PCB Tools

Introduction

The following is a list of tools used in PCB assembly. Some are required, while others are optional as noted in the table below.

At a minimum, you need:

1. Personal Safety; safety glasses, surface protector, solder fumes extractor
2. Soldering pencil to soldering the component pins
3. Method of soldering the SMD components; soldering pencil, soldering stations /w soldering hot air gun, hot plate, or desktop oven
4. Solder; both wire and paste in a syringe recommended or container
5. Method of applying solder paste
   1. Spreading paste across a PCB Stencil using palette knife, or scraper (recommended). For PCB Cards, use push pins thru the tooling holes to hold the stencil in place.
   2. Using a syringe of paste to apply directly to solder pads on the PCB
6. Surface protection; Silicone Repair Mat, or some other non-burn surface
7. Method of placing components/parts; tweezers, or sticky pencil
8. Method of cleaning the PCB; alcohol and rag
9. Organizers for PCB components, each clearly and accurately label (match the PCB component’s description )
10. Method holding the PTH parts in place while solder pins from the PCB bottom; tacky putty

Task	Tool	Required?	Purpose	Considerations	Purchase / Cost
Setup	Safety Glasses	Required	Eye protection	Clear, comfortable	Amazon - $13
Setup	Component Organizer	Required	Store small PCB Components	Small, multiple containers, clear, removable cap	Hobby Lobby - $4
Setup	Solder Fume Extractor	Recommended	Remove and filter solder fumes	Replacable filters, movable	Amazon - $27
PCB Preparation	Silicone Repair Mat	Recommended	Mat to protect/organize	Invaluable during PCB work, heat resistant, easy to clean	Amazon - $22
PCB Preparation	Alcohol Dispenser	Recommended	Cleaning PCB	Convenient pump	Amazon - $12 (2)
Soldering SMD Components	Solder Paste	Required	SMD: Soldering Components	Low melting point (278F)	Amazon - $10
Soldering SMD Components	Tweezer	Recommended	Place Components	Fine point, Non-Magnetic	Amazon - $10
Soldering SMD Components	Solder Station	Recommended	Soldering	‘Rework’ & solder both PTH and SMD, control temp	Amazon - $76
Soldering SMD Components	Sticky Pencil	Recommended	Place Components	Pencil with sticky end to pick up small parts	Amazon - $8
Soldering SMD Components	Palette Knife	Recommended	SMD: Spread solder paste	Stiff but flexible	Amazon - $7
Soldering SMD Components	Hot Plate	Optional	SMD: Reflow solder	Digital – heat to 150 deg C, cool quickly	Amazon - $69
Soldering PTH Components	Solder Wire	Required	PTH: Soldering Components	Low temp, thin wire, convenient to hold	Amazon - $10 (10)
Soldering PTH Components	Soldering Iron Cleaner	Required	Soldering Iron Clean/Holder	Cleans better than sponge	Amazon - $16
Soldering PTH Components	Soldering Iron	Required	Soldering (comes with Soldering Station)	‘Rework’ & solder both PTH and SMD	Amazon - $12
Soldering PTH Components	Soldering Iron Tip	Required	PTH: Soldering	Oblique Horseshoe – holds solder better	Amazon – $10 (10)
Soldering PTH Components	Flush Wire Cutter	Required	Cut PTH wires on PCB bottom	Flush cutting, optional wire stripper	Amazon - $8
Soldering PTH Components	Tack Putty	Recommended	Hold components for soldering	Place over PTH component while soldering opposite side	Amazon - $10
Soldering PTH Components	Solder Extruder	Optional	Applying solder paste from syringe		Amazon - $13
Soldering PTH Components	Soldering Flux	Optional	Improves soldering	Pen – more convenient	Amazon - $16
Soldering PTH Components	Desoldering	Optional	Removes solder	Suction works well	Amazon - $8 (3)
Testing	Digital Multimeter	Recommended	Measure AC/DC, Ohms, Amp	Probes that attach to leads, test clips, etc..	Amazon - $13