Reflow oven

[ibm...@googlemail.com]

Hello all, new recruit here.

 

I am interested in using the reflow oven, and would be interested in hearing how you have got on with it.  I have a one-off middle-sized board (100x80, 300 components) so I think I might try a few dummy runs before putting the real thing in.

 

I have a vacuum pick-up pump which I am happy to contribute to LHS: http://www.beadsdirect.co.uk/beadsmith-pic-it-up-vacuum-tool-uk-plug/ST182/ plus a few other hand tools that could make up a SMD assembly/rework kit.

 

I will need some lead-free solder paste if anyone has any lying around.  I have yet to get a stencil made, so I am a few weeks away from finishing this project.

 

Lawrence

 

[Mr Ed]

On Wednesday, 20 August 2014 17:39:42 UTC+1, Lawrence wrote:

Hello all, new recruit here.

 

I am interested in using the reflow oven, and would be interested in hearing how you have got on with it.  I have a one-off middle-sized board (100x80, 300 components) so I think I might try a few dummy runs before putting the real thing in.

I used it for some small boards. Worked great.
 

 

I have a vacuum pick-up pump which I am happy to contribute to LHS: http://www.beadsdirect.co.uk/beadsmith-pic-it-up-vacuum-tool-uk-plug/ST182/ plus a few other hand tools that could make up a SMD assembly/rework kit.

That would be fantastic!

 

I will need some lead-free solder paste if anyone has any lying around.  I have yet to get a stencil made, so I am a few weeks away from finishing this project.

 

I've got a little bit left (it appears to be lead free). Though it's many months old now and hasn't been cool or anything so it might have degraded. It's just a small tub of cheap stuff off ebay. I used smtstencil.co.uk for a plastic stencil. Reasonably cheap and very effective even for very fine pitch (0.5mm) land pads.

-Ed


 

Lawrence

 

[Lawrence]

I did a trial run over the weekend.  I used a 100 x 150 piece of veroboard with lead-free solder dabs on a 1" grid to check the temperature distribution.  Using Cycle 3 it achieved a peak indicated temperature of 256C and the solder seemed evenly melted.  I did an empty cycle beforehand to warm the oven up.

 

I got a stencil from smtstencil which looks good.  I need to work out what to use for a squeegee as it needs to be about 100mm wide if I'm going to do it in one go.  I'm considering getting a filling knife with a rounded edge.

 

Once I've got the components together I'll sort out what to do for solder - if what you have is still stencil-able then I would use that.

 

As an aside - does anyone know what type of bulb the binocular microscope needs?  It's 12V (maybe 10W) with about 1/4" pin spacing (GU6.35?) - I can get some to try out but if anyone knows the exact type then it might save me some mis-ordering.  I have a Veho USB microscope, but that obviously needs an adjacent PC or similar.