Hi guys:
I'd like to tin one side of a 5/16" square copper bar so that it can
be soldered to a PCB. A soldering iron isn't doing the trick, even
with lots of flux. Any ideas?
Don
Believe me, soldering a solid copper bar of this size directly to a
PCB is a no-no!! Even after you get the bar tinned (as suggested with
a propane torch) then you have to somehow get an even greater amount
of heat into it in order to get it soldered to the pcb. Since you
can't use a propane torch for this operation without destroying the
pcb, and a soldering iron won't do the job adequately, then what do
you do?
The only solution is to drill and tap the copper bar (after tinning
all over to stop oxidation) and then use metal thread screws and
washers (combination of flat and shakeproof) to attach it to the pcb.
That is how one Swiss manufacturer of sine wave inverters does it and
I can attest to the effectiveness of this method. This technique also
makes for ease of repairs if you ever have to remove the copper bar
from the pcb.