Got called out for my 'good enough' soldering on a vintage amp board

A tech I respect saw my repair on a 1972 Fender Twin and said my joints looked cold, even though they passed a basic continuity test. I started using a $150 Weller station with a real temp dial and a magnifier to check every single joint before moving on. How many of you actually inspect every solder point under magnification before calling a board done?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewgonzalez2mo ago

Continuity tests don't catch cold joints, they just show a connection. Magnification is the only way to see the bad flow and dull finish.

white.seth2mo ago

Yeah that line about magnification being the only way to see the bad flow really hits home. I read a piece from an old tech where he said a meter can lie but your eyes under a good lens won't. Makes you realize how many "working" boards are just time bombs. MatthewGonzalez is totally right that continuity just tells you there's a path, not that it's a good one. I've been burned before thinking a connection was solid because the beeper went off.

holly_price1mo ago

Yeah, the meter can lie but your eyes under a good lens won't" - that's pretty spot on. I had a buddy who used to fix coffee machines and he swore by his magnifying lamp for checking solder joints. He'd say the same thing about continuity tests. @matthewgonzalez you're making me re-think how I check my own work.