soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipment

Post here to teach people how to do something.

Moderators: Chuckt, Garth, bitfogav

Post Reply [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
Garth
I practically live here!
I practically live here!
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:17 pm
Contact:

soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipment

Post by Garth » Tue Dec 06, 2016 7:31 am

Since I just wrote this up elsewhere, I figured it'd be good to recycle while it's on my mind.

A prominent member on that forum, "BigDumbDinosaur," has poor eyesight and asked me to solder the SMT parts to his hobby computer board. Here are the SRAMs, in SOJ-36 with .050" lead spacing:

Image

I did them with my 30W iron with a 1/8" chisel tip that covers three pins at once. I didn't use any extra flux, or a magnifier, or any solderwick, or anything special. I don't do one pin at a time either. Here's the method:
  • Tack two opposite corners just enough to hold the IC in place. It doesn't have to look nice yet, but you do need to get the IC straight and centered before continuing.
  • Put some solder on a third corner, at the opposite end of one of the first ones you did. This will hold the IC in place in the next step.
  • Now go down the other side, starting with the corner which so far got no solder. Flood that side, making one big bridge all the way down, moving the soldering iron back and forth, making sure all pads get wetted too.
  • Do the same thing to the remaining side which up to now only had the corners soldered. Now you'll have both sides all bridged, with lots of extra solder.
  • Go back to the first side you flooded. Hold the board vertically, with that row of pins vertical, and start with the soldering iron at the top of the row, and re-melt and move it down slowly. The extra solder will come off on the iron. You might have to shake some off before you get to the bottom of the row, if there's a threat that it will drip onto something it shouldn't. Continue down the row. Each pin should be left with the right amount of solder, just perfect, with no bridging, in spite of the large size of the tip. If I have trouble with an area, I'll put more solder on it again and repeat.
  • Do the other side the same way.
After it's cooled, I chip off most of the rosin with any small tool, preferably one that's not too sharp so it won't scratch the board, then finish with a Q-tip dampened with acetone to get the slight remainder of rosin off. That way I don't need a vapor degreaser, or to dunk the whole board in solvent, etc..

It may seem very counterintuitive, but the results in the picture speak for themselves. I don't think I've done finer pitches than .050" this way. They might require something a little different.

Someone might be afraid that the heat would damage the IC. Not so. A couple of jobs ago, in the mid-1980's, I saw transistors actually operating at over 350°C. They wouldn't last long at that temperature, but it did not instantly destroy them. The soldering method I'm describing above won't get the die (ie, the actual silicon chip inside the IC) anywhere near that hot, since at a maximum, only one row out of two will have molten solder all over it while the other row is relatively cool, and the die is not right at the pins anyway, but farther in. 60/40 tin/lead solder melts at 183°C and is completely liquid by 190°C, and again, the die won't get that hot.
http://WilsonMinesCo.com/ lots of 6502 resources

User avatar
bitfogav
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 915
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:03 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Contact:

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipmen

Post by bitfogav » Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:06 am

They are some clean solder joints Garth :wink:
If you don't know what Voltage your country is using, you shouldn't be doing electronics ;-)

User avatar
brad
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2578
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:30 pm
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipmen

Post by brad » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:24 pm

What solvent / cleaner are you using after soldering Garth?

Garth
I practically live here!
I practically live here!
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:17 pm
Contact:

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipmen

Post by Garth » Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:26 am

brad wrote:What solvent / cleaner are you using after soldering Garth?
After it's cooled to room temperature, I chip off most of the rosin with any small tool, preferably one that's not too sharp so it won't scratch the board, then finish with a Q-tip dampened with acetone to get the slight remainder of rosin off. That way I don't need a vapor degreaser, or to dunk the whole board in solvent, etc.. The only flux I used was what's in the solder.
http://WilsonMinesCo.com/ lots of 6502 resources

User avatar
brad
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2578
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:30 pm
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipmen

Post by brad » Wed Dec 14, 2016 7:46 pm

acetone and q-tips are fantastic for bringing them up all nice and shiny!

Garth
I practically live here!
I practically live here!
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:17 pm
Contact:

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipment

Post by Garth » Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:19 pm

Here's another one, an SOIC. These were taken with a very cheap camera.

First I tack one corner, and get the IC really straight, then tack the opposite corner, and again make sure I haven't rotated it out of being straight. Then I do the two remaining corners. Then I flood a whole side with solder, then the other:
SOICsolderFlood.jpg
SOICsolderFlood.jpg (84.87 KiB) Viewed 25471 times
Then I hold the board vertical and slowly go from the top of a row to the bottom with the big soldering-iron tip as described above. The excess solder comes off on the tip, leaving this:
SOICsolderComplete.jpg
SOICsolderComplete.jpg (66.95 KiB) Viewed 25471 times
Again, my apologies for the quality of the super-cheap camera. And I don't have enough hands to photograph the process while I'm doing it. Maybe I should try to coordinate the next time with someone who can help.
http://WilsonMinesCo.com/ lots of 6502 resources

User avatar
bitfogav
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 915
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:03 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Contact:

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipment

Post by bitfogav » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:38 pm

Sorry for a late reply here.. :roll:

The picture quality is good, and the soldering joints have turned out perfectly, looks very clean :D

I also use Acetone to finish off my boards!..
If you don't know what Voltage your country is using, you shouldn't be doing electronics ;-)

User avatar
bitfogav
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 915
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:03 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Contact:

Re: soldering SOJ (& similar) parts without special equipment

Post by bitfogav » Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:01 pm

finepitch2.jpg
finepitch2.jpg (36.92 KiB) Viewed 18015 times
I have been soldering some fine pitch 0.5 MCU's and 0603 components recently, they have been fun :lol: used a lot of desoldering wire on these MCU's...
If you don't know what Voltage your country is using, you shouldn't be doing electronics ;-)

Post Reply
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests