daguin
0
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 15,989
- Points
- 113
I was taught that "It is a poor mechanic that blames his tools."
For about a month I have been dissatisfied with my solder joints. They weren't as clean as they had been. They weren't as shiny as they had been. They were sometimes "lumpy." I made sure that they were always solid, but they just looked bad. :yabbem:
Since I was taught to always take responsibility for the outcome of my job, i was going crazy trying to figure it out what I was doing differently. I even pulled out an old circuit board to practice on. Nothing seemed to help.:tsk:
I finally ran out of things to try. While I was in the electronic store picking up something unrelated to lasers, I noticed a bright shiny new container of flux. I thought, "Maybe my flux has gone bad." I've never heard of that, but as I said, I was running out of things to work on. :thinking:
I thought that since I was buying something in the area, I might as well pick up some more solder too. I have been using the same brand and type of solder for years. When I got home, I decided to work on a build I'm doing for one of the members here. I pulled out my new flux and "Damn!" my solder joint still looked like crap!
I decided "What the hey! I'll try the new solder." Well let me tell you what - - - -
The heavens opened and the angels sang :angel:
Smooth shiny solder joints that would have made my high school shop teacher proud.
I have no idea what was wrong with the solder, but whatever it was that happened to it, it WAS the solder that was bad.
The moral of the story is in the subject. Sometimes it IS the tool's "fault" when things don't work the way you think that they should.
Imma hafta stop listenin to my dead daddy
Peace,
dave
For about a month I have been dissatisfied with my solder joints. They weren't as clean as they had been. They weren't as shiny as they had been. They were sometimes "lumpy." I made sure that they were always solid, but they just looked bad. :yabbem:
Since I was taught to always take responsibility for the outcome of my job, i was going crazy trying to figure it out what I was doing differently. I even pulled out an old circuit board to practice on. Nothing seemed to help.:tsk:
I finally ran out of things to try. While I was in the electronic store picking up something unrelated to lasers, I noticed a bright shiny new container of flux. I thought, "Maybe my flux has gone bad." I've never heard of that, but as I said, I was running out of things to work on. :thinking:
I thought that since I was buying something in the area, I might as well pick up some more solder too. I have been using the same brand and type of solder for years. When I got home, I decided to work on a build I'm doing for one of the members here. I pulled out my new flux and "Damn!" my solder joint still looked like crap!
I decided "What the hey! I'll try the new solder." Well let me tell you what - - - -
The heavens opened and the angels sang :angel:
Smooth shiny solder joints that would have made my high school shop teacher proud.
I have no idea what was wrong with the solder, but whatever it was that happened to it, it WAS the solder that was bad.
The moral of the story is in the subject. Sometimes it IS the tool's "fault" when things don't work the way you think that they should.
Imma hafta stop listenin to my dead daddy
Peace,
dave