[Elecraft] KSB2 screw up --

[John Ragle]

Tom...

     Such things are a pain in the ASCII...and I have made several 
mistakes of this kinds previously. After fooling around, tearing traces, 
etc. I have discovered that BY FAR THE BEST way to go about this is to 
use solder braid. You can buy it in small spools from Radio Shack, or 
just strip off the cover and core of an old piece of coax. I recommend 
the former. A desoldering station is not needed!

     When using the braid, be liberal! Don't try to scrimp and save. The 
surface tension of melted solder is very high, and capillary action will 
wick it totally into the braid. Heat the braid over the solder and let 
it suck up the melt, then move to a new section of braid and repeat. 
Eventually, you'll clean up quite a bit of solder with a few inches of 
braid.

     I know it sounds hokey, but it works VERY well. At the end, there 
will still probably be a little (tiny!) amount of solder holding one or 
more pins. With care (and maybe a little help from the XYL or a friend 
to provide a third hand) you will be able to move one end of the header 
a bit. From there, it is just a matter of applying a bit of heat at the 
right places and lifting gently.

     This same technique works well with DIP packages and with thru-hole 
components.

     It is often NOT POSSIBLE to save the component. In the case of DIP 
devices, you can always cut off the legs to make the removal process 
easier. In the case of the header you are working on, be careful not to 
apply so much heat that you melt the plastic around the pins.

     The secret is patience, NOT lots of heat. Take good care of the 
traces on the circuit board. A tiny drill-bit can be used to clear 
remaining solder out of the holes, BUT BE CAREFUL not to cut away the 
actual hole plating, as this may break a needed connection between the 
top and bottom layers of the PC board. I use a "pin vise" for this kind 
of operation, not a Dremel or other power device.

On 9/13/2011 8:50 AM, TJ Campie wrote:
> ...how would one actually go about removing one of these headers
> correctly?
-- 
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