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I have soldered the pins and they’re not straight. What should I do?

Slightly crooked pins usually still fit. What to try first, and what to do if the alignment is well out.

A
Written by Albert Gajsak

Slightly crooked pins are very common, and most of the time they are not a problem.


Pins want to sit perpendicular to the board, but if the alignment is out by a millimetre or two the component will usually still fit. Try fitting it in place before you change anything.


If the alignment is well out, the pins will need desoldering and redoing. Desoldering is fiddlier than soldering, so give yourself a bit of time and good light for it.


When you refit the component, hold it steady in a stand, or ask someone for an extra pair of hands. Insert the pins, straighten them so they sit square to the board, then solder the first and the last pin first. Those two hold the component in position, so the remaining pins stay where you put them as you work along the row.


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