[SOLVED] How to make traces on perforated board using solder?

[unbuildpain]

I have a blunt soldering rod, it is like that from the time I got, I was trying make project I found on YouTube, in that video the person made the traces on perforated board using solder, I tried doing that but when I dragged the solder and soldering rod, I couldn't make traces, the solder was sticking around the holes and covering the holes.

 

[betwixt]

Yet another reason not to believe or trust what you see on YouTube.
NEVER try to make tracks from solder, quite aside from the difficulties of 'dragging' it, you may have noticed that solder is flexible and cracks easily. That is why we use copper wire to connect things together. Link things with wire instead and just use the solder at the joints.

Brian.

 

[FvM]

You may be able to bridge dot matrix board pads with solder, depending on the dot clearance and your solder skills. I did it sometimes.

As betwixt mentioned, the connection isn't particularly reliable, also solder resistance is tenfold of copper.

 

[PCB Designers]

I have a blunt soldering rod, it is like that from the time I got, I was trying make project I found on YouTube, in that video the person made the traces on perforated board using solder, I tried doing that but when I dragged the solder and soldering rod, I couldn't make traces, the solder was sticking around the holes and covering the holes.

I want to add a little bit here.

Making connections through solder is not a good idea.

During development of a prototype board or a project, sometimes, we have to change a connection and it is much easier to disconnect a wrapping wire from one point and connect to another desired point.

Disconnecting a solder line using a sucker (manual or auto) and then make new connection on already solder filled board is very daunting process.

See pics attached of 2 different boards. You can have better understanding keeping in mind the changes during development.

Kind Regards,
Maqbool

 

[Easy peasy]

Do not believe everything on the internet ...

 

[unbuildpain]

Do not believe everything on the internet ...

I don't but this seemed possible as the user showed photos of it.

I'm usually not gullible.

 

[betwixt]

If you piled all the grains of sand in all the Worlds deserts on top of each other you could build a bridge to the Moon - but there are very good reasons why nobody has tried to do it..

Likewise, using inappropriate materials in a difficult procedure to make an unreliable construction is not advised. You CAN do it, but why waste the effort when there are easier and better ways to do the same thing.

Brian.

 

[c_mitra]

See pics attached of 2 different boards.

I am particularly intrigued by your soldering skills: in particular with reference to the last posted pic.

I sometimes say that a PCB is more an work of art rather than science. And the dense and nice layout in the last pic is an example of that.

But how did you manage to keep the legs from shorting? I am talking about the third pic.

 

[unbuildpain]

I am particularly intrigued by your soldering skills: in particular with reference to the last posted pic.

I sometimes say that a PCB is more an work of art rather than science. And the dense and nice layout in the last pic is an example of that.

But how did you manage to keep the legs from shorting? I am talking about the third pic.

I don't think he did those, I saw that same photo when I searched Google Images for something.

 

[FvM]

Picture 1 and 3 aren't actually related to the thread topic. In picture 3, only the power supply pins are soldered to the dot pads. The other pins are isolated from the board by Kapton film and connected through wires.

 

[PCB Designers]

I am particularly intrigued by your soldering skills: in particular with reference to the last posted pic.

I sometimes say that a PCB is more an work of art rather than science. And the dense and nice layout in the last pic is an example of that.

But how did you manage to keep the legs from shorting? I am talking about the third pic.

My team do the same work or sometimes more than it. But I cannot show that in public as that is considered as classified.
Therefore I took them from internet as sample to make my point more clear.

Thank you

--- Updated Aug 1, 2020 ---

I don't think he did those, I saw that same photo when I searched Google Images for something.

Yes pics from internet as sample

--- Updated Aug 1, 2020 ---

Picture 1 and 3 aren't actually related to the thread topic. In picture 3, only the power supply pins are soldered to the dot pads. The other pins are isolated from the board by Kapton film and connected through wires.

The purpose of PIc 1 and Pic 3 is to clarify the scope of wrapping wire and encourage unbuildpain for using wrapping wire.

 

[c_mitra]

I have a blunt soldering rod, it is like that from the time I got,

Get a decent soldering iron, it is joy to use and you may one day will thank me for this advice.

Electronics have got complicated but the basics have not changed. If you can afford a decent one, it may stay with you for long and in someway turn out to be rather cheap in the long run.

 

[FvM]

The purpose of PIc 1 and Pic 3 is to clarify the scope of wrapping wire and encourage @unbuildpain for using wrapping wire.

I see. However the wrapping wire boards are obviously targetting a different connection problem. Your picture 2 as well as the original question are about a simple planar wiring in 0.1" grid. I agree with the reservations regarding unrealiable connection, and it's also a quite cumbersome method. But you can turn it into a reliable and fast wiring method by making the Manhattan routing with solid hook-up wire soldered to the dot matrix board.

Additional connections can be made with wrapping wire or (faster) with solderable magnet wire.

 

[unbuildpain]

The purpose of PIc 1 and Pic 3 is to clarify the scope of wrapping wire and encourage unbuildpain for using wrapping wire.

I see. However the wrapping wire boards are obviously targetting a different connection problem. Your picture 2 as well as the original question are about a simple planar wiring in 0.1" grid. I agree with the reservations regarding unrealiable connection, and it's also a quite cumbersome method. But you can turn it into a reliable and fast wiring method by making the Manhattan routing with solid hook-up wire soldered to the dot matrix board.

Additional connections can be made with wrapping wire or (faster) with solderable magnet wire.

How would one create junctions with wrapping wire and magnet wire?

 

[c_mitra]

by making the Manhattan routing with solid hook-up wire soldered to the dot matrix board.

One point most beginners forget that that they are not perfect and the board may have some defects and it may be necessary to debug the circuit. In mu personal opinion that is going to happen, whether you like it or not, more often than you think. The boards that are real beauties to behold (and I am talking about the first and last pics in post #4) are not at all suitable for debugging. Bugs are part of real life and it is good to keep some provision for the debugger. The layout in the schematic should be decided based on ease of functional understanding. But the layout in the final PCB must be based on interference and performance. Most software has some options for trace length and placements. A design that is hard to debug is a bad design in my opinion. In fact that (the Manhattan routing) can be mostly implemented in software and then transferred to a perf board easily.

--- Updated Aug 2, 2020 ---

How would one create junctions with wrapping wire and magnet wire?

On the pad side, it is easy to make 1-to-4 junction without problem. The 1- wire can be taken to the component side and brought back to the pad side after a short run. Wrapping wires were used with a wrapping tool and they needed a special kind of tools. I have not seen them in recent times. But they had tinned copper core and they take solder very nicely and they were very popular for prototype layout (like you are planning to do). Also the sleeve can be put back after trimming. very nice if you have some time and patience.