gear 0.3

[uc]

Gear 0.3
I need understand soldering equipment and consumables for SOIC pins and smaller format?
Please propose magnifying glass and tools enable the work.
Maybe to much input for easy answer, but please try?
//uc

[larsdenmark]

Unless you want to spend weeks learning this stuff and perhaps months to be good at it I would say that it is not worth it.

For ICs that are only available as SOIC or other surface mount sizes you can often get breakout boards where the components are presoldered and the connection are available in sizes that work on breadboards and can soldered without the use of microscopes. E.g. see on www.sparkfun.com

I would just reorder the ICs you need as DIP if at all possible.

If you really must learn about soldering these small components then this video is a good place to start:

Note that Louis Rossmann has thousands of videos many of which are more than an hour long so starting to watch his channel is quite time consuming :-)

[rstofer]

I just use my Hako 936 soldering station with a 1/8" tip.  I use ordinary solder (0.024" diameter) with a lot of paste flux.  Flux is the key to getting the solder to flow between the pins and pads.  It is critical for SMD devices.

If the project has a lot of 0805 packages, I will use solder paste on the pads, set the parts and then do a reflow solder in my converted toaster oven.  If the board is small enough, a hot plate works just as well.

I put the vast majority of the parts on the top of the board, especially if I'm going to reflow.  Then if I have to add some decoupling caps, I put them on the back side and solder them by hand.

This just isn't something to get all wrapped up in.

I have a hot air tool and I never use it.  I'm not trying to remove/replace BGAs, just simple chips with pins.

The best way to remove chips is to cut the pins and then remove them one-by-one.  It puts a lot less stress on the board and there is less chance of pads lifting.  Perhaps a hot air tool would work better but I have never needed it.