[Blindtlk] Soldering revisited

Steve Jacobson steve.jacobson at visi.com
Sat Aug 13 15:45:33 UTC 2011 

Brian and others,

In the old days, when I got parts I kept them in little drawers devided into sections.  I would double-check values of 
resistors before using them with an audible volt/ohm meeter.  The talking volt meters that you get now will also 
measure capacitors, so one can sort and double check them as well.  I usually kept IC's and transistors in their original 
cases writing  braille on the cardboard of the package.  Some would come in bags and I would slip in a small card with 
braille on it.  Usually I could read the card through the plastic.  I would get a reader or use my Optacon to read the pin 
diagrams of IC's and transistors.  in the case of transistors, I developed a notation system that was meaningful to 
myself where I would have the bottom of the transistor toward me and I would write the order of the leads going 
clockwise from the tab or flat side using the first letters.  CBO would tell me that going clockwise one would find the 
collector, Base and then the Emiter of the transistor.  Of course, IC's are too complex for this kind of notation, and who 
works with transistors any more.  Many diodes and electrolytic capacitors have a ridge along the positive end.  Some 
diodes have a sort of flat end toward the positive.  Again, though, one can determine this with a meter.  If you measure 
the resistance of a electrolytic capacitor it will eventually go to infinity if you are measuring negative to positive.  If you 
measure in reverse it usually reaches a certain value and then stops.  

None of this is meant to imply that one could easily compete on an assembly line.  However, it does mean a blind 
person could learn a lot about electrical circuits with hands-on experience or even just do it for a hobby.  When I was 
younger, I built an FM transmitter that covered quite a large area and I fortunately did not get caught and fined.  I had 
fun, though.  The thing is, what any of us accomplishes can often be taken further than we had ever considered by 
someone else.  It all depends upon the individual's abilities and even imagination.  I had a lot of fun with all this when I 
was younger, but I know there were those who did much more than I did with this sort of thing.  What I am writing here 
is not meant to suggest that what I did was necessarily the best.  The point is that what may seem impossible at first 
isn't necessarily impossible.  Also, there is value in trying things even if you can't do it as well as some sighted people.  
You're likely going to do it better than others.  Whether one assembles equipment or not, it means you can learn 
enough to effectively teach, or maybe you could manage a repair shop for example where you hire people to do the 
repair work but you know enough about how to do it to make intelligent decisions about the equipment to be 
purchased.  Things are just not black and white, doint it the same or as well as a sighted person or not.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:49:11 -0500, Bryan Schulz wrote:

>hi,

>don't know if they are still in print.
>radio shack had a series of about 10 thin small books with how tos and 
>sample projects. one was called 555 timers.
>unless you keep parts in orriginal packs and maybe label with a pen friend 
>dot, i don't know how you could identify/read loose resistor and cap values 
>without assistance.

>Bryan Schulz

>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "T. Joseph Carter" <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 11:52 PM
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Soldering revisited


>> Not for employment, just to make my own toys more cheaply than I could buy 
>> them.  *grin*
>>
>> Joseph - kf7qzc
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 08:39:46AM -0500, Steve Jacobson wrote:
>>>Brian,
>>>
>>>I probably should not have said what I did, but it was your comment "i'm
>>>guessing you are a hi-partial and not guessing where the doughnut gaps 
>>>would be," that just struck me.  The purpose
>>>of the tube that I described was not just to guide the solder, but to be 
>>>used sort of like a cand to feel and locate the
>>>joint being soldered after it is hot.  To avoid bridges, one really needs 
>>>to use a fine solder, and this can be not rigid
>>>enough to feel for a joint.  The idea is not to have the solder melt 
>>>inside the tube but feed through the tube so that the
>>>very end is melted by the heated joint.  I did see a soldering iron that 
>>>fed the solder right to the tip but don't know if that
>>>would be an alternative.
>>>
>>>I don't get the impression that Joe is trying to do this to gain 
>>>employment.  Jobs that involve a lot of soldering are much
>>>more scarce now than they were at one point.  I know that I could not 
>>>compete for a job that required a lot of
>>>soldering, so I'm not telling you that I could, but I think the scarcity 
>>>of such jobs makes that poine pretty irrelevant
>>>anyway.  I do believe that it is possible for a blind person who really 
>>>wants to do it to do enough soldering to get
>>>through a lab in a class, though, or to do certain repairs on their own. 
>>>It is also worth pointing out that although vision
>>>makes soldering easier, there are many sighted people who would not take 
>>>up soldering.  I am also not claiming that I
>>>know all there is about how a blind person could solder.  There are a lot 
>>>of options now, though, different types of
>>>irons and guns, for example, that provide possibilities that might help. 
>>>There are no doubt blind people out there who
>>>have tackled more complex soldering than have I, but maybe this discussion 
>>>will give Joe and others some ideas of
>>>things to try.
>>>
>>>Best regards,
>>>
>>>Steve Jacobson
>>>
>>>On Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:45:44 -0500, Bryan Schulz wrote:
>>>
>>>>hi,
>>>
>>>>i did it about 20 years ago with sight. i never said it couldn't be done.
>>>>from mo so show me a total blind person can solder pcb within a 
>>>>reasonable
>>>>time frame without bridges.
>>>>the method mentioned with the solder inside a tube sounds like the
>>>>desoldering gun i had with the squeeze bulb but in reverse.
>>>
>>>>Bryan Schulz
>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 10:39 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Soldering revisited
>>>
>>>
>>>>> Joe,
>>>>>
>>>>> I have done a little of this successfully and I know of others who have
>>>>> done it.  First regarding the pounding solder flat
>>>>> and wrapping it, that can work as you said, but you have to be careful 
>>>>> to
>>>>> get the wire hot enough to melt the solder.  If
>>>>> the iron melts the solder but the wire has not gotten hot enough, you 
>>>>> will
>>>>> end up with a cold solder joint.  I have been
>>>>> more a fan of placing the end of the solder on the joint and then 
>>>>> applying
>>>>> the iron until you feel and/or smell the solder
>>>>> begin to melt.  If the method you used has worked, though, you are
>>>>> apparently getting enough heat to the joint.
>>>>>
>>>>> Soldering always involves experimentation with different types of irons 
>>>>> to
>>>>> see what works best for you.  There are
>>>>> some that actually use the conductor itself as the bridge between
>>>>> connections thereby heating it.  For the kind of
>>>>> soldering you are considering, you need a very fine tip.  Some blind
>>>>> persons have fed solder down the inside of a
>>>>> hollow metal tube.  The tube can be placed with the end on the desired
>>>>> connection and is rigid enough to keep in
>>>>> place.  The Smith-kettelwell Foundation published a series of articles 
>>>>> on
>>>>> soldering and made such tubes available.  It
>>>>> was made of a metal that shed heat quickly.  I think that all of the
>>>>> magazines have been archived, so you could
>>>>> probably find the series on soldering.  Since those articles, there 
>>>>> have
>>>>> been some new irons, though.  Looking for
>>>>> those articles might be worth it, though.
>>>>>
>>>>> Unlike Brian, I do not believe that because I am not good at something
>>>>> nobody can be.  I have successfully
>>>>> resoldered a DIP-style connector where a couple of the pins came loos 
>>>>> from
>>>>> the circuit board, and I did quite a bit of
>>>>> soldering on larger items.  Experiment and see if you can find that old
>>>>> series of articles on soldering.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Steve Jacobson
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:27:11 -0700, T. Joseph Carter wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>ThatG?Ts what I was called growing up, but I can tell you that IG?Tm
>>>>>>certain it doesnG?Tt much matter in this case.  I canG?Tt see how I 
>>>>>>could
>>>>>>possibly do it under a CCTV, and anything short of that isnG?Tt going
>>>>>>to give me enough magnification to do it visually.
>>>>>
>>>>>>If this is going to work for me at all, IG?Td be able to do it under
>>>>>>sleepshade with a continuity tester to test connections.  ItG?Td be
>>>>>>slow work to test that way, but IG?Tm probably going to have to do that
>>>>>>kind of testing anyway.  Testing needs one mini-grabber clip on the
>>>>>>component lead and a needle probe to make sure youG?Tve got a solid
>>>>>>connection at the other end of the trace youG?Tre soldering it to.
>>>>>
>>>>>>Joseph - kf7qzc
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 02:45:13PM -0500, Bryan Schulz wrote:
>>>>>>>hi,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>i haven't heard of this but it sounds like it would work. i'm
>>>>>>>guessing you are a hi-partial and not guessing where the doughnut
>>>>>>>gaps would be.
>>>>>>>Bryan Schulz
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "T. Joseph Carter"
>>>>>>><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 2:39 PM
>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Soldering revisited
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I am considering that the solution might be some of the tools used
>>>>>>>>to solder surface mount devices by hand.  Typically you have a
>>>>>>>>board with a solder mask.  You apply solder paste, and it will be
>>>>>>>>repelled by the solder mask.  Unless you use too much paste, the
>>>>>>>>solder mask should resist solder bridges quite nicely.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Since the solder paste is applied cold, a syringe with a fine tip
>>>>>>>>should be able to do the job.  Then a hot air pencil.  I donG?Tt have
>>>>>>>>these things, but it should work.  If others have done it, IG?Td love
>>>>>>>>to know.  If not, guess IG?Tm the trail blazer.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Joseph - kf7qzc
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 01:23:28PM -0500, Bryan Schulz wrote:
>>>>>>>>>hi,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>if he has, that would be a neat trick as the pins on printed
>>>>>>>>>circuit boards are about 3mm apart and a bridge anywhere causes a
>>>>>>>>>failure.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Bryan Schulz
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Hyde, David W. (ESC)"
>>>>>>>>><david.hyde at wcbvi.k12.wi.us>
>>>>>>>>>To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 12:45 PM
>>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Soldering revisited
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Joseph, get hold of Curtis Wilouby. If anyone does it, he has.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>>>>[mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of T. Joseph
>>>>>>>>>>Carter
>>>>>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 11:26 AM
>>>>>>>>>>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>>>>>>>>Subject: [Blindtlk] Soldering revisited
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Hey everyone,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Once upon a time, we had a discussion on this list about
>>>>>>>>>>soldering wires and the like.  A suggestion made was to take
>>>>>>>>>>the solder, pound it flat with a hammer, and then wrap it
>>>>>>>>>>around the wire/terminal being soldered. Then you need only
>>>>>>>>>>heat the connection a few seconds so that the solder can melt
>>>>>>>>>>and make a solid electrical connection.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I can tell you that this technique works pretty well for
>>>>>>>>>>stranded wire or stranded to solid wire (such as the leads of
>>>>>>>>>>an LED for example), and could probably be done for two solid
>>>>>>>>>>wires if you had sufficient success using third hand clips to
>>>>>>>>>>hold the thing still long enough.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>But I want to be able to solder packages with pins on 0.1 inch
>>>>>>>>>>centers. Transistors, old-fashioned DIPs, that kind of thing.
>>>>>>>>>>I brought it up on nfb-hams, and nobodyG?Ts volunteered a
>>>>>>>>>>brilliant strategy yet, so I figured IG?Td ask a wider audience.
>>>>>>>>>>*smile*
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>IG?Tm sure it must be possible for a blind guy to do itG?"IG?Tm 
>>>>>>>>>>just
>>>>>>>>>>not sure how yet.  Advice welcome!
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Joseph - kf7qzc
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>blindtlk mailing list
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>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>blindtlk mailing list
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>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>blindtlk mailing list
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
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