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Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 13:23:41 -0500
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From: DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
In-reply-to: <4F01E26F.4030905@optonline.net> (message from gene glick on Mon,
	02 Jan 2012 11:59:27 -0500)
Subject: Re: [geda-user] home soldering with hot-plates
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> Would you say it takes a little bit of practice to get this working?
> That is to say, before this works well should I expect to fubar
> boards?  Solder bridges and splashes are not a problem - but
> destroyed traces are.  I can probably obtain a number of random
> unused boards for experimental purposes.  Maybe that makes sense
> before jumping in with my new board - it would really ruin my day if
> the board got destroyed.

The only time I damaged a board with this technique was when I was
doing more than one board in a row, and didn't let the hotplate cool
between boards.  However, the result wasn't a broken trace, it was a
charred PCB that *still worked*.  You're not going to get anything hot
enough to melt copper.

But for a 12x12 board, I would think a pizza oven and a controller
from eBay would be a better choice.  I tend to do smaller boards.