Help! I got solder between the pins...

[laserman22]

I have no idea what to do... This is my first soldering project.

Luckily its not my PHR-803T... just a random red laser.

 

[Spyderz20x6]

I have no idea what to do... This is my first soldering project.

Luckily its not my PHR-803T... just a random red laser.

Use a desoldering braid...

 

[potatorage]

If you soldered the + to the - then you need to remove it. If not then you're fine

 

[Bionic-Badger]

Use the soldering iron to pull solder away from the pin. Make sure you clean it after each time you pull some solder away so it doesn't just add some to it. Also check out these tutorials.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Might get too hot.... Get the LD mounted firmly, Melt the solder and blast it out with a blow from canned dusting air. Watch where the solder goes ;D

Mike

 

[laserman22]

Might get too hot.... Get the LD mounted firmly, Melt the solder and blast it out with a blow from canned dusting air.    Watch where the solder goes  ;D

Mike

would that really work?

I was thinking about using a braid...

Im also afraid of overheating the diode.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

The shorter time the heat is on the LD the better. Sometimes, I shake the excess off. It is fluid afterall.

Mike

 

[sk8er4514]

good idea with the can of air I'm going to try that the next time this predicament happens to me (which is frequent).

Usually I use a soldering tool that was included w/ my soldering iron (looks like a pointed sharp circular pick) and heat up the solder a bit, then use the tool to poke the solder off between the two pins.

I'm going to get a desoldering braid next time at an electronics store also as I'm curious as to how they preform (never used one). I'm sure they work great

 

[moond0ggie]

I'm going to get a desoldering braid next time at an electronics store also as I'm curious as to how they preform (never used one). I'm sure they work great

They work even better with a little flux on it!

 

[Foobario]

They work even better with a little flux on it!

I cannot overemphasize how much easier flux makes the whole soldering process.  Like its name implies, it makes the solder flow... this is particularly handy around small pins, since the flux makes the solder flow up the pins rather than bridging between them.  The flux removes oxidation from the surfaces and helps keep oxidation from recurring; this keeps the melting point lower (oxidized slag has a higher melting point and tends to clump up).

You can get flux anywhere that sells electronic components.  They sell flux pens, basically like a marker with flux for ink.  You have to push down on the tip a few times to prime it, then touch it to the area you are working on.  They also sell it in rosin form, as a liquid, or you can even buy solder that has a flux core running inside it.

Seriously, I don't know how people can stand the hassles of soldering without flux.

 

[sk8er4514]

[quote author=moond0ggie link=1218492690/0#8 date=1218521557]They work even better with a little flux on it!

I cannot overemphasize how much easier flux makes the whole soldering process.  Like its name implies, it makes the solder flow... this is particularly handy around small pins, since the flux makes the solder flow up the pins rather than bridging between them.  The flux removes oxidation from the surfaces and helps keep oxidation from recurring; this keeps the melting point lower (oxidized slag has a higher melting point and tends to clump up).

You can get flux anywhere that sells electronic components.  They sell flux pens, basically like a marker with flux for ink.  You have to push down on the tip a few times to prime it, then touch it to the area you are working on.  They also sell it in rosin form, as a liquid, or you can even buy solder that has a flux core running inside it.

Seriously, I don't know how people can stand the hassles of soldering without flux.[/quote]
thanks for the info. i bought a huge tub of rosin flux a while ago and it is truly a lifesaver for soldering... and my helping hands and vice

 

[Glaserfan]

Heatsinking the diode while soldering it can be an absolute lifesaver for the diode. I always desolder the original strip while the diode is still in the sled, and the sled is clamped in a vise. I also lightly clamp the module(with the diode pressed into it of course) in a vise while soldering on the wires/driver. This seems to work well, since I have not lost a diode yet from overheating while soldering

 

[rathat]

Get a roll of solder wick from radio shack or something and you just put some over the joint and heat it up, it sticks to it and you just cut it off.

 

[ndrew2505]

take a pen apart and blow thru it on to the solder while its melted. it blows off easily and you dont need to buy anything else.

 

[Omega]

never ran into this predicament, but i have one of those neat solder suckers. you push the piston down and click it in place, melt the solder, hit the button on the sucker and it, well, sucks (the solder, of course)
ive never been very good with desoldering braids :/

 

[ArRaY]

I run into this problem, too. However, I wasn´t able to get the solder away with my desoldering pump as the capillaric force (?^^) was stronger than its sucktion. I used the air method and it worked great...