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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #73851 is a reply to message #72710]

Tue, 18 September 2012 10:46

Chicken
Messages: 300
Registered: August 2011

Grand Master

FloydV wrote on Sun, 13 May 2012 15:04

Try this. Take a pen or pencil and try drawing a spiral from the inside out. If your spiral isn't reasonably round, but rather like a jerky series of circles, then you have intention tremor. Also, try holding your hand out fingers stretched. They should be reasonably calm. Then try closing those fingers letting your forefinger touch your thumb.

If your fingers tremor during this second, closing, exorcise, you have intention tremor and the problem in in your brain, not your hand.

Also, the more you repeat a specific action like opening and closing those fingers, the worse the tremor will get. Intention tremor is like a reverse Parkinson tremor. Your hands are steady at rest but tremor when you intentionally move them.

Floyd

I tried the exercises you suggested, and it doesn't appear I have intention tremor. My hands do shake sometimes when I want them to be still (like during soldering) but not while opening and closing like that. They shake the most when I am emotional.

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #78986 is a reply to message #69232]

Sun, 19 January 2014 11:57

gstarey66
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2014
Location: Engineer

Chancellor

Hello there,

One other comment about soldering.

If you want 100% success, minimum problems and maximum connection strength and conductivity - you need to try to get a good mechanical connection going BEFORE you apply the solder.

This means wrapping the wire at least part way around connector or when poking components thru a circuit board, bending the leads some so the part will stay by itself and not fall out.

Most bad solder joints come about because things move out of alignment while the joint is being soldered. A good mechanical connection prevents this problem and insures a good connection.

Learned this in both NASA and Mil Spec Hi Reliability Soldering classes. Have not had a joint of mine fail in 20+ years now, so feel this approach works quite well.

FWIW,
Greg

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #79001 is a reply to message #78986]

Mon, 20 January 2014 20:38

LuckyLucy
Messages: 46
Registered: December 2013
Location: United States

Baron

That is really good advice, Greg, and something that is easy to overlook or think unnecessary when soldering.
You think to yourself that you're melting things, and that the solder will fill in, but that's just not always the case. The parts need to be basically attached as if you were not going to solder them, but were relying on the mechanical attachment.
I think you still need to be very careful and not be knocking around, but this will help with the normal tiny movements that the person soldering might make.

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #79499 is a reply to message #69231]

Wed, 19 February 2014 12:53

gstarey66
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2014
Location: Engineer

Chancellor

Hello,

One other comment about getting a good mechanical connection before appling the solder:

If you have a good close connection with plenty of surface area in contact between the wire and the pin or whatever, then you don't need silver (or magic) solder to fill the gaps to have a good electrical conection. If you wish a stronger than usual connection, then silver solder might help as it has a higher melting point, but really should not be needed for anything we hobbists are doing. IMHO.

Regards,
Greg

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #80024 is a reply to message #69231]

Sun, 01 June 2014 06:43

pk20
Messages: 30
Registered: May 2014

Baron

This is all great advice. I've noticed the older I get the less steady my hands when I'm trying to do delicate work. Leaning the arm on something makes it much easier to control the shaking.

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #80448 is a reply to message #69231]

Wed, 10 September 2014 21:14

Lizard
Messages: 15
Registered: September 2014

Chancellor

My hands are a little shaky as well, but it is something that I am learning to more or less control. Practice makes perfect. Smile

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Re: Soldering with Shaky Hands [message #82460 is a reply to message #69231]

Sun, 24 April 2016 06:17

minora
Messages: 40
Registered: April 2016

Baron

Sometimes I do get the tremor as well, though not so often. When it happens, I try to rest for a while, shift my focus to something far away for 10-15 minutes, then start again. Leaning arms against firm material also help to reduce the tremor. Don't stress yourself too much. If the problem persists even to other activities, maybe you should go see a doctor.

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