How to: Solder Mask

Solder mask is used to coat electrical components on a circuit board so solder cannot bond to it. This keeps the components safe from shorting out due to a sloppy solder joint. The process was originally developed to protect certain sections of a circuit board during the wave soldering process. This is when the underside of a circuit board is dipped on top of a pool of solder to complete multiple solder points at one time. A spray version of solder masking is available for consumers to use on their own electronic projects.

Spray soldering mask

Instructions

- 1
  Expose the circuit board that you would like to solder mask. Depending on the type of electronic device you are working on, this may involve removing screws and unplugging certain electronic connections. The spray can be applied while the circuit board is still installed as long as you have open access to the bottom of the board where the soldering points are.
- 2
  Choose the components that you would like to solder mask. Common connections that have their solder points masked include resistors, capacitors and relays among others.
- 3
  Hold the nozzle one inch from the solder point that you would like to mask.
- 4
  Pump the bottle once to mask the soldering point of the component that you would like to protect.
- 5
  Allow the mask to dry for 15 minutes before reassembling the device.

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