A simple guide(with video) to move a xp-g led from one pcb to another pcb

Reflowing a xp-g from a 10mm square to 20mm star.

In this guide, with the video, you will see how do i make my own reflow proccess, in 5 steps. I made this video and guide, after seeing here another videoguide, which even though it is effective, i think my way is better.

1) What you need: 2 thin pliers, soldering paste, an oven and a thermometer. I have an IR thermometer, but if you don’t, find a way to ensure a temperature of ~200 C . If the contact of the pcb has already soldering paste, it is not necessary to put again more.
2) Open the soldering paste and apply a very small quantity on the contacts. (I do this on the video at about 0:40 sec )
3)place the pcbs on the oven, and open it to a low setting, that goes up to 200 Celsius. Wait for the leds to heat up. In my video, the oven was already hot, i don’t suggest to do the same, place the leds on the oven and let them heat up slowly.
4)When the soldering paste melts and the led starts moving on its pcb, catch the led and move it from one pcb to another.Make sure that you grabbed the led well, so as not to fall to the oven(if it falls, it won’t damage, as long as you remove it fast). Take care to put the +,- contacts as they have to(i do this on 1:40 on video, i am putting them into the same direction).
5)Now the most tricky part, it is not necessary, but i suggest you to do it if you want the best performance and if the led is going to be driven on its limits:
After the reflowing, remove the pcb with the led in a cold surface and immediately press the led down to the pcb, so as to squeeze out the melted soldering paste, before it cools. Do not touch the silicone, touch the led on the corners and press it down to the pcb. You will notice that soldering paste comes out, blow it with air(from mouth!) to cool. Then the paste will remain out of the led and the pcb.
In this way, by pressing the led down to the pcb, we ensure that we are using only the necessary soldering paste needed for the joint, the other is thrown out. So, we ensure better heat transfer from led to the pcb, the extra solder is blocking somehow the heat transfer.
In this video, i did this 3 times in the end, and after 4:00, i am trying to remove the “useless small dry solder balls”(that came out due the press-down) around the led, with a bit of pressure you can remove it.

Anyway, before doing this, practice yourself with a led you won’t need.

Thank you for the instruction. I've done it on a hotplate myself and then when the led "wiggles" a little I remove it and do the same as you - press firmly at the corners of the led's baseplate to drive out any excess solder.

Solid video there. I think you just helped a whole bunch of people with this :-)

Very good information. Thanks for sharing!