlled power supply unit which can detect all other electronically controlled Weller soldering tool up to 80W, and automatically sets the optimal control parameters for each.
It has very nice design but unfortunatelly is Discontinued. You may find it in stock.
Weller WMRS - [Link]
One tool for 6 different applications: soldering, melting, hot cutting, welding, shrinking and woodburning (pyrography) Specifications:
- Heat-up time: less than 25 seconds
- Maximum temperature: 550ºC (tip end)
- Recharge time: 10 seconds
- Run time: 90 minutes
DREMEL VersaTip Gas Soldering Iron Torch Kit - [Link]
You have been using the basic soldering tip for years. But do you know how that tip is constructed, and why? We’re here to answer your questions. The soldering tip is made up of a copper core, an iron layer, a chromium layer, the wettable area, and lead-free tinning. Each component of the architecture has it’s own unique purpose and function.
Architecture of a Soldering Tip - [Link]
You need a water bottle to keep your soldering station sponge wet. I made a great soldering station water bottle from, you guessed it, a plastic water bottle. This is no big revelation but it is easy to do and works well. Just drill a small hole in the cap from your next bottled water. Go ahead and drink the precious water first, bottled water is expensive so don’t waste that precious fluid on your soldering sponge. Refill the bottle with tap water and you are good to go.
Lab Tip – Soldering Station Water Bottle - [Link]
Don’t know anything about Embedded Electronics? Start here! Sparkfun has put together a nice lecture collection. Here it is:
Lecture 1 – What’s a microcontroller? Breadboard power supply
Lecture 2 – Loading code and compiler basics
Lecture 3 – Oscillators and fuse bits
Lecture 4 – UART and serial communication
Lecture 5 – AVR GCC and printf compiling
Lecture 6 – Soldering basics
Lecture 7 – SMD soldering Simon!
Lecture 8 – Eagle: Schematics
Lecture 9 – Eagle: PCB layout
Lecture 10 – Eagle: Creating a new part
Common Mistakes – Tips and tricks
The biggest benefit I see when working with pulse soldering iron is speed and effectiveness. Of course when you don’t work, it stays cool this means it saves energy, doesn’t evaporates poisonous steam and there is no risk accidentally to burn yourself. Well this one even has has light source for better view when soldering. If you like to hack things you may try this challenge on building a pulse soldering iron.
This iron may be powered from 220V supply and consumes about 70-100W of power. Efficiency reaches about 50%. Heating time takes 5 seconds while cooling to 50 ºC takes about 15 seconds.
DIY pulse soldering iron - [Link]
