Watching skillful SMT soldering on YouTube fascinates me in a way that helps me understand the ASMR videos that the kids watch these days.
Watching skillful SMT soldering on YouTube fascinates me in a way that helps me understand the ASMR videos that the kids watch these days.
Recommendations?
No particular channels or videos come to mind, but here are a couple good ones (with timestamps to skip the intro fluff):
https://youtu.be/0LSG5uIdqJc?t=190s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUyetZ5RtPs&t=40s
I would not call 2nd video "skillful", that SOIC was molested, not soldered :(
Fair enough, perhaps I'm easily impressed. :)
With the exception of a hot air rework tool, a soldering iron should complete a nice fillet within 3 seconds. Adjustable temperature kits tend to hide the skills needed to work with the thermal mass of the iron itself.
Soldering with an iron:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvl_KYif9zA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXugDd0xik
Drag soldering with a hoof tip iron:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUyetZ5RtPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyele3CIs-U
Hot air techniques (mid size QFN, soic, and other SMD):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v58m-S35s24
Recommended equipment:
WE1010EDU for fine and medium work (remember the 3 second fillet rule)
https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WE1010EDU-Soldering-Education-...
A set of hoof and screwdriver tips:
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Weller-WE1010-Soldering-ETSET...
Flux and solder wick for cleaning pad areas on PCB:
https://www.amazon.com/Lesnow-Desoldering-Electronics-Disass...
CREWORKS 858D cheap hot air tool for basic SMD rework:
https://www.amazon.com/CO-Z-Soldering-Temperature-Desolderin...
1. never use metal wool to clean the iron tip coating
2. Before use, clean by dragging a hot iron across water dampened sponge (or paper) to smear off oxidized material.
3. Never use Bismuth solder, it was invented by fools for fools. Also, indium contamination can make you go bald.
4. Your iron should choose one (and only one) of the following
i. Sn63/Pb37 No-Clean eutectic solder for low temperature industrial machinery
ii. RoHS compliant SAC305 Lead-Free No-Clean Solder
5. No Clean means the flux core in the solder may be left on the work. However, it is recommended to clean it off with 99% IPA.
6. Fume extraction blows crud outdoors, and charcoal filters just makes crud smell nice.
7. Practice PCB kits are cheap, and getting 2 in case you cook something by inserting it backwards may be wise.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/soldered-electron...
Best of luck =3
Why not use brass wool? I've used it for a long time and not noticed any problems. My soldering iron tip looks and works great.
Brass wool is often just copper plated steel, and will damage the plating. Thus, pin holes in the tips iron, nickel, or chrome plating begin to pit the copper core.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/brass-sponge-has-rui...
Anecdotally, all wool seems to accumulate abrasive crud, various amalgamated solder waste, melted plastics, and trimmed bits of steel etc.
Best of luck =3