Question about solder bridges on small parts

I was fixing a game console and had a tough time with solder bridges on a tiny chip. My hands were steady but it still happened a lot. I found that a finer tip on my iron helped a bunch. What tricks do you use for this kind of work?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony_campbell881mo ago

Oh for sure, a finer tip seems like it would help but honestly I've had better luck with a slightly bigger chisel tip. It holds more heat so you can get in and out fast without cooling down. The trick is to use a tiny bit of extra flux and kind of drag the solder off the pins using surface tension.

noaht151mo ago

That drag trick with surface tension you mentioned is a GAME changer. I tried it once and my solder joint looked like a modern art project, not a connection. But seriously, the bigger chisel tip makes sense for heat retention. I used to go too small and my iron would just DIE on contact. Now I slap on more flux and pray, and it somehow works.

barbarah191mo ago

Ugh, been there with the modern art solder blob phase. My first attempt looked like a sad silver turtle hiding on the board.