KABTRONICS World Clock, Operating And Assembly Manual

Page: 5 / 37

K A B T R O N I C S S O L D E R I N G
World Clock Kit Page 5
Soldering
This manual can’t teach the art of soldering, but here are the basics. Remember, you need to
make over 670
GOOD solder joints for each slice; each bad joint will be an adventure in
troubleshooting.
Wet the tip of the iron with a bit of solder and wipe off the excess solder on the wet sponge
occasionally, or when you notice the joint is not heating properly. The small amount of solder left
on the tip helps conduct heat to the lead and the pad.
Insert the component leads and press the component flat against the PC Board. Slightly spread
the leads to hold it in place when you flip the board over to expose the back side with the
component lead facing up.
•
Make good contact between the iron, the lead, and the pad on the board so the lead and
the pad both heat up enough to melt the solder.
•
It should take from 0.5 to 1 second for the joint to become hot enough to melt the
solder.
•
Don’t overheat the joint, as soon as the solder melts and wicks into the joint remove the
iron and hold still for a few seconds until the joint freezes.