[Elecraft] K3 - SMT mods

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

While I have no argument with heat guns, I have no trouble at all with a
temperature controlled soldering iron when used properly with the correct
solder and flux.

The "trick" is to forget everything you ever knew about soldering leaded
parts! The best techniques for SMDs are often those that would have any true
O.T. used to working up tube sockets screaming at you for being a soldering
"idiot", but they are the correct and simple way to properly solder and
de-solder SMDs, even down to 0.5 mm pitch components, without special
"holders", heat guns, or other exotic tools. 

A while back someone here provided this link to an outstanding YouTube video
on subject. It's only 8 minutes, but if you haven't worked (or worked
comfortably) with SMDs before, don't want to invest a lot in exotic tooling
and want to have fun doing a good job with the smallest components, I can't
recommend it highly enough. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NN7UGWYmBY

For desoldering parts with a great many terminals, the video speaks of a
product called ChipQuik. It's great. It's a special solder that remains
molten for a very long time. It's easy to add it to all sides of even a
large quad package with many pins. All the pins will be released at once by
simply heating them in sequence so the part can be taken of cleanly and
easily without "cooking" the part or the board. 

Ron AC7AC