Soldering Vero vs. PCB

[helllstrom]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to this. So far I've only built one pedal, a kit on PCB. I didn't find soldering the PCB that hard, I got steady hands. But I just started soldering in the jumpers for the Idiotbox Blowerbox on Vero, and I find that the solder flows out more? When i soldered on PCB it's more or less stayed and became like a proper joint. When I solder on the Vero it doesn't as easily flow into the hole. It stays on the track, and doesn't flow into the neighbouring tracks or holes. I don't use that much solder either. The joints look fine (no cold ones), and I tested for continuity - all fine.

Is this normal? It seriously messes with my supressed OCD...

[Ciaran Haslett]

Yeah thats normal.

PCBs usually have masks that stop the solder going anywhere else but the solder pad.  On vero the solder will flow along a track thats warm enough.

I find the best way is to heat the track up a bit with the flat end of my iron tip pushed up against the component, before flowing solder onto the component leg from opposite side to the iron tip.  You should end up with a nice dome blob of solder and a real solid connection between the component and the track.

[IvIark]

That's one thing that makes soldering on vero a joy.  It'll take lots of heat without having to worry about lifting pads, and there lots of room on the strip for the solder to flow to making it the easiest form to get a high quality solder joint.

Vero is about as forgiving as it gets

[Muadzin]

I also enjoy troubeshooting on vero more, let me rephrase that, I hate troubleshooting on vero less then on pcb. The signal flow on a vero is so much easier to track then it is on a pcb. You have to have a schematic though, which should be mandatory with each vero layout IMHO, but if you have then it should be relatively easy to make sense of the vero layout.

Another thing I like is that its SO MUCH easier to fix mistakes on vero. Desoldering the wrong component is a breeze. With pcb's not always so, plus even if you manage to desolder the part, you then have to get rid of the solder that almost inevitable now clogs up the holes. Which if you're in really shit luck means you end up ruining the pads.

[Silver Blues]

Hence the reason I hate working with perfboard, the pads are so fragile that if you fuck up once you need to start making random jumpers or scrap it for a new one. If you're bad at free-air soldering it becomes a momentous task (I'm lucky pretty good at it but many are not). Like Mark said vero is about as forgiving as it gets and it's great. I like PCBs for the ease of prep (or lack thereof) and organization (getting everything is nice and neat can take less work than vero) but vero is such a relaxing medium to work. It's a great middle ground.

[Muadzin]

Silver Blues wrote

Hence the reason I hate working with perfboard, the pads are so fragile that if you fuck up once you need to start making random jumpers or scrap it for a new one. If you're bad at free-air soldering it becomes a momentous task (I'm lucky pretty good at it but many are not). Like Mark said vero is about as forgiving as it gets and it's great.

I HATE perf with a fiery passion bordering upon death. Unless its a millenium switch circuit I never got a perf circuit to work. There's basically too much that can go wrong which will go wrong with perf. AFAIC perf is an exercise in masochism.

I like PCBs for the ease of prep (or lack thereof) and organization (getting everything is nice and neat can take less work than vero) but vero is such a relaxing medium to work. It's a great middle ground.

If a vero fits into a 125B I'm not even bothering with pcb's any more as the circuit is probably simple and straightforward enough to build and troubleshoot. When it becomes a very tight fit or necessitates a bigger box though chances are the difficulty factor increases and it becomes like perf. Too much that can go wrong and will go wrong. In which case it probably its probably better to get a pcb.