[Elecraft] Cutting component leads in tight places.

[Rick Kunath]

On Sunday 30 March 2008 1:50:29 pm Scott McDowell wrote:
> Here is a tip that  some of you might want to try when building kits and
> trying to cut off a component lead in close quarters.
> Like when putting components on the bottom of the board and soldering on
> the top.
> I learned it as a farm boy  back in the 30's when we couldn't afford a pair
> of pliers for cutting wire.
> After you solder the component lead, take a pair of long nose pliers, catch
> the end of the lead and bend it back and
> forth five or six times and it will break off at the top of the solder
> joint. Just be sure to keep tension  on the lead while
> bending it.
> I didn't learn it building radios, it was fences!
> Am building my second K2 and just remembered breaking wire that way.

That's a great way to fracture the solder joint and cause future problems with 
intermittent connections. Never flex the component lead to break it off.

Get a proper reduced space close cutting tool. There are a variety of these 
made for just such a purpose. They do not stress the solder joint when 
cutting off the excess component lead length. Some will capture the cut off 
component lead to avoid having it fly off somewhere to cause a failure later 
if you don't find it.

Rick Kunath, k9ao