Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!glasgow!mohamed
From: mohamed@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Geoff Mohamed)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Vero Wire Circuit Prototyping System
Message-ID: <1498@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Date: 19 Jul 88 10:58:29 GMT
References: <188@lithium.kcl-cs.UUCP> <7222@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: mohamed@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Geoff Mohamed)
Organization: Comp Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland
Lines: 31

In article <7222@cup.portal.com> R_Tim_Coslet@cup.portal.com writes:
>
>	1) The insulation can be difficult to burn off. So, Use a higher
>	wattage Iron (>40W) to burn the insulation off quickly, a 25W Iron
>	will take >10 seconds per pin and may thermally stress the ICs
>	(In addition to producing intermitent connections). The last board
>	I made with it I used a 100W soldering gun and had no bad joints.
>	I also recommend using an Ohm Meter to check ALL connections on
>	any board wired this way.

 Tim doesnt mention if his soldering irons are temperature controlled. If
they are, then NO amount of wattage will burn the insulation if the tip temp.
is too low. I actually bought a cheap (Antex) 15W iron for this use.
It doesn't have any temp control so the tip gets very hot. A good soldered
joint can be made in <5 seconds (typically 3 seconds).

>	3) If you assemble with this system and solder directly to the IC
>	pins (the cheapest way to do it) and find an IC is bad; don't try
>	to unsolder it to replace it! The wires are VERY springy and will
>	be almost impossible to keep in order. Just cut off the pins close
>	to the package and solder the new part to the pins of the old one.

Use sockets, they are less hassle all round. Cheap sockets protrude further
so if you need to mod the board you can easily add another wrap on top of an
existing one. Turned pin sockets have shorter legs so are trickier to use.

You can have problems with the combs falling out. A friend suggested
fixing this by applying a hot needle to the lugs from the component side
of the board. This then forms a sort of rivet out of the plastic.

	Geoff