SMD Soldering Practice Boards

[xrunner]

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.

But that just begs another question -

Why mark any SMD component if it increases cost?  Why mark resistors with values? Why mark other SMD components with anything?

[tautech]

For SMD you need one of the many tweezer type measuring tools, some just plug into your DMM, but if you want quality:
http://www.advancedevices.com/

I have an older set of these and I WOULDN'T be without them.

[zapta]

For SMD you need one of the many tweezer type measuring tools, some just plug into your DMM, but if you want quality:
http://www.advancedevices.com/

I have an older set of these and I WOULDN'T be without them.

I am using a cheap one from amazon ~$20 and it works great for me. R, C and diods and LEDs

[xrunner]

For SMD you need one of the many tweezer type measuring tools, some just plug into your DMM, but if you want quality:
http://www.advancedevices.com/

I have an older set of these and I WOULDN'T be without them.

Ouch those are 'spensive!

I could go for some that plug into my bench meter though. 

[tautech]

For SMD you need one of the many tweezer type measuring tools, some just plug into your DMM, but if you want quality:
http://www.advancedevices.com/

I have an older set of these and I WOULDN'T be without them.

Ouch those are 'spensive!

I could go for some that plug into my bench meter though. 

You'd happily pay that much for a scope, right?
Well I use mine much more than a scope, and 10+ years since I bought mine I havent forgotten the price  but as I've said, I'd buy them again.

IIRC Mastec has a cheap version, nowhere near as much functionality, but handy all the same.
I'll see if I can find a link.....

[miguelvp]

Hmm, would this do?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SMD-Testing-Tweezers-Probe-Leads-For-Multimeter-Tester-SMD-Probe-/271592723134



Of course there are the 1st I found, there might be other ones cheaper or better

[xrunner]

Hmm, would this do?
Of course there are the 1st I found, there might be other ones cheaper or better

I hope so because I just ordered a pair like that not 30 minutes ago! 

[pickle9000]

Hmm, would this do?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SMD-Testing-Tweezers-Probe-Leads-For-Multimeter-Tester-SMD-Probe-/271592723134



Of course there are the 1st I found, there might be other ones cheaper or better

- You could solder some appropriate pogo pins on and that would probably make them OK to use.

- There has been a fair but of talk about resistors losing their markings. I hope they stay, but I doubt it will be in the long run.

[zapta]

I hope so because I just ordered a pair like that not 30 minutes ago! 

I had better results with the Mastech  ms8910 ($18.05 on amazon) than this one. The tips of this one are very poor.

YMMV

[Electro Fan]

I hope so because I just ordered a pair like that not 30 minutes ago! 

I had better results with the Mastech  ms8910 ($18.05 on amazon) than this one. The tips of this one are very poor.

YMMV

So with a Mastech Ms8910 and eliocor's Lindstrom SM-108 tweezer (plus a soldering iron and solder) you could be soldering SMDs?  Or are there some other tools generally needed?

[tautech]

I hope so because I just ordered a pair like that not 30 minutes ago! 

I had better results with the Mastech  ms8910 ($18.05 on amazon) than this one. The tips of this one are very poor.

YMMV

So with a Mastech Ms8910 and eliocor's Lindstrom SM-108 tweezer (plus a soldering iron and solder) you could be soldering SMDs?  Or are there some other tools generally needed?

Magnification.
Headset does the little SMD work I do just fine, but I use the a hell of a lot for general work too.
Old eyes. 

They do work OK, just don't expect miracles from them:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-quality-Smart-SMD-Tester-Capacitance-Meter-Multimeter-MS8910-3000-counts-LCD-display-Auto-Scanning-Auto/32316959233.html?spm=2114.32010308.4.126.pRE4HN

[akis]

If I understand it correctly to work with SMD you'd need

1) Properly fabricated PCBs so forget about making at home
2) Very very clean environment and pure white in colour so you can spot them little pieces
3) hot air machine and good quality soldering iron with special tip (shovel shaped)
4) PCB holder
5) Stereo microscope with long stem or head goggles
6) Flux and solder and braid something or other

Have I missed anything?

[xrunner]

If I understand it correctly to work with SMD you'd need

1) Properly fabricated PCBs so forget about making at home
2) Very very clean environment and pure white in colour so you can spot them little pieces
3) hot air machine and good quality soldering iron with special tip (shovel shaped)
4) PCB holder
5) Stereo microscope with long stem or head goggles
6) Flux and solder and braid something or other

Have I missed anything?

Gotta have some good tweezers to handle the parts too.

[rolycat]

If I understand it correctly to work with SMD you'd need

1) Properly fabricated PCBs so forget about making at home
2) Very very clean environment and pure white in colour so you can spot them little pieces
3) hot air machine and good quality soldering iron with special tip (shovel shaped)
4) PCB holder
5) Stereo microscope with long stem or head goggles
6) Flux and solder and braid something or other

Have I missed anything?

You can use SMD for prototyping on cheap stripboard with very few special tools.

0805 and 0603 resistors and caps bridge the gaps between strips nicely, and save a lot of space. Once you get the hang they are quicker to use than through-hole.

With care, you can use SOT-23 transistors on stripboard as well:

Tripad board works well, but you can also cut tracks with a craft knife.
Doesn't look as pretty as a proper PCB, but it works.

ICs still need to be through-hole or mounted on an adapter for stripboard prototyping, though.

If you have good eyes all you really need is tweezers, a decent iron, fine solder and lots of flux.

[akis]

can you please suggest the appropriate flux?

[tron9000]

I find having a little tub of Tippy solder tip cleaner near by is good for refreshing the tip if it gets a bit gummed up. It stink! but shoving it in that then giving it a wipe on the sponge and the tips like new!

[tautech]

If I understand it correctly to work with SMD you'd need

Always done mine with home etched PCB's. No masks. Layouts and pads are important as to not cramp things for hand population.
Restricted myself to SOIC and SOT-23/6 and 0805 discretes plus a good few very small signal and zener diodes.
I'd go to 0603 happily, but 0805 is what I have.

Good solders are the key, sorry I have little idea what I use, I've had them for years. 1 Multicore something, 2 RS AG alloy, 3 who knows, looks, melts and works like solder. 
Don't leave PCB's too long after etching without protection against tarnishing. I spray mine with laquer after post etch checks and again after soldering.
Sucker is always needed to fix 
Don't often need hot air, quite rarely in fact and almost never for PCB population.

Tweezers are a MUST.

[rolycat]

can you please suggest the appropriate flux?

I use an Edsyn FL88 flux pen, but the Electrolube SMF12P pen may be more readily available.
Solder is Qualitek 60/40 Tin Lead 0.38mm.

Edsyn FL22 flux gel is also highly recommended - it comes in a syringe and has a thicker consistency than the liquid flux pens. It's pricey, though.

[amyk]

If you want something a little harder, try 01005.

[akis]

Always done mine with home etched PCB's. No masks. Layouts and pads are important as to not cramp things for hand population.

Don't you need to tin the pads and then mask them to prevent bridging?

[Canobi]

Never had a problem with home etched so far either. I've gone down as far as 0603 with one or two components, but it gets tricky. I actually really enjoy SMD work, I find it very therapeutic.

Thogh to make thing a little simpler I've just got some solder resist film to test out, and as I don't have a design that's ready to etch, I thought I'd knock out some discreet component breakouts to use on a breadboard so I can progress with my current project (the one drawback with SMD that, can't use em on a breadboard as is).

One SMD soldering tip is to warm the PCB prior to soldering as it will help with ground planes lacking relief vias (only really works with solder resist layer PCBs mind).

For our many legged little friends, lots and lots of flux and a wick on standby (I use BLT no clean liquid flux).

You can get away with minimal tools after you've had some decent practice, iron, flux, wick, tweezers and a glass/magnification. I've been soldering for nigh on 33yrs now and only occasionally reach for hot air.

[akis]

What process do you use right after etching? Do you tin it somehow? Do you prepare a solder mask?

[tautech]

Always done mine with home etched PCB's. No masks. Layouts and pads are important as to not cramp things for hand population.

Don't you need to tin the pads and then mask them to prevent bridging?

IF you go finer than SOIC, IMHO yes.
Thats fine enough for my needs.

BUT I've never used additional flux, no doubt with better fluxing I could go finer.
I do get a little bridging, often easily fixed with MORE  solder and suck off the excess.

With leaded solders the incorporated flux is normally plenty, but if your iron is a little hot the flux might flash off leaving you short of flux, that's when bridging happens.

[xrunner]

Help. 

What's going on with my tweezers? One side of them clings to the chips! I've cleaned them with alcohol, lightly filed them, and even rubbed a hot soldering iron on the one side thinking it was some sort of sticky residue, but nothing will stop them from clinging to the chips!

Is it magnetism? The chips are attracted to magnet. These are supposed to be non-magnetic tweezers.

Of all the weird problems ...

[tautech]

Bugger.
Got a tramping compass? Check for magnetisim.

Gentle baking required? Add chocolate icing when cool.