Great tips = thank you. For vertical placement of resistors/diodes/etc,,, if you raise the body off of the board slightly, before reflowing, it will provide access, later, to test the component, or cut it off, to replace it. I keep an old pan just for reflowing on the stove. It's not my favorite option, but it is the right tool for the right job, sometimes. I recently saw this trick... Reflow some solder wire onto the solder pad while 1) making sure to not fill the hole and 2) making sure to intentionally have the wire stick to the pad. Then, cut off the wire, leaving about 1/2" of wire stuck to the pad. Insert the pin and reflow the solder. The extra wire will melt and fill the hole. Same method as your paste method, but with wire.Cheers.
I suppose, but I have not had a great success rate doing that. Plus, that's two steps where this is one .. add flux to hole, get solder onto iron .. then apply. So far I've had 100% success with the solder paste method over the last 5 years. YMMV.
I've seen people do the reflow hack on a gas or ring type electric hob using a cast iron skillet to spread the heat. if you don't have the radiant type of cooker.Putting the board on some ali foil seems like a good way to take the board off as soon as it reflows rather than trying to pick it up with tweezers or similar.
Yeah, it cools down right way on the foil. I tried the heavy skillet method with our old ring stove, but I ended up scorching the boards once in a while.
I use a blob of blue-tac to hold components for soldering.
I used that method up until I started doing this. It's pretty good but it's also a bit more work. Maybe I'm just lazy. LOL!
Great tips = thank you. For vertical placement of resistors/diodes/etc,,, if you raise the body off of the board slightly, before reflowing, it will provide access, later, to test the component, or cut it off, to replace it. I keep an old pan just for reflowing on the stove. It's not my favorite option, but it is the right tool for the right job, sometimes. I recently saw this trick... Reflow some solder wire onto the solder pad while 1) making sure to not fill the hole and 2) making sure to intentionally have the wire stick to the pad. Then, cut off the wire, leaving about 1/2" of wire stuck to the pad. Insert the pin and reflow the solder. The extra wire will melt and fill the hole. Same method as your paste method, but with wire.Cheers.
Sounds like an interesting method. It never occurred to me, but I'll sure give it a try.
Should be able to do much the same thing with some flux paste preapplied to the through hole and an iron already carrying some some solder.
I suppose, but I have not had a great success rate doing that. Plus, that's two steps where this is one .. add flux to hole, get solder onto iron .. then apply. So far I've had 100% success with the solder paste method over the last 5 years. YMMV.
I've seen people do the reflow hack on a gas or ring type electric hob using a cast iron skillet to spread the heat. if you don't have the radiant type of cooker.Putting the board on some ali foil seems like a good way to take the board off as soon as it reflows rather than trying to pick it up with tweezers or similar.
Yeah, it cools down right way on the foil. I tried the heavy skillet method with our old ring stove, but I ended up scorching the boards once in a while.