Basic PCB soldering tips

How do you guys hold the parts to the board while soldering? What do you use to hold the PCB still?

I already know about bending the leads, but that doesn't seem to work to keep still big components like capacitors and transformers.

Also if you are using lead solder, how do you dispose of the excess?

 

Through-hole? Start off with smallest parts, resistors and such. Stuff, flip the board and solder. Works everytime 60% of the time.

 

Helping hands is a term for a stand with a couple of clips and usually a magnifying glass. This can often be your third hand, it hold the PCB.

I've always gone a bit slower, a couple components at a time, but starting with the shortest (protruding out from PCB) and working your way up to taller caps and such. When you do this you can set the PCB upside down on a table to hold the components in place long enough to tack them on with solder.

 

I use this :


And hands or tweezers.

 

I use the same device as above. Sometimes I'll get ocd and tape components, tack down one leg down, adjust the heights with a dial caliper, align it, and then completely solder it down.

 

Pro-tip for a cheap helping hand...use a heavy pair of pliers and a rubber band to hold them shut

 

Or you could use one of these.



Much more useful than a helping hand, IME. Grab one that's at least half as long as your board.

 

Fingers. You'll burn yourself, but after a while the scar tissue will protect you.

 

I use The Force.

 

Or you could fashion your own clips out of strips of titanium.

Actually, not a crazy idea! Made for the jewellery trade, where soldering means red-heat.

And while you're there, check out the company's saws. Warning: This is extreme tool porn! Whether this is crazy-price stuff or not depends on the buyer, but if one of those saws feels just right in the hand, and one breaks fewer blades, well, what more to say? And those clips are a really good idea. Their bench peg is very groovy too.

 

I picked up a Panavise 324 on super clearance (via slickdeals) several years back. It is a heavy duty piece and very nice to work with for boards if you can find one for a reasonable value.

 

Just noticed that Tyll just posted a helpful little tool for soldering connections.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/solderbuddy-diyers-delight#pOCTsy5FpLaErc14.97