🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:59:32 -0700, Smitty Two <prestwhich@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>In article <ob7vb5hbtk1jft1ju767hq0k8ofnjo23dc@4ax.com>,
> Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:
>
>> Yet, all the boards in my collection are quite straight.  That
>> demonstrates that it can be done.  I'm not sure what you're doing
>> that's wrong, but I agree with others that suggest you're using far to
>> much solder and heat.  Smaller parts, less solder, and less heat will
>> help.
>> 
>> Incidentally, when I say less heat, I don't mean less temperature.  I
>> use the hottest iron tip I can get away with, and work fast.  That
>> minimizes the energy transfered to the solder joint and therefore
>> reduces the heat affected zone.
>
>I think one problem is that this is a home made board. The holes are 
>likely too large for the components (because most people don't have very 
>small drills on hand or even the drill chuck to hold them) and obviously 
>they aren't plated through. That can make it necessary to glob on the 
>solder.

  Good observation. The lead size, and hole size and even the annular
ring width all inter-relate if one is to produce minimalist 'NASA' style
soldering results.

>As far as temperature, I agree with you. I've never found a need to 
>solder anything at less than 800F. Smaller parts just require shorter 
>dwell time.

  This one is off the mark.  Perhaps you meant "at MORE than 800�F"
That would certainly be an upper max for me, and it is quite easy to
solder at much lower temperatures.  Well over a 100 degree differential,
and that is significant.

>I have no idea why the OP is using such thin stock, though. It looks 
>like he'd have room for something as robust as .050".

  He could make little SMD circuits that he places on Silica wafers, and
then place those wafers on the substrate with epoxy, and wire the
sections together.

  I used to use 0.020 wafers up to 2 x 2 inches to make little smd proto
circuits on.  I have glued smd parts on, and hand wired point-to-point
the nodes between the parts.  I have also 'dead bug' glued thru-hole 8
pin dips onto it and wired those nodes with hook-up wire. The leads were
shortened, of course.

  That sounds like a good proto build solution, but to make a production
run would require a different decision.