>
> One doesn't typically need to glue down components to the perfboard --I'm
> assuming your using through-hole parts.
> Usually the solder itself is sufficent to hold the part in place; unless you
> have a particularly large cap or something.  Get yourself a nice panavise to
> hold the board on its side and nudge the part into place while you tack down
> with the solder.  Once the part is positioned where you want it, do a nicer
> job making electrical connections; solder joints should be shiney when cool.
> You'll get the hang of it once you get to doing it. Also, be careful to not
> overheat the leads on the smaller semiconductors --a couple of seconds
> should be more than enough to get a good joint.
>
> What are you building?
> Good luck!
> -Dal
>
> Oh, yea --Don't try to catch the hot soldering iron if it falls off the
> workbench.  :)

>
> Kevin,
>
> Here's how I solder components:
>
> Method 1:  Insert the component and bend the leads out with your fingers, in
> a way that holds it into the perfboard.  Flip the board over, clamp it into
> a panavise, and solder the component into a pad.  You can get creative with
> using the leads to run to the next component.
>
> Method 2:  For components with leads too short for method 1.  Insert the
> component into the perfboard, and apply some black electrical tape to hold
> the component temorarily while you solder it it.
>
> Method 3:  Hold the component with your fingers, hoping you can solder fast
> enought before the component heats up.  Then put your burnt fingers in your
> mouth, cursing and swearing that you'll never use that method again,
> meanwhile dropping the unsoldered component into the shag carpet at your
> feet.   Pick up another component and repeat.
>
> Amazingly, I have been soldering for 25 years and I still use method 3 with
> regularity.
>
> Don't glue them down, it just makes it harder to unsolder them when the
> inevitable changes are needed.
>
> Don't skimp on a soldering iron.  Forget all those Radio Shack irons.  At a
> minimum get a Weller WP35 or equivalent, set ya back about $35US, with the
> skinniest tips they sell.  Better yet is a temperature controlled iron.
>
> Save your lungs, get hold of a fume extractor, or make one from a muffin fan
> and a small scrap of filter material.  I stuck mine on the end of a
> parralellogram lamp arm (those cheap architects lamps on a big hinge) for
> easy placement right behind the piece to be soldered.
>
> Practice soldering a lot, until you can do it consistently, with joints that
> are stronger than the wire.  When you can solder two thin wires together,
> yank on them, and the wire breaks before the joint, you have finally learned
> the art.
>
> -- Lawrence Lile
>

>
> Thanks for the advice, it never dawned on my to do the work with the
> board on its side.
>
> I am using through hole parts.  I've built a water sensor, we had a
> little leak last week that was a bigger problem than it should've been
> only because nobody noticed the leak as soon as it started.
>
> The sensor will start a piezo  buzzer and start a 555 circuit to
> open/close a relay that'll close contacts on a spare X10 RF trasmitter.
> The X10 signal is picked up by a PC based home automation controller
> that'll get someone's attention.  I might replace the 555 with a PIC
> later.
>
> Kevin
>
> Dal Wheeler wrote:
> >
> > One doesn't typically need to glue down components to the perfboard --I'm
> > assuming your using through-hole parts.
> > Usually the solder itself is sufficent to hold the part in place; unless you
> > have a particularly large cap or something.  Get yourself a nice panavise to
> > hold the board on its side and nudge the part into place while you tack down
> > with the solder.  Once the part is positioned where you want it, do a nicer
> > job making electrical connections; solder joints should be shiney when cool.
> > You'll get the hang of it once you get to doing it. Also, be careful to not
> > overheat the leads on the smaller semiconductors --a couple of seconds
> > should be more than enough to get a good joint.
> >
> > What are you building?
> > Good luck!
> > -Dal
> >
> > Oh, yea --Don't try to catch the hot soldering iron if it falls off the
> > workbench.  :)