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Step 5Cutting the leads
Once you've got your components soldered into the circuit board, you can go back and cut off the excess leads. This is pretty easy to do, and there isn't much technique here. Just a few quick tips before you snip:
It's best to use a sharp wire cutter that has just one side of its cutting edge beveled. This way you can get a smooth flat cut when you cut off the lead.
It's also a good idea to cut the leads pretty close to the circuit board to minimize the risk of creating a short.
Although I didn't do it in the video below, holding onto the excess lead when you cut it off is a good way to keep the little ends from getting all over the place.
Once you've got your leads cut you're pretty much done with soldering and ready to move on.
Here is some riveting video of the leads getting cut off:
It's best to use a sharp wire cutter that has just one side of its cutting edge beveled. This way you can get a smooth flat cut when you cut off the lead.
It's also a good idea to cut the leads pretty close to the circuit board to minimize the risk of creating a short.
Although I didn't do it in the video below, holding onto the excess lead when you cut it off is a good way to keep the little ends from getting all over the place.
Once you've got your leads cut you're pretty much done with soldering and ready to move on.
Here is some riveting video of the leads getting cut off:
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Resistor--restricts the power flow through it (actually, it converts some of the energy flowing through it into heat)
Capacitor--Uses electric fields to store a charge
Transistor--see here
Any more complicated part (and even some transistors) will have a datasheet, which you will need to examine to find out exactly what it does.
not only does it increase the time it takes to solder but when you
trim it after words you run the risk of breaking the joint even slight temperature changes can break the joint let a lone causing tremendous force on a joint that is brittle do to the heat.