Double Sided PCB soldering question.

[Inuyasha10121]

Hi everyone, first post here and I had a question.  I am currently creating a control board for a rube goldberg device, but I found that I have to make it a double sided PCB.  Now, unfortunatly, i''ve never worked with double sided PCBs before, and I will be fashioning this one myself with the toner transfer method.  I can already forsee problems with the soldering step, because I am using a type of relay that doesn't give me access to both sides of the pin(Top and Bottom of board).  So, my question is this.  What is the easies method to solder a component to a double sided homebrew board when you only have access to one side of the pin?  For those who are curious, the relay I am using is this one : http://mouser.com/ProductDetail/Omron/G5LE-14-DC5/?qs=lK7M36XCk6KnQoEfuo%2fh3A%3d%3d

Don't know if that helps or not.  I thought of maybe making the hole a little wider then the normal pin, since the pin is flat, the solder may flow with gravity, though I'm not sure.  Any advice would be helpful, I'm really in a bind here.

[galannthegreat]

There are many ways of accomplishing this without through hole plating. One method I've learned is that if you make the traces to the relay to the bottom of the board and then make vias (component hole in which you solder a wire to both sides of the board to make electrical contact to both sides) to take it to the top side when you need it there. I also find it good to do this with IC sockets and other components that are like that.

I know how difficult it is to do this without through hole plating, but just remember make sure your traces to the relay are on the bottom and then use vias to bring them to the top.

[Soeren]

Hi,

[...] I found that I have to make it a double sided PCB.

Did you consider using a number of jumpers to make it happen on a single sided PCB?

What is the easies method to solder a component to a double sided homebrew board when you only have access to one side of the pin?

Short of reflow and similar, forget it - you have no way of knowing if you have soldered connections or if they just happens to touch when you test it.

I thought of maybe making the hole a little wider then the normal pin, since the pin is flat, the solder may flow with gravity, though I'm not sure.  Any advice would be helpful, I'm really in a bind here.

Gravity wont work (neither will capillary action which is probably what you were thinking).

Either make sure there is no top-side connections under components and in other unreachable areas, or stay with single sided PCB.