SMD Soldering

[chongmagic]

Since quite a few SMD chips are in my future. I wanted to ask what the best method to use for soldering SMD chips.

For me I use a Kester flux pen and go over the contacts on the circuit board, let it get a little sticky then place the chip on the pins and secure it with a little blu-tac. Then just carefully touch a bit of solder until it flows on the leg of the chip and contact.

Is there a better way of doing this?

 

[the_grumpy_gnome]

I do the same, but I use blue tape on half instead of blue-tac. These seem to be the preferred non-hot air/reflow oven methods, but I wonder if Louis Rossman has a tutorial on this.

 

[the_grumpy_gnome]

Dave does:

 

[Robert]

I tin one of the corner IC pads, align the IC and hold it in place with one finger, then heat the pin so it sticks to the tinned pad. After that I run a small line of liquid flux (Kester 186) down one row of pins, put a tiny bit of solder on the tip of the iron, then bump the ends of each pin one by one. This works better and gives more reliable results than any other method for me. Drag soldering works good, but in my experience it works better on smaller pins and finer pitch ICs than we're typically dealing with here.

I worked for a TV repair shop for almost 20 years, we used plain old Scotch tape to hold SMD components in place while soldering.... The hardcore "ESD-safe" guys will cringe at that, but it never caused any problems.

Alternatively you could use super glue on the tip of a toothpick to secure each IC down to the PCB... Then solder pin-by-bin, drag solder, or use solder paste and a hot air tool.

I spend more time cleaning up after using paste/hot-air than I save by doing it.... Probably my least favorite method.

 

[chongmagic]

Are the SMD components say with the ICs in the mini Heterodyne around the same as the through hole? Price wise?

 

[Robert]

Most of them are actually a little cheaper than the through-hole equivalent.

 

[chongmagic]

Even better!! More chances to screw up. JK.

 

[sertanksalot]

Still ramping up my workshop... I am going to be using a toaster oven controlled with a low mass thermistor and controller. I am planning to do some other components. Note, they have, low-temp solder paste these days, will try it out.

 

[the_grumpy_gnome]

I had a job years ago soldering SMD for RF applications using regular solder paste and a toaster oven. You'll be fine.