Intro Into SMD Soldering

Many people here might think SMD is impossible since the pins are so small and solder wants to cling onto every pin but it actually is very easy. This will teach you the basics of SMD Soldering if you build anything that works with SMD soldering and my tutorial helped you I would like you to post the picture.

WARNING: SMD components are very sensitive to heat, make sure you let your SMD cool down after every step.

I will start adding videos to this:

Making the base:

Place the SMD:

Since I was using a broken SMD here I forgot to do this, after soldering a side of pins the SMD will grow very hot get your sponge and hold it on the smd until it cools off, do this after the other side also. The reason you should do this is because you do not want the SMD to overheat and break.

Step 1: How They Look

SMD components can be of all shapes and sizes most of the time the really small items or ones with many pins are SMD. Here are some SMD components.

Step 2: Get Your Parts

Now go take your time and go find all the SMD components your heart desires BUT make sure the breadboard or PCB you are soldering them to is compatible with them. I used a old phone-line PCI card for this tutorial.

Tools:

Soldering Iron
Forceps
Desoldering Braid
Solder
Scissors
Moist sponge

Use scissors to cut off peices of desoldering braid

Step 3: Set-up Your Workspace

I like using a table, you can use anything you like as long as it is clean and flat. I usually place a sheet of paper under my breadboard or PCB to help me consentrate. This peice of paper will also catch any solder that comes off the board. This is the step you should start warming up your soldering iron.

Step 4: Tin Your Tip

I forgot to film this part (woops) so I suggest you go to this instructable:

How to tin the tip

Step 5: Make the Base

I call it making the base because this is where you will base your SMD component, take some solder and soldering iron and add miniscule amounts of solder on each of the connections, it does not matter if the solder connects with other connections.

Step 6: Placing the SMD

Now go get those forceps and pick up your little SMD, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! MAKE SURE WHICH WAY YOU MUST SOLDER THE SMD, KNOW WHERE PIN 1 OR + IS AND ALIGN IT WITH THE BOARD!!! Now grab your soldering iron and heat up a connection of solder and place the SMD, CORRECTLY, on it, again it does not matter if the solder makes connections with other connections. Now place solder on all the connections like I did in the picture this is a lot easier to do. Then grab your sponge with a little water on it and run the top of the smd a little rub the connections also.

WARNING: As I said SMD components are sensitive to heat, do this step very quickly.

Step 7: Touching Up

Now for the final step... Grab your desoldering braid and soldering iron, and forceps. Cut some braid off and pick it up with the forceps, the braid gets super hot in the next steps. Place the braid over the big blobs of solder, still holding it with your forceps. Place your soldering iron over the spot where the blob is, also on top of the braid, the braid should start getting silver, leave it there for 1-3 seconds after you see the silver start coming, pull it off and the blob should be gone and be replaced with single connections. You are now done :P

Step 8: Congratulations

You now know how to solder SMD components, this knowledge should work with any SMD component.

Comments

[thegrendel]

Thank you for an interesting and useful Instructable. Clear and well presented.

Now, for my own observations on SMD soldering.

1. Soldering flux, carefully applied with a toothpick to the pads of the base --

this helps the solder flow and also hold the IC in place.

2. If you can get one corner pin soldered, it fixes the IC in place for soldering the other pins.

3. SMD resistors seem to be *much* more difficult to work with than ICs.

[Aiden1015]

"this should work with any SMD component."

Not to be a smart ass but that's not true with BGA they have sold balls on the bottom that you cannot get with a soldering iron, you'd have to use a hot air station. Or the IC's that have a heat sink on the bottom.

Good instructable, I would also recommend using a liquid flux if you don't want to waste most of your solder.

[Thereyouhaveit]

BGA is different , BGA is not considered SMD .

[Aiden1015]

Why not? they seem to match the definition of surface mount.

[The Dark Lord]

Aaah, no video :(

[masterguevos]

where are th vids?

[d3monhax0r]

why did you remove the video?

[bpfh]

Bump :(

[Adum24]

This was really helpful! I won the homemade holidays runner up prize. This was a hackable christmas card. All the components were super small. This will help me. Thanks! But one question. Why did you remove your videos?

[jrgcool35]

 I kind of stopped using instructables, but the account I hosted these videos on was deleted, and I don't have backups for the videos. I'm going to try to make a new version of this with better videos and pictures.

[osoriocj]

Thanks for sharing ...

[Adum24]

Oh, alright.

[Detman101]

Thank you for this instructable. I always wondered how to solder SMD components and also how to properly desolder. Now I know both.

Dm

[whiteboyninja]

why'd you remove the videos

[Doctor Freeman]

he diden't there still there

[Szajba]

nope the clips are missing

[emkeyen]

Hello. Thanks for a very nice Instructable. Though, the videos are not working? ("We're sorry, this video is no longer available.")

[jrgcool35]

Ah, Sorry the videos will be repaired ASAP. I am currently very busy and haven't been able to check Instructables in a long time

[Alexizupinhea]

Yea, I saw the videos in the past, but now they're not working. Please add them again to youtube or something and update the instructable.

[rob_fed]

I noticed that you did not use any additional flux. I realize that the solder contains flux, but I used to build prototype, demonstration boards by hand. They contained many surface mount devices. If you coat both the circuit board pads along with the component connections with flux, the solder will lay flatter and in many cases you will not need to use the desoldering braid. Water based flux is the best, if you use rosin paste, you will have a larger clean chore.