Also, even with glasses on, I can find it a bit tricky to see where the pins are in the presence of lots of shiny pyramids of solder. Perhaps I need new glasses!
Long ago, I acquiesced to the reality of what age does to one's vision and stopped building point-to-point stuff. The expense of getting a PCB made is more than offset by being able build the thing without mistakes. I couldn't imagine now trying to do with 30 gauge wire and a perf board what I was doing 15 years ago when I could still see well.
When I solder PLCC sockets I use a soldering iron tip whose end I have ground flat. I press the tip to the end of the pin only and let the pin propagate the heat.
So you put the soldering iron tip on the end of the WW pin and let the heat radiate down to the other end for soldering? And you don't melt the plastic socket doing that?
When I solder PLCC sockets I use a soldering iron tip whose end I have ground flat. I press the tip to the end of the pin only and let the pin propagate the heat.
So you put the soldering iron tip on the end of the WW pin and let the heat radiate down to the other end for soldering? And you don't melt the plastic socket doing that?
Well, I don't use wire-wrap sockets, just the conventional solder-tail types. It doesn't take but a second for the pin to get hot enough to flow the solder. The socket is not harmed in any way.
Well, I don't use wire-wrap sockets, just the conventional solder-tail types. It doesn't take but a second for the pin to get hot enough to flow the solder. The socket is not harmed in any way.
Ah. I thought you meant WW sockets. I just imagined a WW pin glowing red hot. lol
Well, I don't use wire-wrap sockets, just the conventional solder-tail types. It doesn't take but a second for the pin to get hot enough to flow the solder. The socket is not harmed in any way.
Ah. I thought you meant WW sockets. I just imagined a WW pin glowing red hot. lol
You have a soldering iron that reaches red heat? Whoa!
When I was a teenager fiddling with electronic kits, I left my room and came back a few minutes later. An awful smell was perceptible from the corridor : Believe it or not, I found my cat sitting on the 30W soldering iron which I laid flat on my desk.... the iron was hot ! My cat's coat was so long that it didn't feel any pain.
...I spent quite some time cleaning the soldering iron
I once had an 80W soldering iron that started going red near the handle after I left it on for too long. When I noticed it, I pulled the plug pretty quick, but that iron never worked again.
But this isn't really on-topic, so we should probably stop.
I couldn't imagine now trying to do with 30 gauge wire and a perf board what I was doing 15 years ago when I could still see well. 
