Introduction: Quick Helper for Surface-mount Soldering
You can make a jig to hold surface mount chips and other parts while you solder them out of a piece of wood and a wire. This beats trying to use a tweezers!
Step 1: Make the Jig
Get a piece of wood and a piece of wire. I used a piece of 2x4 and a piece of coat hanger wire.
Cut the wire and file it if necessary so that its end is reasonably flat.
Drill a hole in the wood into which the wire can fit snugly.
Bend the wire into a "U" shape and insert one end into the wood.
Tweak the bend in the wire so that the other end presses lightly against the wood and stays still.
Step 2: Use the Jig!
To use the jig, just put your board on the wood so that the free end of the wire will be near where you want to solder your part. Now lay the part on the board and position the board with one hand while holding the free end of the wire up with the other.
Release the free end of the wire gently so that it holds your part against the board.
Solder.
8 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Just used this jig to solder some HTSSOP-20 chips. Worked like a charm! Thanks for sharing.
17 years ago on Step 2
What is on the end of the wire that touches the part?? Looks like some kind of rubber thingee.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
That's a surface-mount inductor. But it could be an IC, a resistor, or whatever it is you're soldering.
Reply 16 years ago on Step 2
y'know it probably wouldnt hurt to stick one of those rubber caps on the end of the wire, to reduce the chances of damaging the part.
16 years ago on Step 2
haha, I like the smiley face etch in the background :D
17 years ago
Nice always needing somthing like this Good Job Sweet
17 years ago
Nothing is faster than tweezers in one hand, and a soldering iron alternating the bottle of flux with the other.
17 years ago
Thats great!! I can barely hold the tweeezers still with my third hand ....