Technique Question

[SparkyCal]

Sorry for all the questions, but I am truly a newbie and am getting a lot out of this new hobby. The people here have been great!

So here's another:

I am working with the 555IC. The project requires me to connect pins 98 and 2. and pins 2 and 6.

I have gone beyond the breadboard stage and and m=now working with a regular board (the kind with the pre drilled, pre soldered holes)

I am not very good at building solder bridges between components. I can solder a pin in place, but to build a solder bridge (or line) between two pins ot components, is not somethign I can do well. I find that each time I try, the solder does not travel as neatly as the videos I watch online. And I beleive a=I am using good and thin solder.

So, until i develop that skill, any advice on how to join pins 4 and 8. and 2 and 6. If I use wires underneath, they overlap, so i would have to use very small wires that have an insulating sleeve on them- which can get pretty intricate to pull off.

 

[bertus]

Hello,

Here are several PDF's on soldering.

Bertus

 

[SparkyCal]

Thank-you. I actually prefer to read and learn, rather than get handed answers. The problem is, there is a lot of misinformation on the net. If someone here refers me to a good source, i am very pleased to read up and find the answer.

Thanks Bertus!

 

[Bluejets]

The project requires me to connect pins 98 and 2.
breadboard stage and and m=now working with a regular board

And I beleive a=I am using good and thin solder.

Do everyone a favour and proof read your input.

In reply to other query on soldering, it is essential that the soldering surface is clean and free from contaminants.
For example, acid from handling.
Best approach(if it is bare copper) is to clean with a scotchbrite pad or steel wool and then give a quick wipe with denatured alcohol isopropyl cleaner and again refrain from re-contamination.
If board is already tinned just use the isopropyl.
Extra flux never hurts either such as this paste.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-15-2...Repair-/113056382496?var=&hash=item1a52af7e20

Not to mention clean soldering tip with the right size tip and the right amount of heat for the job.
This will all give a quick, clean joint which is essential for any electronic component.

Oh, almost forgot. Use 60/40 tin lead solder. The amount you use is not going to make the Earth crash into the Sun prematurely. That environmentally friendly crap is just that, crap.
I get mine through Ebay from China and usually use 0.8mm diameter.

Video on soldering here....

 

[Ylli]

but to build a solder bridge (or line) between two pins ot components, is not somethign I can do well. I find that each time I try, the solder does not travel as neatly as the videos I watch online. And I beleive a=I am using good and thin solder.

Well there's your problem . Generally, because of surface tension, solder will want to flow away from any areas that it can not 'wet' - i.e. areas without conductor under it. If you want to make a bridge, it is generally easier if you use a larger diameter solder, get the solder to flow where you want it and them quickly remove the heat so that the solder can not flow away.

 

[SparkyCal]

Thanks for all the tips and resources. Truly appreciated.

 

[Ylli]

No problem,

 

[narkeleptk]

Thanks for all the tips and resources. Truly appreciated.

You can also use the leads you cut off THT components or a small solid wire to create traces instead. I find it easier then bridging. You can pre-bend them into the shape you need or bend as you go.

 

[SparkyCal]

One thing I tried was to join the pins of the 555 underneath the 555 prior to fastening it on the board. It was not the neatest solution, but it worked. I had to pre join pins 4 and 8. and pins 2 and 6.

 

[WHONOES]

I use enamelled copper wire, some would call it magnet wire, of the type that has solder through enamel so you don't have to scrape it off.

 

[hevans1944]

Since the late 1960s I have used 30 AWG wire-wrap wire, hand-wrapped one or two turns around socket pins that have been tack-soldered to the prototyping board. I always uses DIP sockets when prototyping ICs in Dual Inline Packages (DIPs), either solder-tail or wire-wrap types, depending on what happens to be in my junque box of spare and recycled parts. The solder-tail sockets are cheapest, but their pins tend to be brittle and take unkindly to bending. I also have a large spool (lifetime supply) of somewhat heavier gauge silver-plated copper "buss wire" and a large spool (lifetime supply) of small-diameter Teflon tubing to slide over it. This is much easier to work with than the insulated wire-wrap wire since I need only add insulation to the wire as needed, not strip insulation off the wire-wrap wire.

You will find technique is important for this kind of point-to-point wiring, and you will learn technique by trial-and-error more than any other way, including videos. I am not a fan of using "solder bridges" to complete connections. They have a tendency to wick up on the soldering iron tip and to separate connections when you go back to make changes to your prototype circuit. A nice piece of solid "hook-up" wire wrapped around socket pins or component leads won't let you down. Back in the "old days" when chassis wiring was all done on components whose leads were attached to terminal strips or terminal posts, it was emphasized that a good mechanical connection was important before solder was to be applied. This isn't always possible of course (3-pin XLR microphone plugs come to mind), but it is the way I learned how to solder in the 1950s and it is the way I still solder today.