Quick question on VIAs
 

Do you guys have any tips on filling the VIAs up with solder to turn then into more of a pad than a hole? I've read a few sites, but a few personal expereiences and tips would be far more useful... Thanks a lot... LUFCfan :)

OK, so looking on ShadowKnyghts site, I noticed something very interesting. On one of the pictures, it shows the preparation of a VIA. I noticed that once the laquer on the VIA had been scraped off, he hadn't filled the actual hole, but had just put solder around the edge of it. Is this OK to do? Is the little bit on the outside before it goes into the track part of the VIA? I shaded the bit I mean on the little homemade diagram below if you don't understand what I mean, :)

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/playstationplace/via.jpg
Can I solder to the RED bit and it still work? Basically, is that red bit still part of the VIA?

Here's the proper picture I saw...
http://www.cyber-mag.com/station/vias_tinned.jpg

Thanks a lot... :) (Hope I confused no-one, I need help on this one) ;)

Thats basically what Ive always done.





Tyler!

well i've only modded 4 v9s and i have never scraped the vias i use liquid flux on a q-tip.
then after that i just tine my iron and touch it to each one and the solder sticks good i then tine the wire touch tip to the wire and via for less than 3 seconds and wire is on.
have'nt had one console back so it's a pretty good connection.

I actually use my fiberglass pen to brush off the laquer. And with a little flux (which I brush on with the wire itself) the solder bond is instantanious. To me 3 seconds is kinda long to hold your soldering pen there.



Tyler!

Cool! Thanks a lot Tyler & Puppeteer :)

You've just saved me a lot of time and effort! :D

To me its easier to do this if you are using solder paste because you can apply it to the VIA then touch with the iron for a instant creating a pad. I have done it both ways, anymore i just scrape the VIA's, I then pre-tin my wires and tip them with a little flux then attach to the board. Like Tyler said, bond is instantanious and takes only a split second.

[QUOTE=Warlock]i just scrape the VIA's, I then pre-tin my wires and tip them with a little flux then attach to the board. QUOTE]

i have a v10 i'm modding this weekend i'm gonna try it for the hell of it if it makes things easier cool.

a tip for lufc if ya already did'nt know when heating the iron make sure ya take a wetcloth not soaked and shock the tip when it's primed with heat before before ya tine it.

I have actually started using the pen too and find it to work very good. But I did countless vias by just scrapping with a brand new exacto knife before I got the pen and it worked just fine. I also like to use the paste as warlock suggested as there is more control over where it goes.

Puppet you have been very lucky in not needing to remove the lacquer. I have seen vias on V9's that needed very little removal and others that there was no copper showing at all on the via. Every board has its differences even when they are the same version.

That makes things much easier for me guys, opposed to what I did :)

Thank you very, very much... :D