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SAFETY "A safely built project will bring years of enjoyment" This page isn't a hall of shame, purely a few hints and tips to making projects safely.
Firstly a pet hate is seeing people soldering components directly to ICs, this has many negatives points, the IC could be destroyed by the heat of a soldering iron, it looks a mess and if the IC survived the soldering process what would you do if the IC became faulty? the whole project would have to be made from scratch. There are many different types of IC holders available that fit stripboard/padboard so there really is no need for it.
When constructing a project using stripboard, dry fit all the components first to find the 'best fit' arrangement, this is better than using computer software as it gives you a feel of how the components will look, and you can also allow for any wire links that need fitting. Once the components have been fitted in this way you can then figure out were any cuts in the track need to be, these are best marked out using a permanent maker pen as this will show up better. Once the components have been removed the tracks can be cut with a specialist track cutter tool or a mini-drill with suitable bit.
SOLDERING Soldering components onto stripboard/padboard or PCBs is a simple task but one that takes practice to get a good join. Firstly before soldering to a stripboard or similar it is a good idea to use a fine grade sandpaper or a mini-drill with a buffer attachment to clean the tracks. Light pressure is only needed to clear surface dirt and to give the tracks a shiny appearance.
After the board has been cleaned then you can start soldering components in place, fit any wire links first then start with smaller components like resistors and work up to the larger components that may need to be held in place.
For further soldering advice visit this site: Everyday Practical Electronics Soldering Guide
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