Re: gEDA-user: best ways to do SMT assembly

[David SMITH <dave.smith@xxxxxx>]

On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 09:43:33AM +0100, Dylan Smith wrote:
> On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, Robert Butts wrote:
> > I got pcbs back and now want to assemble them.  What is the best way, i.e.
> > solder paste to use, heating method, solder bridge removal...?  Most of the
> > components are small SMT parts.  The through hole parts I'm fine with.
> 
> It depends what I'm doing. For discrete components (like 0603 sized Rs and
> Cs), just a fine tip soldering iron and fine solder wire - what I do is
> melt a small amount of solder on one pad, get the part with the tweezers,
> re-melt it and stick the end of the part into the molten blob. Then just
> solder the other end as normal. I can do this quite quickly.

This is similar to the technique I use (although I don't go smaller than
0805).  However, rather than use tweezers, I prefer to put the component
onto the board, and then push it around using my fingernail on the top
of the component, about half-way between the two soldering ends.  I find
that this gives a lot more control than tweezers.

Of course, my version needs a bit more planning, as I need to make sure
I've let my fingernails grow longer than normal to stop my fingers
getting burned ;-)

-- 
David Smith        | Tel: +44 (0)1454 462380    Home: +44 (0)1454 616963
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