Fw: [Test-Equipment] Unsoldering

[ab6mt]

Use a solder sucker to remove as much solder as possible from all pins.
Then use a small screwdriver to push the tips of leads around until they
release from the residual solder in the hole.  Most leads can be popped
loose this way without damaging the plated through hole.  Usually one or
more leads may need to be reworked, but heating the lead while wiggling it
will usually release it.  When all leads are loose, the part can be easily
pulled from the board with no damage to the part or the circuit card.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Rasputin Novgorod
To: test-equipment at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 7:22 PM
Subject: [Test-Equipment] Unsoldering


Sorry, here goes another off-topic message.

I'm an electronic hobbyist with some nice, if old,
HP test gear. A electronics service tech friend gives
me dead and abandoned old electronics, which I like
to disassemble for the parts. I only go after the interesting,
expensive or rare parts; most new electronics parts
are so cheap now that they aren't worth the effort.

This works fine for single-sided pc boards, but I
find it impossible to remove parts from double-sided
plated thru holes w/o distroying everything. I've tried
solder suckers, braid, fancy vacuum pump irons, etc,
but it is very difficult to get those plated-thru holes
clean.

I've found it helps to use a big iron, 80 watts, to dump a lot
of heat quickly and pop out the part. Smaller irons seem
to just burnup the board w/o melting the solder. I can get out
resistors and caps, but IC's are impossible. I've rescued
some IC's (expensive ones that are worth the effort) by
cutting the board with tin snips close to the pins
and removing pins one by one.

So, any suggestions for salvaging parts from double sided PCs?

Sincerely
Blair



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