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Solder or super glue ?

Gatrezal

Gatrezal

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
29
Points
8
Hi, I have a 10mw 532nm laser module that has a crack/break on a pin just before it connects to the board. Do I need to solder this back together or glue it or something or is it supposed to be broken there ? I probably cracked it from jigglin it too much trying to see if it would break . Anyway, I was thinking of hot glue or super glue because I’m not good with a welder or torch n stuff. Thanks.
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Hi,
Get yourself a cheap soldering iron let it heat up and lightly drag the point over the break. It doesent have to be solid just a small bridge.
Rich:)
 
Last edited:
You can never glue something like this. Glue is not conductive, so can never replace metal. Soldering is fairly easy. Just use a good flux cored electronics solder, NOT plumbing solder or flux. Clean the tip , with emery cloth if needed, to be able to see the copper. Let the iron heat up, put a little solder on the tip to "tin" it. If you are fixing a crack at this point, just touch it to the break long enough for the solder to melt and flow. If it were a new connection, I put the solder on top, heat it with the iron, and when it starts to melt, add enough extra solder for a good connection, but not enough for a huge blob. The biggest mistake is not letting what you are trying to solder get hot enough, and you end up with a cold, bad solder joint. BUT... You also have to watch to not let things get too hot either, as the heat can damage semiconductors.
 
I was able to fix the crack in the solder with a little benzomatic torch. It burned it a little but it still worked for a second. Then I wiggled it too much and pulled on it and the plastic piece came off the diode thing. Since super glue wouldn’t be a good idea I used some duck tape. It holds ok but I can’t get it to work now 😟
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Gatrezal said:
I was able to fix the crack in the solder with a little benzomatic torch. It burned it a little but it still worked for a second. Then I wiggled it too much and pulled on it and the plastic piece came off the diode thing. Since super glue wouldn’t be a good idea I used some duck tape. It holds ok but I can’t get it to work now 😟
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That plastic piece is the diode itself, Recently even lower quality unregulated modules like yours have appeared that have no driver just a few resistors, and a plastic package IR diode with a tab on the bottom for heatsinking. Consider it dead.
 
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Hi,
Take the tape off carefully and use some hot glue to attach the separation. Just a small amount and let it set, you can buy a mini glue gun with the glue sticks cheap at most retail outlets.
Better than 🦆tape..
Rich:)
 
Gatrezal said:
😁...you’re too kind, really.
the tape thing isn’t even a little funny ?
i mean, it’s all crooked...
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Go get a glue gun , the hot glue is very ridgid and sets hard and you wont need much to set it in place to be functional
Rich:)
 
Lifetime17 said:
Go get a glue gun , the hot glue is very ridgid and sets hard and you wont need much to set it in place to be functional
Rich:)
Click to expand...
Rich... His laser is done for. once that plastic package IR melted it's done.
 
Gatrezal said:
Yeh, sorry, I was being serious at first with this thread, but I ruined the module, so I thought I’d have fun with it...🤓
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Hi,
I can incorporate a 532nm module in a hand held host if you like . I have a few 532nm modules on hand.
Let me know if you decide ..
Rich:)
 
What was wrong with using a beRnzomatic torch to heat up a piece of copper at least and applying that to the solder joint?
 
Gatrezal said:
I did fix the crack in the solder with an iron,
but there was still a bad connection somewhere , because it would only work if I wiggled it a certain way...until I wiggled it too much or too hard and it broke off 😁
Then I lightly charred it with a little torch to get it hot so the tape would stick good. It didn’t, but I think it’s because it’s walmart duck tape and not 3m duct tape.
Anyway, my cat stole the pieces off the counter and brought them under the stairs..so I’ll just consider it an early Christmas gift to him.
(edit: my wife doesn’t do a good job vacuuming so there’s no way I’m sticking my hand under there to try and get it back)
Click to expand...
Advice for next time: when your doing any kinds of PCB rework/repair, should a trace comes comes off or you measure a poor or unstable connection, solder over a bride insulated wire or enamelled copper wire and spare your self the hassle. :)
 
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