Main > Main Forum

Soldering question

Pages: << < (6/6)

MattM:

Ah OK. Thanks for clearing that up thecheat. I was just going to do it like that on a fresh gamepad but I'd still rather work out how to do it correctly.

You mentioned about the gold vs copper traces earlier. This is the pad I'm working with:

(noobofthecentury's picture from an old thread)

Do those contact points look like copper to you? It they are the gold, would brushing on flux as you and others suggested allow me to solder to it?

Sorry if I'm repeating questions or not understanding your answers. I'm just trying my best to grasp this and appreciate everyone's continued assistance.  :notworthy:

thecheat:

Those are certainly gold, the plating is to keep that area from oxidizing and to ensure good contact with the carbon pad on the rubber button sheet.

An easier way to go about it might be to scrape the solder mask (green part) off the copper traces. That would give you more room to work with. You can start wtih the fat one that goes by SW7 on the top and see how that goes. Just make sure when you scrape off the top, you don't cut the trace.

Extra flux should be a real big help. I have a little tin of it and I'll dip the end of a lead in and scoop out a tiny bit when I'm ready to solder. It makes the solder more "wet" and it flows easier. You get some flux in the core of the (rosin core) solder but usually it's a teensy bit and the solder always melts over the core.

MattM:

I tried scraping back some of the solder mask on the other areas of the board a few weeks ago, and I had the same problem.

The extra flux is the main thing I haven't attempted yet. I'll see if I can get my hands on some in the next few days and give it a whirl. Fingers crossed.

If it doesn't work, I guess I can always do it the cheating way.  ;)

ohiojason:

Use flux.

I use to make fun of the new guy at work for insiting we buy Flux. "Why do you need that? Flux core solder has worked fine for the last 20 years for everone else!" I would say. Well I was having problems one afternoon, tried his flux, instantly became a believer, and ate a lot of crow. Is it needed, no, will it make things easier, most definatly.

Kman-Sweden:

I use a pair of pliers to scrape off the black oxide from the tip of my solder iron from time to time...
When it's nice and copper colored it works nicely. I use the thinest solder I can find... It melts easier than the thick solder.

Pages: << < (6/6)

Go to full version