The green stuff on a PCB

[The Master]

I will check out the laquer when i get home. I cant remember where its from.

So, i cant put normal laquer on the PCB before soldering. Is it fine to do it if somehow it doesn touch any of the pads?

Ive always been told never to file a soldering iron because it wont work properly. Something about the heat not being focused to the point or something. Ive not seen anywhere that sels the kind of tips the old one uses. I could do with a new really expensive one from Rapid that will work well.

If you cant put it down the drain then where does it go?

I dont have any Surface Mount Devices but i do put components on the underside of the PCB to save space sometimes

I tin a board by fluxing the traces and melting a very little bit of solder on before I place the part. The are other ways though.

Traces? Should that have been "tracks"? Do you mean you flux the whole thing but only put a bit of solder on the pad or do you put solder on the whole thing too?

[The Master]

I cant find that article on that site but i did have fun reading some other articles they have.

Ive just had a random idea that might work :P What if i took a laminating pouch and cut holes in it to line up with the pads on my PCB then ran the PCB and the pouch through a laminating machine?

[mackrackit]

So, i cant put normal laquer on the PCB before soldering. Is it fine to do it if somehow it doesn touch any of the pads?

You can do it before soldering if you keep it away from the pads. Just as well to do it when you are finished, like misterE said, it will smell

Ive always been told never to file a soldering iron because it wont work properly. Something about the heat not being focused to the point or something. Ive not seen anywhere that sels the kind of tips the old one uses. I could do with a new really expensive one from Rapid that will work well.

If you are careful you can get away with filing. You will need to "tin" the iron afterwards. The main problem with filing is some of the tips are only copper coated, if the tip is solid copper you will be fine. File in the shape of "V", not a long point like a needle.

Traces? Should that have been "tracks"? Do you mean you flux the whole thing but only put a bit of solder on the pad or do you put solder on the whole thing too?

Traces , tracks . All the same for me.
Sometimes I only tin the pads and sometimes I tin the whole thing. Solder will not corrode as fast a copper. So it all depends on the job.

There is sometimes a problem with tinning, but you can have that problem no matter what because you have to use solder. That problem is the dreaded "Tin Whisker". But I think sealing the board after all is finished will help to stop the whiskers. Maybe skimask will chime in on that subject.