SMD Soldering Practice Boards

[xrunner]

I found that I really needed to get off my butt and make sure I can solder SMD devices properly. This when I ordered a clock kit and realized it had mostly SMD components LOL. I didn't realize it but there are actually SMD practice boards on Ebay you can order. They don't do much when assembled, except turn on or flash some LEDs, but this tells you if you soldered it all properly. The one in the pic simply has a lot of low value resistors in series, some diodes in series, and an LED. If you put it together right and apply about 9V the LED will light. It also has an IC but it isn't electrically connected it's just for practice.

I started off with the 0603 and it's going pretty well so far.

[zapta]

Did you use extra flux? The solder wets and flows much better with it.

Also, if you can afford a cheap ebay stereo microscope you will be able to see the details much better.

[xrunner]

Did you use extra flux? The solder wets and flows much better with it.

Yep, I got a flux pen, 0.3mm solder, a small tip for my Hakko, and a board holding vise. I just got all the 0603's soldered. So far it's going pretty well.

Also, if you can afford a cheap ebay stereo microscope you will be able to see the details much better.

Currently I have a set of magnifying glasses that I'm using.

As far as the microscope, are you talking about something like this - or a different model -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-20X-Excellent-Binocular-Stereo-Microscope-/141662194572?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20fbb98b8c

[zapta]

As far as the microscope, are you talking about something like this - or a different model -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-20X-Excellent-Binocular-Stereo-Microscope-/141662194572?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20fbb98b8c

You want a stereo microscope with good lighting and magnification of ~x5-x10. Extra points for zoom and long boom.

I am using this one (no boom) http://amzn.com/B00A15N1ZA

There are many other models in the market, for example this one (long boom, no zoom)
http://amzn.com/B0056X4RRS

From my experience a microscope make a big difference with soldering SMDs. You really see what's going on, not just during soldering but also inspecting after reflowing in a oven.  There is at least one thread here about microscope selection.

[tautech]

Tidy work is all part of a dancing act, will a few key things needed to do a good job.

CLEAN tip
Leaded solder
Tweezers
Magnification. Depends on how old your eyes are, dual lense heatset is all I need
Temp control.

Too finer tip can be a curse as it won't hold enough solder.
Needle tips are hard to use for other than very fine work when there is little thermal mass.
Chisel or hoof styles seem to be the most popular.

For SMD passives, I just wet a pad with solder, hold the device in place and re-heat, then solder the other pad. Too much solder on the tip or added will leave balling like yours, a concave fillet is whats required.
If it looks ugly, get the sucker out and do a pad again.

I'd add you job looks nice and clean.

[pickle9000]

Do you have hot air?

[xrunner]

From my experience a microscope make a big difference with soldering SMDs. You really see what's going on, not just during soldering but also inspecting after reflowing in a oven.  There is at least one thread here about microscope selection.

OK thanks for the links.

Needle tips are hard to use for other than very fine work when there is little thermal mass.
Chisel or hoof styles seem to be the most popular.

For SMD passives, I just wet a pad with solder, hold the device in place and re-heat, then solder the other pad. Too much solder on the tip or added will leave balling like yours, a concave fillet is whats required.
If it looks ugly, get the sucker out and do a pad again.

The Hakko tip I got for this does have a very small chisel tip, and it seems to be working very well. It's model # T18-D08

I'd add you job looks nice and clean.

Thanks, it's turning out pretty good. I watched quite a few SMD soldering tutorials on You Tube. Some were good, others not so. Some people seemed to fidget with each piece so much it seemed they couldn't leave well enough alone. One guy was even putting some sort of putty under SMD parts to keep them from moving! I'll see if I can find that video and post it.

I'm now going to try the 0805's. 

Do you have hot air?

Not yet, but I would bet I'll have one sooner than later. Got any suggestions? I've seen some threads on this forum about some of the El Cheapo ones, but there seemed to be a concern about the internal wiring safety. It's the ones that go for ~ $50 - $60. Maybe their made better now.

[tautech]

I've found the skew or knife tips can be handy, they are long enough to heat both pads of a passive and allow it to be swept off or picked off with tweezers.
I'd add I still use a chisel tip for populating and the skew tip only for rework.

Hot air is great to have, it's the most convenient way to do some PCB work however for the few new boards I do, I just hand solder. Keeps the skill levels up. 

[xrunner]

Check this out. The guy puts putty under the SMD parts. You can skip ahead to about 4.5 m.

[tautech]

Check this out. The guy puts putty under the SMD parts. You can skip ahead to about 4.5 m.

Never used such stuff, for hand work just tack a lead or two to a pad.

Common in wave soldering, so the wave won't dislodge components.

[Fungus]

Check this out. The guy puts putty under the SMD parts. You can skip ahead to about 4.5 m.

Seems to work quite well for a SOIC. Maybe not essential but whatever.

(hope he doesn't do it to resistors...)

[djQUAN]

I agree with tautech. I also use the K series tips for my Hakko stations when working on SMDs.

Makes it a lot easier by being able to heat both terminals at the same time and let the molten solder pull the parts into alignment.

With some tricks, you could even use it to remove excess solder and produce the right concave joints and also remove solder bridges between IC pins.

http://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/type_k.html

[xrunner]

I've found the skew or knife tips can be handy, they are long enough to heat both pads of a passive and allow it to be swept off or picked off with tweezers.
I'd add I still use a chisel tip for populating and the skew tip only for rework.

Great I'll get one of those knife tips.

I finished the little board, and the LED lit up, so I guess it's a success. 

I got one more practice board, a little bigger. It has a 555 timer and a CD4017 and it's supposed to flash LEDs in sequence. If anyone else is just getting into SMD these practice boards can be found all over Ebay for cheap.

[GreyWoolfe]

The board is the very first listing on eBay searching for smt practice board.  $5.04 with shipping.  Since it actually does something, I might have to get 1 or 2 to practice on.

[SeanB]

I ordered 10. Might have to get a group together and have them bring soldering tools at the next ham meeting to do a little practise. Seeing as most are on the high side of 50 I probably will have to take a few magnifiers along so that they can actually see the parts, along with around 1l of flux.

[tautech]

I finished the little board, and the LED lit up, so I guess it's a success. 

Close ups?

It SHOULD now be marked by members. 

[xrunner]

Close ups?

It SHOULD now be marked by members. 

OK, but go easy on me now LOL -

Note: There was no chip for U4 

[tautech]

Nice, if you look at the RH pad of R5, that's what you should be trying to achieve, a concave solder fillet that is strong and conserves solder.

We're all a little heavy handed on solder, but you just study some PCB's from new designs and see now little solder is actually required, do you see components fall off?

[tautech]

More looking, D1 (Melf) + pad is perfect,    concave fillet from top to bottom.

[xrunner]

Nice, if you look at the RH pad of R5, that's what you should be trying to achieve, a concave solder fillet that is strong and conserves solder.

We're all a little heavy handed on solder, but you just study some PCB's from new designs and see now little solder is actually required, do you see components fall off?

Yep, it's tempting to add too much solder. 

Again for anyone interested, here's the three types of practice boards I found on Ebay.

Type One

Type Two

Type Three

[zapta]

The concave solderers are preferred because they allow to inspect and confirm the wetting. With a bump it's hard to identify cold solderer.

[xrunner]

OK dumb question for the day. All the SMD resistor sizes have value markings printed on them, but the caps don't.

Why? 

[miguelvp]

OK dumb question for the day. All the SMD resistor sizes have value markings printed on them, but the caps don't.

Why? 

According to this site:

http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/capacitor/capacitor-markings.php

SMD ceramic capacitor codes:   Surface mount capacitors are often very small and do not have the space for markings. During manufacture the capacitors are loaded into a pick and place machine and there is no need for any markings.

But I don't buy it, surely they could add markings but it probably increases cost and that's probably the real reason.

[xrunner]

But I don't buy it, surely they could add markings but it probably increases cost and that's probably the real reason.

I don't buy it either. I just opened a strip of .1 uF caps for the next practice board, and they have just as much space on the top as an 0603 resistor. 

[miguelvp]

But I don't buy it, surely they could add markings but it probably increases cost and that's probably the real reason.

I don't buy it either. I just opened a strip of .1 uF caps for the next practice board, and they have just as much space on the top as an 0603 resistor. 

But who is going to increase their cost and the manufacturers will purchase the cheaper non-marked ones anyways? It has no benefit for anyone unless it must meet a standard and then all the consumers will pay for markings that 99.999% of the consumers won't care at all.

Edit: plus the ceramic material might require a more expensive process for the markings not to rub off.