The thumbnail for this video is a work of art.

More Colins lab please. This man inspired me to give hobby electronics a try.

I agree on this video about 'anchoring the first pin' - but drowning the pins with solder and suck it off afterwards is not really how I handle these SMD / TSSOP devices; - Just add a little bit of flux to the PCB traces for the device you want to solder. - Carefully place your device on the fluxed traces. - yes, anchor the first pin like in this video but keep in mind the technique below: - Put a small ball of solder on your (preferred chisel-tip) welder and just place it on the outer area of the PCB trace. The solder will follow the trace to the pin and the all ever beautiful cohesive power will suck the solder underneath the pins of the device, making an instant clean solder, no bridges; clean. Just a dot of solder on your welding tip will probably allow you to nicely connect about three pins of the device. It's a much more economic way to use your solder too!

FLUX Dude!

I didn't realise how good this guy really is until I tried SMD soldering for myself

Use some liquid flux first.

Watch out for the QFP chips with a central bottom pad. While some of those center pads are just for thermal dissipation others actually are important ground connections. On those that have important grounding requirements, your technique will not provide reliable results. On those where the central pad is only for thermal reasons, you may have to watch out for heat dissipation. Getting that bottom center pad actually soldered is nearly impossible using only a soldering iron. But one technique that could work is instead of soldering the single corner pin, use a low temperature solder and lightly tin the bottom pad on the PCB and the pad on the chip. A very thin coating. Then heat the PCB from the under side to re-melt the solder and make that the first connection to a QFP, not the corner pin. If you can get your hand on a small tube of solder bearing paste, then use a small drop of paste on the PCB pad instead of tinning the PCB pad and the chip. Still very difficult to make that solder connection with a soldering iron. if the PCB has thermal vias the transfer heat quickly through the PCB to the pad, that will make it easier. But the whole process will be quite a bit easier to do with a hot air gun. With a hot aid gun you can also do BGA chips. If you're doing a lot of QFP chips, buy a hot air gun and a small tube of solder bearing paste. You'll eliminate a lot of problems. Keep the solder paste in the fridge so it doesn't go bad (it will separate if you don't) and use it for those special chips.

I was told by a hand pocket watch maker, "never drink caffeine when dealing with small parts." It allows you to be more precise in your body movements.

Super useful, always been terrified of surface mount despite cost advantages, but this video has inspired me to have a go. Thank you!

I use painter's tape cut into thin strips to hold down large multipin devices before soldering. This lets you reposition and align the device before applying any solder at all.

I've been a long fan of Collins videos. they're very well done and clear

Your very steady hands help a lot too. Great video Collin :)

Wow! Thank you for this video! I'm blown away... I wish I saw this video before I started connecting my neopixels!

Hi Collin! Love your tutorials! One question, I noticed that you used the Hakko soldering station for this (SMS) project. What temperature did you set your Hakko to? What soldering tip did you use? Thanks much!!

What a fantastic video. Great job Collin!

Well done Mr. Collin, well done . . . love the music bro.

You're the only reason I'm subscribed to this channel.

After a long time a video from Collin's Lab Please upload a video of Collin's Lab regularly every one week or two week

this de-soldering pump is really nice looking, i ended up buying one. could you maybe consider doing a video on de-soldering? (if you haven't already) maybe including some of the other methods like electronic/powered vacuum pumps?

Glad to see you back

It's quite relaxing, Mr. Anderson.

I’m very noob about soldering, just two questions. 1) what solder do you use? (If you could link one) 2) what temperature do you use for solder wires! Chips, desoldering?

with your final example no exposed pins i have found tinning everything seperatly and then setting the chip down to solder with a hot air station makes for an easier and cleaner looking install

that relaxing part reduced my fear quite a bit :D

Collin u r always a relaxing man. I am your great fannnn

Is there any specific breadboard to prototype your project with SMD? Or just prototype with through hole components first then go to SMD?

watching smd work is so satisfying!

No no no, don't solder like this! Use flux and don't go over all the solders with that solder wick it will damage the pads, pcb and the risk of shorts are really high.

I personally think you did great! If you think about it, flux is to move the heat across the solder surface point rapidly to get the solder to flow across that point. The points of heating are so small here that the only difference it would probably make is making a mess to clean up. Keep up the good work and I do like the comedy added. If anyone noticed?? LOL!

quite relaxing indeed. thanks for sharing

For those saying use flux, do you put the flux on the pads before you begin to solder? How precise do you have to be with the flux? When I'm soldering my solder gets really sticky and sticks to my tip.

Love Collin's Lab

FLUX FLUX FLUX.......

Collin's Labs are the best, I watch every single one, I may have an addiction

Thank you very much for the great video. 😊

Thank you, Collin! =)

The best tutorial in electronics!great video!!

nice work sir....................keep going on

Is there a direct contact with the solder tip and the surface? Or are you letting the metal drip to the surface?

Thanks for the tips.on SMD soldering

Thank you Mr. Collin

Very nice video on SMT hand soldering.

Very Helpful Video. However, what Microscope and Camera did you use?

some flux and less solder will be better than your way

does the process change when using homemade circuit boards that may not have solder mask, and how do you keep from removing too much solder?

It's a great video and thank you!! On my Chuwi Hi9Air tablet, I want to disconnect battery. Manufacturer has two battery poles ending not on a pin connector, so, pole cables are connected on the motherboard soldered. Two pole cables are extremely thin, and also, soldered cables ending are extremely small. I have never seen such a tiny solder. I find it too difficult to unsolder. And if we suppose I unsolder correctly, without any damage, soldering back, e.g. battery replacement, the new battery, I mean the pole cables, is extremely difficult and risky to solder without doing any e.g. bridging damage, and finally damaging completely the motherboard. Would you have something to suggest me in all that? Thank you for your time!

Nice work sir

i can't watch how you drag that wick and scrape that board with hard copper and tin-lead alloy (solder) you can lift sooo many traces with it...

I need suggestions for how to deal with very unsteady hands. I have considered trying to build a remote control arm/robot with filtering to remove the shake frequencies. Or has someone already invented that?

You missed the centre pad on the QFN. Also, the resistors didn't have enough solder.

+Adafruit Industries Great video. Why not just use reflow? Are there any advantages to using this?

I would recommend spending the $20 on a cheapo hot air station and some solder paste. Makes the process worlds easier

This is too satisfying...

Getting set up to film this has to be a huge pain in the ass. The shots look great though - whatever camera & rig is being used to film him doing the actual soldering (while not getting in his way I hope) must be cool.

Best SMD video ever.

Looking good Collin! Your shorts are great, you are the Sagan of electronics :D

Thanks Collin.

you can actually remove the excess solder with just the iron tip, if you have flux, you don't need the braid or solder extractor

That was cool and relaxing...

This has made me so much happier about my SMD soldering videos...use some flux man!

I have same smd soldering process using iron box method simple and easy to use .

How much can direct contact with the soldering iron these parts take?

one of the best!

Soldering components is so much harder than I expected it to be. I grew up using a soldering iron to make stain glass projects, but I’m finding now that I’m trying to solder electronic components it’s much more difficult.

I

I found out the hard way that brushing the solder wick crosswise on ic chips with extra fine legs just mangled them. I brush the wick parallel with legs now.

What's your recommend temperature on your soldering station, in particular for the bridge and desolder technique on ICs?

"Quite relaxing" ?!?! You're a freak !!! Aaand subscribed xD

1206 - I could do it 0805 - Still fair... 0603 - It's getting tricky 0402 - Where did it fly now?! It's the fifth component that did this this hour!

I missed Collin!

It seemed like the iron was in contact fro a long time in some cases. Any risk of damaging the component? What setting is the iron on?

AWESOME!!!

thank you

On EEVBLOG Dave would say your soldering looks a bit how ya doin'. Why wouldn't you use flux and a hot air gun? Faster, easier, and better results.

hi what kind of solder paste are you using ?

Nice beard! You look very distinguished.

he is just so god damn cool.

I've heard tomestoning can be a problem. Any suggestions on this and other common issues when first starting?

I love this song in the background : 3

Solder Paste and a heat gun will do the trick too!

This is very good

"You too, can work, like a machine... Mr. Anderson"

Collin is my hero! Who else can hand build a metro while wearing a suit?

solder paste & reflow soldering is much easier whenever you are able to

Cool!

quit relaxing！ i agree with IT

Haha great skills and great video. I subscribe.

well done ...

Isn't solder wick leaving a ton of residue and making a general mess of the finished product?

hello Collins beard, nice to meet you.

What temp range is this for SMD?

Excellent very exciting

as a kid i watched every video from you im still only 17 tho

I definitely need a new soldering iron. Looks such a breeze using a good one, fast to heat pads, etc.

really smart Best Regrds

Nice music!

I prefer using Solder paste and a hot air gun. the speed is about the same, but you get much cleaner results. The main problem I feel is that solder wire doesn't have enough flux for the job, and most liquid (and even jel) fluxes are poor quality; they just stink/stick up the board with little effect. decent LEAD solder paste has plenty of flux and reworks like a dream. it actually makes QFN's the easiest of all to solder, as the chip easily locates itself and squashing it down a few times with a pair of tweezers while hot quirts out any excess solder without creating bridges.

at 3:37s. the three ic's looks like the solder is exess. how do we correctly deal with excess solder on small areas like those. ITS LIKE THE SOLDER JOINED TWI ICs of the three aligned on the right handside. (pause video at 3:37)

the aspergers in me is screaming inside.

Thanku sir very nice.......,