Is it possibe to hand solder parts this small? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:00:32 pm
content: I found this kit I ordered a long time ago and never built it because the parts were insanely small. I have the hakko iron with the stock tip (The yellow/blue one everyone has). Is it worth the effort to try this without using solder paste? I have only one and don't want to mess it up only to find that no one realistically solders down this small. I believe the components are 2nd smallest size. Picture is from my magnifier that I will be soldering under. Tip is about as wide as the components. Or is this pretty easy with practice? I have soldered almost this small, but I can see the parts moving around. All the videos on soldering this small use paste/oven.

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:06:25 pm
content: looks to me like 0805 - no problem to hand solder; I don't really have 20/20 vision anymore, but I work on those without any magnifying glasses or so

author: Chriss
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:07:36 pm
content: Hi!Yes you can solder then by hand too but must practice and must have a very thin soldering tip or use hot air soldering gun.I use hot air...Sent from my GT-I8260 using Tapatalk

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:11:25 pm
content: It is a technique, everyone uses a different technique but usually with normal thin solder you solder one of the two pads lightly.Place the component on top of the pads and press lightly with a tweezer so it won't move anymore.Reheat the soldered pad till the component "sinks" and stop heating. The component is now lightly attached on one side.Wait a moment till the first pad is cooled off, you can meanwhile do another component.Then with the iron heat the second pad and component, apply solder hold for a second while the flux is doing its job and stop. Inspect the second pad solderquality, if OK proceed else redo.Go back to the first pad heat and apply solder the same way till you have a nice solderquality.Don't use too much solder or too thick solder.Easier it is to use solderpaste but then you need special tools like syringe and heat gun.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:21:36 pm
content: Ancient Dave video shows you how:

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:22:40 pm
content: 0805 is definitely hand solderable.Depending on board layout there is no requirement for small solder tips, a 2,4mm chisel tip is fine, assuming the spacing on the board allows for this. Small diameter (0.5mm or smaller) solder really helps though. You only need really small amounts, with bigger wire getting the amount right is almost impossible.My technique is as follows:- put a small amount of solder on only one pad- pickup the part with tweezers, align it, and reheat the solder so the part sticks. use additional flux if you get "solder spikes"- if the part is not flat to the board, which is likely, push the part from the top with the tweezers and reheat again- solder the other padI personally use magnification, and can solder 0805 without issues. I think I could manage smaller with an iron with a shorter grip to tip distance, I have somewhat unsteady hands.

author: borghese
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:29:48 pm
content: With a small tip is possible to solder the 0603 size (1.6x0.8mm)

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:31:38 pm
content: You need to figure out a routine that works, but after that's it's not hard.

author: sourcecharge
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:34:28 pm
content: Those things are evil...

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:36:01 pm
content: This is all good advice. So unlike through holes I put a bit of solder on the tip and "dab" it on rather then trying to press the wire of solder into it?I have a few syringes with the needles that I can put flux in and try to use it as glue. Is it possible to put thin super glue in an insulin syringe and do that or will it make the part stick up too much? I have done this with larger needles and if the humidity is low enough the glue stays liquid in the needle for a few hours. I'm making sure I do my homework as I only have one chance and no sma parts to practice on.And to the people that can do this without magnification that's crazy. I didn't even know these had numbers on them!

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:45:51 pm
content: Just look at this:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/soldered-0805-vs-0603-vs-0402-vs-0201-vs-01005-vs-008004-today-)/The part on the top of the first pic in that thread is likely the size of your parts. The parts get smaller than a grain of sand...

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 02:47:17 pm
content: don't use any glue; the residue it'll certainly leave all around the component is not really neat to go with the solder tip on it afterward.just use thin solder, put a bit of solder on one pad, 'patch' the component first on that one pad, watching out it is straight and properly placed on the second pad, then you solder that one - and really just tiny amounts of solder are needed.hot air and solder paste really does it the best - if available.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 03:01:54 pm
content: I've been near-sighted all my life, and I can still see tiny things with my naked eye. So long as it's within 8 inches of my face, anyway. The other side of the room is a blur without prescription glasses.My 70-year old neighbor uses one pair of reading glasses to read, and two pairs when she needs to see tiny stuff. Beyond arms length, she needs no correction.If your eyes need magnification, use magnification. Once you can see it, hand-eye coordination should come quickly.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 03:09:50 pm
content: Quote from: Nusa on July 23, 2018, 03:01:54 pmI’m exactly the same way: microscope vision without glasses, but can’t see in focus beyond about 5” without glasses. I have to constantly resist the temptation to solder tiny things by looking above my glasses, since soldering 3” from your unprotected eyes is just asking for trouble!!

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 03:11:14 pm
content: I'll just leave it here:https://www.tindie.com/products/MakersBox/smd-challenge/

author: bob225
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 03:54:38 pm
content: you can solder 0603 by hand, a bench mount magnifying glass is a must, a spot of glue to hold the part is a bonus - some really thin solder also helpsI have done a fair bit of smd rework and repair over the years so the practice helps no endedit. Pop onto ebay and search "SMD practice board"

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 05:15:05 pm
content: I routinely hand solder 0603 parts with the normal wedge tip on my iron. 0805 parts look huge and clunky to me now.

author: Pirateguy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 05:15:38 pm
content: i am not particularly skilled at soldering at all and i have successfully soldered several 0805 leds to 0.1mm magnet wire.solder paste helps a lot.

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 05:21:46 pm
content: 0805 is really still huge; i really like working with that size, fits good for the polynesian style

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2018, 10:47:19 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on July 23, 2018, 02:11:25 pmThis. Use an appropriately sized chisel tip. Hakko makes an assortment. I am easily old enough to be your grandfather but I can hand solder 0402 passives with my headset magnifier. You should have no trouble with those.

author: Relayer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2018, 01:20:51 am
content: Hello Beamin,Here's what I had to solder in the early 2000's:Its an IC inside a Playstation 2 Version 3.Each one of those wires had to be soldered onto the legs individuallywithout accidentally touching the previous one with the iron.In those days my eyesight wasn't too bad, but there's no way I coulddo it today.Regards,Relayer

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2018, 02:24:07 am
content: I agree with the others here, that doesn't look small at all. I mean, they still have numbers on them...Quote from: exe on July 23, 2018, 03:11:14 pmThere needs to be a "bare die edition" of that.

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2018, 01:49:29 am
content: How easy is it to fry these parts ?, especially if they use dreaded lead-free solder and u have to crank the temp ? How many seconds do common 0805 parts last ?I got 1 of those 858D hot-air stations, sure makes SMD stuff easier/quicker for me so far.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2018, 06:06:04 am
content: Decade ago, I bought a lot of partial reels of resistors to seed my stock. This included an 0201.I protoboarded a circuit with 8 opamps, needing something like 8 x 1 megaohm resistors. The only resistor I had with the right value was this 0201, and there was no room to daisy chain resistors in series. I wasn't even really worried. If I can see it and pick it up with tweezers, I can solder it. IIRC, I was able to stretch the solder bead between 2 pads to hold these little guys, so I didn't even have to cook up anything special. Back then, I didn't even have a microscope.I've never seen writing on a resistor smaller than 0603. That's nuthin' but business as usual. Easiest way to handle them is with a vacuum pickup. Drop it onto fluxed or pasted pads, and it won't blow away with your next sneeze. Then grip with tweezers to hand solder it, once you have everything setup. That way, the first time you get the tweezers on it and position it is the last time. You just have to fiddle with it long enough to get the soldering iron onto the pad.The parts smaller than 0603 are a pain because even picking them up with a vacuum pickup is a challenge. Back then I was just dumping them out and using tweezers. Did I lose a 20 or 30? Yeah probably. But aside from getting it from tape to board thing, the only other issue is eye strain. I remember after soldering them, they just disappeared. All I could see were the solder beads.*Edit: opened 'er up and looked at it under the microscope. It was an 0402. And I did just stretch the bead to make it fit. Under the microscope, I am sure I could do 0201 just as easy. It looks fairly giant, actually. 20 mil across is twice the width of an SSOP pin.0402 are sometimes useful to me for prototyping. You can cut a trace as small as 8/8 to add a resistor, and it'll just fit without bridging to neighboring traces (toner transfer board, no soldermask). Neat as a button.

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2018, 09:29:25 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on July 25, 2018, 02:00:09 amDo you mean you could fry a jellybean discrete part in under 1 second ? Or that with a good iron at the right temp, the soldering should be done in under 1 sec (with some skills)

author: lapm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2018, 10:45:18 am
content: 0805 is hand solderable. Personally i can go with magnification and good light to 0603 without trouble. Age vision...Havent tried anything smaller.

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2018, 11:01:50 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on July 25, 2018, 09:36:17 amThe board may not like it. Pads may lift and the board can deform/etc.