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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Mr_BeastQuake on Fri, 24 March 2017, 00:04:03
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I recently acquired Leeku PCB for the TX-1800 that requires surface mount soldering and have some questions before I embark:
1. What tip is best for my Hakko FX-888D?
2. Should I keep my temps the same as for switches, around 350 C?
3. Any additional tips, tricks, or guides would be appreciated.
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1. I prefer conical cut BC2 for almost all purpose including SMD(0.8/0.5mm QFP and 1608 metric size mainly). I use T12 series tip, btw.
2. In my case 300-315C is enough for leaded solder.
3. My secondary choice is chisel D16 but rarely used.
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What are you soldering onto the board. how big are they.
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Ha, I missed "tips" doesn't mean soldering iron tips there :p
You will need good flux, decent tweezer and desoldering wires too. Optionally thin solder wire like 0.5mm or 0.38mm is useful to control solder amount of fillet.
3. Any additional tips, tricks, or guides would be appreciated.
3. My secondary choice is chisel D16 but rarely used.
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3. Any additional tips, tricks, or guides would be appreciated.
I assume SMD work on a Leeku PCB means you need to add RGB LEDs?
My advice: add a generous amount of solder to one pad. Not a ball, but enough to visibly raise the pad relative to the PCB. 0.5mm-1mm or so. Using tweezers unless your fingers are immune to the heat, place the LED where it needs to be and heat the pad you added solder to and the RGB LED leg. Get them bonded together, doesn't have to be great. Now go heat the other pads, one at a time, and add solder once they're heated. Easiest if you angle the tip so that it's touching RGB LED leg and pad simultaneously, then touch solder to pad. Should flow up.
Do your other three legs, then go back to original leg and touch it up if needed.
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Sorry I didn't respond... a month ago. I saw this go unanswered for a few days and figured it was a lost cause.
@tp4tissue, I would be soldering surface mount diodes, resistors, and RGB LED's. I'm not sure if there is a specific size you are referring to, so I'll just ballpark it and say ****ing small.
hasu and TerryMathews thanks for the advice. I picked up bits and pieces of similar info from different places but there isn't quite the compendium of surface mount soldering information like there is for through hole stuff. At least readily available and easily found.
Thanks again
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I might be a bit late to the party, but the following video shows the correct technique for SMD soldering and is shot with good macro equipment.
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Dang, that's nice technique.
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I might be a bit late to the party, but the following video shows the correct technique for SMD soldering and is shot with good macro equipment.
Thanks for that video, good info.
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My favorite all around soldering tip is the conical 900M TB. You don't use the tip, but several mm's back from the tip for better heat distribution. To solder surface mount diodes I have used this as well, but the 900M T1, which is a thinner conical may be a better choice (just don't use the pointy tip). Many here recommend the chisel type tip as their go to, but I have not found much of a use for this.