Spacerwoman: Carol is a professional spacer problem fighter (we think). When people have problems with spacers, they call on SPACERWOMAN!!!!! Here she is to save the day � ;-)
Selecting a spacer made of brass is a good choice for many applications, but not for yours, because: � Brass is solderable, as you mentioned, so you get a variable height spacer. Urk!!! � Over time, brass will poison your solder bath, Klein Wassink (ISBN 0-901150-24-X). Doubling your reasons to stay on top of your solder pot analysis, because: - Too much copper causes solder bridging, 4.4.3. - Zinc causes excessive dross in wave solder baths, 4.4.5. � Protecting the brass spacers from solder requires non-value added labor.
Solutions are: � Buying spacers with nickel plating. Nickel oxidizes quickly, making it virtually unsolderable. � Buying spacers with 40um PTFE coating. Same ideal, as they say down South. � Buying spacers made of stainless steel, titanium, or something like that. I�d opt for the SS before the titanium or something like that. Whatever something like that is � ;-) � Buying spacers made of a hi-temperature plastic or fiber. � Adding the brass or other material spacers after wave soldering.
� but how can we attach these spacers to the board??? Call on SPACERWOMAN!!!!!
OK, OK, enough of the Spacerwoman stuff, I'll stop. A temporary fix that may be an improvement over using the rubber boots for Carol is: Covering the spacers with temporary solder stop, either washable or peelable. Neither is a good choice she runs no-clean. � Washable is unwashable, duh!! � Many, peelables are highly ionic and SIR killers and she can�t wash that either. Bummer!!!
My2�
Dave F
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