0201 practice board? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: pcm81
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 09:26:48 pm
content: I see a bunch of 1206 0804 and even some 0603 solder practice boards on Amazon. But what i am looking to practice soldering with is smaller stuff... does anyone know where i can get 0201 or atleast 0402 practice boards? I see very cheap boards on ali express, but they are also for larger package size...Thanks ahead

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 09:44:03 pm
content: There are not that many for 0201. You can make your own. Anyway, a suggestion:https://www.tindie.com/products/makersbox/smd-challenge/

author: UnijunctionTransistor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 09:47:29 pm
content: My two yen opinion;Because 0402 and 0201 are too small to be hand-soldered reliably by the vast majority of hobbyists, and these dimensions are better suited to be installed by precision pick and place machines.And I know, there are people who can actually hand-solder 0201 devices, and have the videos to prove it. Here is one;https://youtu.be/57bntqxfSFY?si=jg4-QYUF5jwr4MX1

author: pcm81
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 10:03:53 pm
content: Quote from: UnijunctionTransistor on September 19, 2025, 09:47:29 pmI am not a vast majority of hobbyistsI have a microscope.Been practicing replacing a 0.25mm pads on QFP with moderate success so far.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 10:24:48 pm
content: Quote from: UnijunctionTransistor on September 19, 2025, 09:47:29 pmThe most impressive part is that the tip is completely wrong, its massive.With C115 and a microscope, its much easier.

author: pcm81
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2025, 01:57:46 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on September 19, 2025, 10:24:48 pmAbsolutely! I like bent conical in 115 as well as a blade on 115/210 or 245. If you let the tip to oxidize on purpose and then just clean the very tip of it, you can be very accurate.

author: Simmed
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2025, 02:19:36 am
content: check this 1 out

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2025, 05:37:40 am
content: Just do a real project with a lot of 0201. Bonus points for promising it finished to someone in dire need of the board. Necessity is a good motivator.

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2025, 06:04:40 am
content: Two words:Hot Air.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2025, 04:10:04 pm
content: One thing you have to be careful with 0201 components: they are so tiny that they have ultra-low thermal mass. What it means is that you'll literally "vaporize" them if you apply too much heat with a soldering iron.So either use a very fine tip and a low-power soldering station, and caution, or preferably use some solder paste and a hotplate for "manual" soldering.

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2025, 05:26:42 am
content: I use chisel tips and I usually burn/melt the edges of SMD LED's w/ my iron, I need to practice that.I've tried 04xx on a GPU, and luckily it worked. I don't think I used a microscope for that.I should try something really small on an old junk PCB, with the microscope. And rememeber Obi-wan Kenobi saying to Trust the Force, and use the microscope. Or maybe using the force would be doing it w/o the MS. But I mean moving my hand, based on what I see on screen, that's still tricky.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2025, 01:34:28 pm
content: I'd be curious to see someone manage to hand solder 0201 without magnification.