[Mark Korda]

Dear Frank or Wayner,I recently saw a post on circuit board vs point to point wiring.I can't seem to find it.Frank Van Alstine wrote about the usefull ness of wooden toothpicks in soldering practice.One thing I think you neglected was how or where you used them in soldering.I'm always trying to better my soldering,so I was wondering what your technique with them was....curiously...Mark Korda

[avahifi]

Pointy wood toothpicks - - - I use them to reopen the holes in circuit boards to do repair or rework.

The theory is that you can't solder to a toothpick.

Unless, as happened to me once years ago, my late wife brought home really pretty plastic toothpicks for my use instead of wood one. 

Regards,

Frank

[Tone Depth]

Wow, that's classic Frank!  I'll bet you could do some nifty semi-conductor soldering with plastic toothpicks.

Pointy wood toothpicks - - - I use them to reopen the holes in circuit boards to do repair or rework.

The theory is that you can't solder to a toothpick.

Unless, as happened to me once years ago, my late wife brought home really pretty plastic toothpicks for my use instead of wood one. 

Regards,

Frank

[Mark Korda]

Thanks for answering my question Frank,I got a Radio Shack solder sucker and that copper braid stuff to suck it up,but as I remember it always finds a way,flowing back up to sealing say a tube socket pin connection.Do you heat the joint and insert the toothpick,then have some solder around the exposed hole to  reheat and finish the connection with a little more solder?Thanks for your tuotoring...Ps...I did not know you lost your wife,I'm sorry...sincerely Mark K.

[avahifi]

Toothpick technique:

Heat through hole in board now blocked by solder.  Push toothpick down gently through hole while applying heat.  Wait for solder to cool, remove toothpick. Sometimes you will have to repeat process from the other side of the board to clear the hole for a new component lead.  Use really pointy toothpicks.

The toothpick technique is also useful to clear openings in chassis mounted solder lugs and terminal strips.

Be careful to make sure no solder blobs run down into unintended places causing unintended circuit changes.   

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

P.S.  The first production of our newest creation, the Vision Hybrid DAC, is up and running this morning.  Sorry vinyl guys, you are now finally obsolete. $1999 complete with four switchable digital inputs, two optical, two coax.  Uses two 6CG7 tubes, Wolfson 8742 DAC chip, our patented transimpedance amplifier filter/amplifier, and major new design innovations including use of Exicon power mos-fets in the analog filters, and eleven regulated power supplies. Hearing is the proof.  We will have it in room 2000 at the RMAF, listen to it there.

[rcag_ils]

I love soldering technique. If anyone can tell me the easiest method to desolder a 9-pin tube socket out of a ckt board, I'd appreciate it since my PACE soldering unit has been broke for months.

PS, I don't believe vinyl will ever be obsolete, not even by the best DAC in the world. Certain pleasant mechanical distortion that generated by playing vinyl can never be dupicated by a beam of laser shining on a aluminum coated disc.

[avahifi]

Removing muli-pin devices from a circuit board.

Assuming you don't mind ruining the part to be removed, simply cut all the leads from the part as close to the body as possible and then remove them one at a time.

With many through hole capacitors where the leads are under the body. attack the body with a big wire cutters, cutting the part in half between the leads.  This should allow you to tip the "now parts" up far enough to access a lead.

Multiple pin though hole ICs, you need a special tool to do that or very very careful use of a heat gun.

Remember, gravity can be your friend.  Work from the bottom side where necessary so melted solder will flow away from the connection.

Be careful using solder wick, it often easier to accidently remove foil pads and traces using it than actually removing the part itself.

Regards,

Frank

[Mark Korda]

Thanks Frank for all that soldering info.In one of Bill Thomas's rebuild projects in Vintage,I beleive the rebuilding of a Dyna SCA-35 he gives about 10 tips on soldering that the old Dyna manuals don't tell.I copied them down and put them on the wall lookin at me where I do soldering.I have never heard a DAC and am still using my Magnavox 560 cd player.I live in Portland Me. and would have to drive to Massachucetts to hear one.High end has died up here,Tweeter at the mall having gone bankrupt and the only other store focusing on surround sound tv.Reguarding what Rcag-ils said about records,I remember what Bob Carver once said about digital vs. analouge.He said if you listen to vinyl with a warm fire going in your fireplace it will sound better than a cd,the clicks and pops you see.But without one the cd remained king.Thanks for your time,I love this Audio Circle thing,great to have....Mark Korda. P.S. Looking forward for reviews on your new DAC!

[rcag_ils]

I have several ckt boards that I'd like to salvage the tube sockets from. In the past I could take them out utilizing a PACE vacuum soldering station with ease. Now that the station is broken, I can still do it with a soldering iron with great care and patience, but often time, it's unsuccessful.

As far as the vinyl's "pops and clicks" argument, it's probably one of the oldest come-back from the CD guys. When you go to a live concert, is the environment at the concert hall, or stadium totally dead silent? NO. Do you still enjoy the music and performance? YES. Would you still enjoy the concert when the people sitting behind you just keep talking and would not shut up? Probably not, or maybe. So if the "pops and clicks" on the vinyl are not excessive (I am sure the vinyl guys wouldn't have any of those), vinyl records are still more enjoyable than CD with the properly set up equipment.

[mikeeastman]

Mark

 Do you have a link to that Bill Thomas post. Thanks

[Mark Korda]

Hi,Mike,I found it! Here is what you have to do.When you go to Audio Circle,look up top and click on (circles).Go down the list until you see (vintage)and click that on.After that comes on,go to page 4,as it was on there today,Oct.2.The article is fantastic(Audio by VanAlstine Dynaco Ultimate Stereo 70 Build/Rebuild)an article by Bill Thomas,and it will be on the first page of the article.If there was a way of just sending it over to the Toothpick/Solder topic,like cut and paste will you let me know,I'm still learning the computer Mike.....take care...Mark K.

[jmc207]

Is this it?

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=59784.msg531999#msg531999

"ALWAYS keep a clean tip on your soldering iron and tin it before making your solder joints.  If you have the budget for it, purchase a Weller "controlled temperature" soldering station, rather than a Radio Shack el-cheapo!  You will spend less time, and get MUCH better results - results that will last and last!  Keep a damp sponge handy to clean the tip of your iron.  If you are using the Weller "controlled-temperature" soldering station, they make it easy by including a good sponge, and the tray to put it in.  USE it - OFTEN.  Then "tin" the tip after it's clean.  Over the years, I have "standardized" on this procedure:

1.     Turn on the iron and bring it up to temperature.
2.     As it warms up, clean the tip against the sponge until it shines!
3.     "Tin" the tip by applying solder.  Place the iron in the holder.
4.     When it's time to make your solder joint, clean the tip against the sponge.
5.     Re-tin the tip of the iron.
6.     Apply the tip of the iron to the work.
7.     Place the solder against the opposite side of the work from the tip of the iron.
8.     Allow the solder to flow over the joint and remove the solder.
9.     THEN remove the iron from the work.
10.    Clean the tip of the iron.
11.    Re-tin the tip of the iron and place it in the holder.

     Repeat steps 4 through 11 as necessary.  When your "soldering session" is completed, clean the tip of the iron again.  Re-tin the tip of the iron and place it in the holder.  THEN turn the soldering station off and allow it to cool.  If you do all this, you'll stand a MUCH better chance of winding up with solder joints that are clean and shiny, not crystalline and dirty.  If you DO wind up with a crystalline appearance to a solder joint, do it again!  "Cold" solder joints are the most common reasons why a project like this fails."

[Mark Korda]

Hi JMC207,thats it,maybe not any new rocket science,but I always think I can get away without doing all those steps and keep soldering,kind of like not using the primer when painting a house.I'm following Bills steps to a tee from now on.Haste makes waste,right?....Mark K

[rcag_ils]

1.     Turn on the iron and bring it up to temperature.

I really feel like an idiot reading that instruction, sorry, but could anyone tell me what that temperature may be in degrees since most, well, mine anyway, has the temperature dial?

PS, I really like the toothpick trick, it really works when try to clear the hole, the residue solder is just too stubborn sometimes.