Ask HN: Can You Solder? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Can You Solder?

#11

Post by zkirill » Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 3:18 PM UTC

beardyw wrote: post #10

My hands are a bit shaky now, so I don't attempt anything but through hole. I would avoid asking people to do surface mount unless it is reasonably straightforward - it was never meant to done that way.

> avoid asking people to do surface mount unless it is reasonably straightforward - it was never meant to done that way.

This is the kind of comment that I was hoping to read here. Would you mind elaborating? What is considered straightforward? Can a PCB be designed or printed in such a way that makes it straightforward to surface mount components? Does the number of PCB layers factor into this?

Re: Ask HN: Can You Solder?

#12

Post by beardyw » Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 3:24 PM UTC

zkirill wrote: post #11

beardyw wrote: post #10

My hands are a bit shaky now, so I don't attempt anything but through hole. I would avoid asking people to do surface mount unless it is reasonably straightforward - it was never meant to done that way.

> avoid asking people to do surface mount unless it is reasonably straightforward - it was never meant to done that way. This is the kind of comment that I was hoping to read here. Would you mind elaborating? What is considered straightforward? Can a PCB be designed or printed in such a way that makes it straightforward to surface mount components? Does the number of PCB layers factor into this?

I would say component size and pin spacing mainly.

Re: Ask HN: Can You Solder?

#13

Post by JohnFen » Fri, Oct 25, 2024, 3:35 PM UTC

h2odragon wrote: post #9

JohnFen wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Small welding"? Do you mean brazing?

as well. but where's the line? I've stuck 1in angle iron together and had it stay stuck under load. I count that as welding, with some pride. but then i've seen folks weld together an excavator that broke ( in half ) halfway up the main arm. and then seen the machine finish the job with their repair. that's real welding, so i can only claim "small".

I get it.

Technically speaking, welding is when you've melted the two pieces together so they form an integral piece. Brazing is when you're "gluing" two pieces together using the metal of the brazing rod as the glue.

Brazing is not necessarily a weaker bond than welding, depending, but is usually done either as a temporary repair until welding can be done later (because you can braze with a blowtorch instead of a welding machine), or when you're bonding two metals that are different enough that welding is not possible.

Technically speaking, soldering is a form of brazing.