Does anyone here do precision soldering?

[TeaQue]

The LED on the board in my SP1 fell off and its ridiculously tiny. However, I'm hesitant to send it to smart parts to be repaired. I'm going to call around and see if I can find a computer repair shop that can fix it locally but I figured I'd ask on here as well. I'm not very good with a soldering iron and this thing is TINY!

[DevilMan]

Your best bet is it buy a new LED and just toss that one. It looks like the leads were cut to short to get a good solder hold on them. You need to keep that one and match it up and buy a replacement and then toss it after you get the replacement put in.

Most computer stores that I know of don't even know what a soldering iron is. Everything got replaced by little black smoke filled boxes. If you can find an electronics repair shop though, some old time style place they may be able to hook you up. I know there is one here in my town, if all else fails I will see about getting it done there for you. But I would check local first.

DM

[Looper]

It looks like SMT... There are a few on here that could do the work but... what make marker is that again?

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=SMT+Soldering&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=ZFIVS_uKH8LglAfcq9XDBQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCoQqwQwAw#q=SMT+Soldering&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=ZFIVS_uKH8LglAfcq9XDBQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCoQqwQwAw&qvid=SMT+Soldering&vid=-2534546580047357930

[DevilMan]

Ohhhhhh You are right Looper. I forget that most things are done that way now days.

Maybe use a toothpick to apply some epoxy to the surrounding area and edges of the LED while you use something like a spring clip to hold it in place. A dab of super or gorilla glue should work as well. I mean what do you have to lose? Not like it's gonna break.

DM

[TeaQue]

Ohhhhhh You are right Looper. I forget that most things are done that way now days.

Maybe use a toothpick to apply some epoxy to the surrounding area and edges of the LED while you use something like a spring clip to hold it in place. A dab of super or gorilla glue should work as well. I mean what do you have to lose? Not like it's gonna break.

DM

That's not a bad idea........ I never thought of glueing it in place first.

[TeaQue]

It looks like SMT... There are a few on here that could do the work but... what make marker is that again?

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...46580047357930

It's a Smart Parts SP1

[leloup]

Your best bet is it buy a new LED and just toss that one. It looks like the leads were cut to short to get a good solder hold on them. You need to keep that one and match it up and buy a replacement and then toss it after you get the replacement put in.
DM

What he said. Glueing it in place might work, but don't use a glue that will fog plastics, like superglue.

[TeaQue]

Well...............................bad news

First off, I took it by an electronics shop today on my lunch break and the guy was able to solder it back on there but he couldn't get it back far enough so the button would work so I just had him take it back off.

Then I decided to try it myself......went and bought some glue, put the gun in a vice, picked up the led with tweezers and PING! the LED went flying to god knows where

Just got off the phone with Smart Parts and the guy in tech support said to send it in so I guess I'll do that.

[DevilMan]

You mean you didn't install the "Clapper" on it before you tried picking it up???

Well sorry to hear your bad news man. Maybe SP will just toss a new one your way. Can't really think of any reason that "Use and Abuse" would cause the LED to come unsoldered.

Good luck.

DM

[TeaQue]

You mean you didn't install the "Clapper" on it before you tried picking it up???

Well sorry to hear your bad news man. Maybe SP will just toss a new one your way. Can't really think of any reason that "Use and Abuse" would cause the LED to come unsoldered.

Good luck.

DM

Its no big deal really, this thing was TINY. I think my macro pic might have been decieving....I went crosseyed looking at the damn thing in my tweezers

[lsongj721]

Lol, ya that can happen.

I did notice how super small this LED was when i opened up my buddies Vibe (same board i believe)

Personally, i would have just soldered on my own big led.


But, ya a tip.
If you need a temporary "solder" hot glue works great.
I do most of my temporary repairs with hotglue.

I'll lay the wire down, making sure i get a good contact, then a globule of hotglue (low temp preferably) let dry (takes about 10 seconds) and presto. Nice, tough, temporary repair. And it also comes off very cleanly

[TeaQue]

Lol, ya that can happen.

I did notice how super small this LED was when i opened up my buddies Vibe (same board i believe)

Personally, i would have just soldered on my own big led.


But, ya a tip.
If you need a temporary "solder" hot glue works great.
I do most of my temporary repairs with hotglue.

I'll lay the wire down, making sure i get a good contact, then a globule of hotglue (low temp preferably) let dry (takes about 10 seconds) and presto. Nice, tough, temporary repair. And it also comes off very cleanly

Thats a great idea but I don't think it would've worked with this led. It had a tiny board on it and there were 3 tiny contact points. It was damn near impossible to get the led where it needed to be because the power switch is right there in the way.