#259

Two tips that have helped me when constructing Arduino projects.
► PCBWay $5 for 10 pieces www.pcbway.com
So it's a more practical video this week as I share a couple of tips on how to desolder chips from PCBs without destroying either the chip, the PCB or neighbouring components.
And how to join two low-voltage wires for (outdoor) use to make them strong and waterproof (mine's going into my goldfish pond!)
As always, MUCH MORE INFORMATION in my GitHub for this video!
bit.ly/GitHub_...
► HARDWARE MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO
4:1 ratio adhesive heat shrink box (Amazon)
amzn.to/3RzHpdo
Chipquik SMD1NL ChipQuik Surface Mount Removal Kit
amzn.to/3jEvheD
Isopropanol Alcohol IPA 99.99% - Pure Chem (White) 500ml
amzn.to/3HC8Ej5
Louis Rossmann video (with Steve Burke from GamersNexus ) showing that you can never use too much flux when soldering PCBs, so funny
bit.ly/LouisRo...
► List of all my videos
(Special thanks to Michael Kurt Vogel for compiling this)
bit.ly/KZbinV...
► If you like this video please give it a thumbs up, share it and if you're not already subscribed please consider doing so and joining me on my Arduinite (and other μControllers) journey
My channel, GitHub and blog are here:
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• / ralphbacon
• ralphbacon.blog
• github.com/Ral...
• buymeacoffee.c...
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My ABOUT page with email address: / ralphbacon

[@therealemmpunkt]

Selfmade adhesive heatshrink: After soldering put a thin layer of hotglue on and around the solder joint. Let it cool down, put your heatshrink on and shrink it with a heat gun, starting from the middle.... Takes a bit longer but its cheaper and is the same as adhesive heatshrink...

[@RalphBacon]

Maybe. The glue in the heat shrink I showed remained flexible, which I'm not sure glue stick will, but it's certainly worth trying.

[@therealemmpunkt]

@@RalphBacon I do not really see a difference between the "normal" hot glue and the 3M shrinking tube that i use at work. The 3M glue gets also very hard in cold weather conditions. Might be better, but i can´t see a difference. You can buy softer glue sticks too... I´m using a small battery glue gun from Bosch with black 7mm glue sticks...(black is more UV-Resistant). Most important when working wit hot glue (or heat shrink with glue): Its not enough that the glue melts, also the material that you want to glue has to be hot. Otherwise its not really sticking together. If the material is hot enough, you can even glue metal together....

[@andrewtoogood1429]

Its amazing how many times you have solved an issue for me. I have been trying to think of a way to use a waterproof sensor on the bottom of my water tank for some time now, as it only came with a 10cm cable and i didn't know how to join it. now I do thank you

[@RalphBacon]

Glad to be of assistance, Andrew, nice to see you here (still, after all these years!)

[@TYGAMatt]

Thanks Ralph. You've done it again. Now I need to explain to the Mrs why I need to urgently buy adhesive 4:1 heat shrink, instead of getting her a new handbag. ;-)

[@flashcorp76]

Funny how we all have the Same problems….😊🤣😂

[@RalphBacon]

Glad to help!

[@TheUnofficialMaker]

Always love the Bacon Bits. 9:38 looks like some kind of mystical creature.

[@RalphBacon]

It WAS a mystical creature, which I have named my Third Hand. He even appears on some web pages occasionally!

About desoldering wick/braid: I've been using stranded wire with resin flux for "free" desoldering wick - usually use the shorter pieces of wire that would be useless and leave a little bit of insulation for heat protection.

[@RalphBacon]

Sounds like a great solution, Paweł, especially since braid is so expensive.

[@keithlohmeyer]

Nice tips video. Also have to say you are looking well these days. I been following since before the eyepatch days. Keep up the great work.

[@RalphBacon]

Thanks, Keith. Yes, the eyes are holding up after all the surgery. In case other are reading this, I've had two retinas reattached, one very well, the other not so great (the image is squished left/right and a bit wavy). Then both cataracts removed because they became totally fogged up, and lenses replaced with soft plastic things. Then the clear lens holder (behind the lens, who knew?) was lasered because it too became cloudy, on one of the eyes. It's only quite recently that the big blob of whatever that stuff was that was floating around my eye as a result of the lasering, has disappeared! The overall effect is that my eyes are worse than before because both eyes are not delivering the "same" image (my brain is working overtime to compensate, thank goodness I have grey cells to spare) but is better than before because I can see close-up stuff without glasses at all. If they stay this way, I will very happy. 👀😵‍💫

[@dom1310df]

There are two versions of the alloy, one with lead and antimony (for which sale is restricted) and another without. It uses bismith and indium, which give the low melting point.

[@RalphBacon]

Wow! Bismuth and Indium. I'm tempted to Google those in case you made them up, but I trust you. Strange stuff, but works well.

[@CTCTraining1]

Well done Ralph, you use the ChipQuik in the same way I do, very generously and wonder where it all goes. I see a lot of other repair KZbinrs being very mean with it. One thing, mine arrived in a tube rather than a coil, so looks like I dodged a bullet on that one. Keep up the great work 😀👍

[@RalphBacon]

A tube sounds OK but is it not even more tightly coiled in there (like solder that I have in a tube somewhere?)

[@andymouse]

Marvelous old chap ! can't beat a bit of Retro Ralph, I especially enjoyed the demo of 'Quickchip'...cheers

[@RalphBacon]

Glad you enjoyed it, but why do you keep calling me retro? Oh, I know, it's because I'm from an age gone by. [Note to self: strike Andy off Xmas card list]

[@andymouse]

@@RalphBacon Nah it's because you do much need refreshers like this on occasion and I celebrate this ! now put me back on the list Lol !

[@RalphBacon]

Ok, you've explained yourself well! [Note to self: put Andy back on Xmas card list]

[@rodneysmith1750]

Good job. I've used the adhesive shrink tubing extensively, in the past I owned an LED manufacturing company in Texas before it was all the rage. Our main line of work was accent lighting and custom working for Honda Goldwing motorcycles. Absolutely great stuff!

[@RalphBacon]

Thanks for the info! But did you ever own a Honda Goldwing, a beast of a machine!

[@TYGAMatt]

@@RalphBacon I remember riding a Goldwing around Bangkok back in the 90s. What a nightmare. I'm only a little lad... I was so scared of dropping it on the "quality" roads we have over here.

[@rodneysmith1750]

Yes sir I have owned two of them a 1995 1500cc purchased in 2001 and loved it so much I bought one of the 1800cc models bright orange in 2002, that bike I put over 100,000 miles on got too old and clumsy to ride, life sucks sometimes!

[@squalazzo]

a good tip (seen in some Daniele Tartaglia's youtube videos) to clean pcb pads, is to put high heat silicon (usually red) in some small container, have it fully dry, then cut it using a sharp knife to have a cuneiform shape... using this fine tip will clean up pads by pushing away the solder after having it heated, and works way better than that copper bride, and without risk of removing the pads themselves

[@RalphBacon]

I found his channel on YT but could not find a video of his that showed this. Got a link? I'd be interested.

[@squalazzo]

@@RalphBacon sure, here it is kzbin.infoE2oJNN_zb4A?feature=share

[@squalazzo]

@@RalphBacon i added link in other comment, hope KZbin antispam didn't bury it...

[@RalphBacon]

OK, I found it from your link - hang on, it's in Italian! But it was quite interesting.

[@squalazzo]

@@RalphBacon don't know if he translated it in English (he does, sometimes) but in the end it's easy, it's just high heat resistant silicon, cut after cured in that shape

[@SpinStar1956]

Back in the Dark-Ages, I would mix a small amount of 2-part epoxy and slide it in the heat-shrink then put in the wire; twisted at 45-degree angles along the complete bare exposed part. I would then massage it around and make sure that it was uniformly distributed. Once it started to harden, I would then apply heat and shrink it down. Finally, I would clean the joint with alcohol (which is a solvent for uncured epoxy) leaving a clean and watertight joint. On the de-soldering, I keep telling myself I'll buy some ChipQuick but never do. However I have found that you can nearly do the same by using Eutectic solder which has a real low melt-point. Anyway, great video Ralph and info for new-players...

[@RalphBacon]

I'm tempted to say, thank goodness we no longer live in the Dark Ages but I couldn't possibly comment. 😲 I guess Eutectic solder might work (the stuff solder by AZ melts at 70ºC) although there must be something special about ChipQuik (apart from the price) for it to stay molten for so long!

[@flashcorp76]

Just re-watching your desoldering tips ! Thumbs up AND congrats to your 13 Years of youtube posting ! :)

[@RalphBacon]

Awesome, thank you! But I don't think it's been _that_ long, just a paltry 8 years (that's including this year!). Funny, feels longer 😲😁

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

I use usually what iirc is called a NASA joint or Aeronautical joint . At the very least i would do a twisted joint by laying the wires across each other at 45deg and then twist so each wire winds itself around the other then solder. I usually tin the wires first if they are not too heavy a gauge - trying to bend tinned 8G wire isn't easy ! Here in Australia you can get a tin of liquid electrical tape - it is a bit like a rubber OR PVC paint and i have used this on all of the joints when i wired my boat up - 20yrs with zero problems . i paint it on the joint and wait until nearly dry which is only a few minutes then slide the heat shrink over and shrink with a hot air gun ( don't use a lighter with this stuff as it is flammable until the solvent flashes off ) . The heat shrink closes up and squeezes the liquid electrical tape out the ends and forms a watertight seal . You could probably do something similar with silicone sealer or gasket maker.

[@RalphBacon]

Sounds interesting! And if you've been using this method for 20 years then I guess it must work, too!

[@martin87865]

Hi Ralph, Great one on heat shrink. It will help me massively when working on my boat. I know it's a bit of a change of subject but would you please consider a tutorial on how to run a ATMega328p at 8Mhz internal resonator and without a bootloader installed communicating though MOSI MISO protocol ?

[@RalphBacon]

I've already done this video, quite a long while ago. I called it a Breadboard Arduino. It might be this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHvIXqOKnMt_gq8

[@JCWren]

Splicing the wire by twisting it together and folding it back is sub-ideal. The most correct method is using the Western Union Splice (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Union_splice). However, that does take a bit more wire and makes the joint longer. A less ideal version of this is just shortening the overall length of where the wires are wrapped over each other, and soldering that. You want enough soldered area to completely join the wire and provide reinforcement, but not so much that you have a 2" long hard spot in the wire. After soldering the wire, use a pair of nippers to cut off any sharp ends that couldn't be completely folded over as you don't want those to be able to potentially poke through the heat shrink. And speaking of heat shrink, they do make smaller sizes that are adhesive lined. The 4:1 shrink rate isn't as important as using the correct size shrink for the wire size. Double-walled adhesive lined shrink is my prefered choice. Lastly, you can always double up heat shrink. Put a piece of shrink over the joint with the just an 1/8" or so overlapping the insulation on each side, then put a piece that's about 1/2" longer over that. Basically you're bulking up the joint so that the outer piece can shrink tighter on it. I would consider the example shown at 13:45 to be unacceptable to put in the field.

[@RalphBacon]

Indeed, and as that Wikipedia article says, the WU splice is great for "...where the cable may be subject to loading stress." I certainly would not expect any of our electrical projects to put any wire under stress without some sort of strain relief using the outer sheath. But, when up a telegraph pole I'm guessing it's just perfect 😉 Yes, I was seriously thinking about augmenting my adhesive-lined heat shrink with a few smaller sizes (so they could also be used in a single wire, for example). Even going down to 3:1 would be a useful addition to the toolkit. Oh, by the way, I'm not putting that wire in any field 😁, it was just for a demo and I think (given my previous comment on strain relief) I'd be happy using it even in a pond! Which is what I'm doing with a similar joint on a pond pump. Thank goodness it's all low⚡voltage stuff!

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

You need to have the iron temp above the melting point of the solder as you are trying to form a new alloy with a melting point somewhere between the two. With luck it will be somewhere just above the low alloy as your adding quite a bit. I used to open the strands up to form a 'Y' and then the two 'Y's are putted together and then twisted so the strands of each wire get intertwined, then soldered. We also had to do this when putting two wires in to one solder bucket on a ‘D’ connector, as the solder is just the electrical connection and should not be the mechanical one.

[@rupert274]

It's actually a bit more complicated than that. If you take bismuth-tin solder (138 C) and lead-tin solder (183) and melt them together, the final alloy can be between 90-100 C; lower than than them both. That's important to know because if you repair a graphics card and don't remove enough of the alloy, it could potentially desolder itself in use (so I heard; no first-hand experience!). That said, you do still need the iron temperature to be high enough to melt the original solder used on the work you're trying to melt.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@rupert274 well I was just giving it a guess, as it had to be lower than original tin/lead or lead free. Never used it myself i just tend to cut the legs off. Or as they said in the film "you were only supposed to cut the bloody legs off" :-)

[@RalphBacon]

And the important bit to remember is to remove all traces of that alloy once the item has been desoldered. Or desoddered, if you live in the Colonies. 😁

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@RalphBacon how do you know you have got it all off. I used to have a soddering iron for use while sodding, not sure how well this comment will go down in the UK 🙂

[@OtusAsio]

As a note, the heat shrink must not be put on rubber like wires. It will last for some time but water will eventually go inside. We used it on submesible pumps and had to redo it at times. But great product non the less for more sturdy wires. And thank you for those tips.

[@RalphBacon]

Does water get inside heat shrink with that adhesive part of it? I was kinda assuming it was going to be impenetrable, unlike standard heatsink.

[@OtusAsio]

@@RalphBacon Unfortunatly it does but as I said it depend on the type of wire you use. If it is a rigid wire it will keep water out for a long time but if the wire is kinda rubbery it will stand ok for a time but cosider that you will have to check on it periodically.

[@jonathanr4242]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing

[@RalphBacon]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@RalphWLundvall]

The forgotten flux step shows an opportunity for a checklist. Keep the list with the ChipQuik.

[@RalphBacon]

Knowing me, I'd just forget to read it.

[@rupert274]

Before you buy more ChipQuik, get some bismuth-tin solder. The melting temperature is higher (138 C) so it won't stay molten as long but it works for me and is a fraction of the cost for the amount you get.

[@RalphBacon]

Sounds like a money-saving tip! thanks Sean.

[@MrCatchers]

@@RalphBacon Worth looking at ‘Desoldering PCB’s With Bismuth’ by Robin Debreuil on Utube. Good explanation of how it all works. I wonder if ‘Chipquick’ might contain Bismuth?

[@YoutubeBorkedMyOldHandle_why]

If anyone is interested in the composition, go to the Arduino forum and do a search for "what is chip quik." Chris Tenone has analyzed the stuff and concludes that it is: 63% Bi, 17% Sn, 14% C, 2% In, 2% other. The 14% carbon, which seems a bit out of place, is probably what makes it so brittle. By comparison, the low temperature 138°C unleaded solder, (I have some ... works well!), is 50% Bi, 42% Sn, and 8% Cu.

[@McTroyd]

Chip-Quik has definitely protected my posterior in the past. Very pricey though, so I save it for ICs that are costly or unobtainium. One of these days I want to invest in a hot air gun, having seen how efficiently Louis Rossmann can wield it for surface mount parts (especially BGAs!). 👍

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, pricey indeed. But using a hot air gun in the vicinity of other components (such as SMD capacitors) gives me great cause for concern. There must be a limit to how much abuse they can take!

[@McTroyd]

@@RalphBacon I expect you are correct. The way around the EEs seem to use to get around that is kapton tape.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, I've seen that used too. I even have some somewhere. Maybe I'll give it a go (one day).

[@ChrisBalmforth]

Both tips really useful Ralph, thanks! Will Chipquick work on through hole mounted chips as well?

[@RalphBacon]

Not really for through hole chips because the solder has gone into the hole and out the other side. This alloy has got nowhere to go other than on the top surface. TH chips require one of those huge rectangular desoldering bits (can't be used for anything else) and a soldering iron capable of delivering enough heat.

[@Peter_A1466]

Does the low melt solder work well with chips with a pad underneath?

[@rupert274]

That's a good point; I've never tried it but I don't see how it could possibly. I think you'd have to use hot air for that.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, as Sean says you need to use a hot air gun from underneath the PCB in the correct position, which might make things tricky (to say the least). You can try from the top but don't expect your chip to survive. I would try and desolder all the pins FIRST using this alloy and braid (or a solder sucker) so they are clean and free from the PCB then a hot air gun, as described.

[@springwoodcottage4248]

Interesting! I always separate wires with each joint independently heat shrunk & then either leave separate or put a bigger heat shrink over both joints. Thanks for sharing!

[@jstro-hobbytech]

Fancy king bright leds ehh haha. Can you give me a holler on the coffee thing some time. I have a quick question.

[@RalphBacon]

Sure thing, I'm just wondering what the "coffee thing" is that you're referring to?

[@Justdentures]

Yeah!!!

[@RalphBacon]

Cooool! 😉

[@chrisw1462]

Bending over wires after you solder them together creates a physically weak point on the wire that'd bent back. Overlay them so the ends are opposite each other, twist and solder, and the joint will be much stronger, AND you won't have a fat section that can't get through small holes or catch on edges.

[@RalphBacon]

Good tip! Yes, that fat bit is always troublesome to get the heat shrink over.

[@MikesTropicalTech]

It would be good to demo a 'NASA splice'.

[@kentswanson2807]

I was going comment on the NASA/Lineman splice, but since you have, I'll just comment on your comment.

[@Roy_Tellason]

Is that the same thing as what they used to call a western union splice? That's what I would've done, one of those...

[@RalphBacon]

I've been down that road about various ways of joining wires - all fine if you need a particularly strong joint (usually for [outdoor] commercial/industrial purposes) but for us hobbyists a quick twist with solder is about as strong as we ever need it, especially given the extra protection afforded by that 4:1 heat shrink! If we are actually pulling on wires then we need a strain relief somewhere to ensure the outer sheath it taking the strain, not the copper. IMHO, obvs.

[@thomasvnl]

Hej Ralph, how are you?

[@RalphBacon]

Hej Thomas, keeping well! I hope you are too. 👍

[@thomasvnl]

@@RalphBacon Good to hear, same here ;)

[@kev2020-z9s]

Use hot glue gun put that on first the put heat shrink on to make a waterproofing joint work well. To remove heat-shrink scratch the heat-shrink then heat it up with heat gun it should split open and use pliers to remove it.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, that sounds a good way too 👍

[@winstonsmith478]

Cheap hotplate and tweezers? TKDMR 300W PTC Heating-Soldering Plate - Hot Plate LED Remover Chip Welding Station for LED Repair DIY Laboratory - US$13.99 shipped on US Amazon

[@RalphBacon]

Hmm. Despite this being some sort of blatant advertisement, it was relevant! The UK link for the product is here (amzn.to/3Ig0azM ) for £25.60 - you can find it cheaper, of course, from the likes of AliExpress. And Amazon USA has it cheaper too. So just the UK with a higher price, although cheaper clones are available there too. I'm almost tempted to try one out. Almost. I'll think about it.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

Not a qfp it be sop or soic16

[@RalphBacon]

Is it? I never really paid that much attention to the outline! But the principle holds true.

[@kentswanson2807]

YABBURN. Yet Another Blood Blister Under Ralph`s Nail

[@roxleyldc]

…and were those stitches in the side of his head?

[@RalphBacon]

Geez, Louise, you guys are really observant. 🏥 The blood blister was caused on New Years Eve as I walked into a brick wall / fence (don't ask) and the "stitches" on my head is just a cut as I head-butted the car's boot that had not opened up as far as I had expected as I bent down to get the shopping. I can't do anything without The World noticing! But I'm fine. Really. The twitch is nearly gone.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

Ralph solder at normal temp so it mixes then put dlux on and then hot air. The low melt is pricey. There should be enough low melt to use 6 to 8 times but I'm very stingie with it. It's a bitch to get off too especially if you want to save the chip. There's a brand called SRA that gives you like 40 percent more solder for an extra 5 beans I switched to 3 to 1 version of adhesive black or clear for hv.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, 3:1 is fine too (not as good as 4:1 in some situations). Standard 2:1 heatshrink is always a bit of a problem - too small and it won't go over soldered joints, too large and I don't feel it's really bringing anything to the party!

[@yogeshitaliya473]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@RalphBacon]

Glad to see you are on form today, Yogesh!

[@fredflintstone1]

bend copper wire and heat it with your soldering iron with flux and the chips come off okay 🙂

[@RalphBacon]

Might be OK with DIP chips, I guess, but not a QFP32 as the solder resolidifies before you can desolder all the pins, surely? Yes, I know your name is not Shirley.

[@ForwardGuidance]

My wife has more hot air than any of your heat guns! Just kidding Ralph, she's great.

[@ForwardGuidance]

@@2000jago I put comments on Ralph's videos to help the channel. Usually I mess with Ralph last name by saying everything tastes better when wrapped in Bacon. Hardly any of my comments are about electronics, because I don't do electronics. I do coding and solar. I tune in just because I sincerely enjoy listening to Ralph. But, all man, dang it, really sorry you didn't like me kidding around. Again, very sorry you were offended buddy. Take care.

[@ForwardGuidance]

Ralph, I know you like to reply to all comments. It's okay to skip these to remain neutral. I understand. Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge with all of us.

[@RalphBacon]

I've found Mr Dixon's wife's email📨address and have forward her his comment as I know she will be interested. Really, she will.

[@ForwardGuidance]

@@RalphBacon That's going to heat her up Ralph. LOL. I stand by what I said "she's great." Take care buddy.

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

Great video. I dont do a huge amount of soldering these days and I agree the chipquik is good having used it myself. However it is expensive and you can achieve the same thing using a copper wire heat shunt. Being an old bugger like me you probably know about this trick look about 11 minutes in kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqSmY5ycf9hleqM all the best Chris

[@RalphBacon]

For through hole components (mainly chips) that's always a good way to try and desolder a chip - because other than that you would need an oblong soldering tip that fits over the pins (underneath) and which works, but costs a lot for very little use (in a hobbyist setting).

[@rudy5360]

I want a proper English IPA now

[@RalphBacon]

Me too. Come 5pm I'll be pouring one, I feel sure. Ice cold, straight from the fridge.

[@rudy5360]

@@RalphBacon Enjoy!

[@jstro-hobbytech]

I buy Ralphy coffee and he doesn't get back to me so I can ask a few questions about a project I'm working on.

[@RalphBacon]

You can email me any time you like Joey, feel free to ask away. BTW I have a kit for you if you are interested, not one of mine but still a kit.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

@Ralph S Bacon naw that's ok. Where I'm starting a channel I just have a few quick logistical questions and it can wait. I was joking my friend. The coffee email arrived yesterday and I decides to torment you hahaha

[@RalphBacon]

Consider me tormented, Joey. 😵‍💫

[@jstro-hobbytech]

@@RalphBacon ten four ralphy

[@Jibs-HappyDesigns-990]

whay's this? where's the dancing girls? order up! tripple rocketship.. quallity builds!! good luck Seamore!

[@RalphBacon]

You really do need to cut down on your ☕caffeine intake. No, really you do.

[@btomas225]

Sodder...The "L" is silent...

[@adrianjohnson6918]

No in the Uk

[@crankybloke]

Only in the US. ROW pronounces it correctly including the "L".

[@RalphBacon]

I was going to do a whole thing (gently) mocking the way some people pronounce soLd-er as sod-her but figured it would upset our colonial cousins so ditched that idea. I'm beginning to wish I had carried on with it 😁

[@RonDogInTheHouse]

is it Samon or Salmon? Some of us Yanks mostly in the Northeast add 'R' to words that don't have them and drop the 'R' in words that do, like driving my Ca, or I cut the wood with a sar. Crazy the differences in the English language. Love the spelling differences too, like you spell colour we spell color. But we can easily understand each other.