[Elecraft] SMT and the K3 - Nerves

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Only because we were talking about simple two-terminal SMDs, Dave. 

I use Chipquik for SMDs with more than two terminals. It's great! 

I agree, follow the instructions on their website and you can remove/replace
huge MCUs and other chips easily. 

This whole discussion reminds me of something my favorite author,
aeronautical British engineer Nevil Schute Norway, wrote in the introduction
to one of his books: 

"An engineer is a man who can do for five bob (25 cents) what anyone can do
for a quid ($1)" 

>From personal experience I can say that the difference between simple and
complex tools to do a job is more often in the time it takes rather than the
quality of the end product. 

73, Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Chipquik to ease the pain of SMT removal.
It is a low temperature alloy (something like Wood's metal - the melting
teaspoon in a hot drink prank etc.), supplied in small diameter "wires"
together with a special flux.  Melt a little Chipquik onto an existing
soldered joint and then melt the other end with the iron.  The Chipquik-ed
end stays molten, so removal is a breeze, as is cleanup.  I've removed and
replaced a 64-pin chip quite easily with it.  I won't say more, but visit
the website, www.chipquik.com <http://www.chipquik.com/>  and take up their
free sample offer; it's enough to help remove several components.