[Elecraft] PCB lifted pad/trace repair techniques?

[Thomas Beaudry]

> I too will like to read what the 'big boys' do to solve these problems.

At Northern Telecom (now Nortel) it depended.  Engineering changes (cut 
traces and rewire) were done with blue TFE wire.  Broken traces were 
repaired in the same manner.

Missing feedthrus were repaired with a component lead.  If a component 
was already there, it was simply soldered on both sides.  Three- or 
more-layer boards would require more inventiveness if an internal trace 
was involved.  Sometimes they couldn't be repaired but often you find a 
component that was connected to the internal trace elsewhere and blue 
wire the connection.

Missing pads involving feedthrus were repaired with blue wire.

Missing pads on top involving a component were repaired with blue wire.

Missing pads on bottom involving a component required removing the 
component.  Then a new one was installed leaving the lead at the 
missing pad location long.  The lead was flattened against the bottom 
of the board and routed to join the trace.  If too much of the trace 
was lifted with the pad, the connection would be completed with blue 
wire.

All blue wires and long leads were cemented in place with red Loctite.

-- 
Thomas M. Beaudry
k8la / ys1ztm
K2 # 3422