Trying to desolder some electrical components from a board

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around techniques for desoldering electrical components from a circuit board. Participants share various methods, tools, and tips for effectively removing components while minimizing damage to the board and the components themselves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about methods to hold a circuit board steady while desoldering, expressing uncertainty about the appropriateness of the question.
  • Another suggests using a "solder sucker" to remove molten solder without needing a steady hand.
  • Several participants propose various makeshift solutions for stabilizing the board, including using needle-nosed pliers, rubber bands, and weights.
  • A participant describes a technique involving heating the connection, adding solder, and using a tool to lift the component out, emphasizing creativity and caution.
  • Another participant mentions using a small vise with rubber jaws, along with the solder sucker and solder wick methods, detailing their operation.
  • One participant shares their experience with desoldering DIP ICs by cutting off leads first and then using a solder sucker and iron simultaneously for efficiency.
  • Another participant discusses the use of a heat gun as a method for desoldering, particularly for larger components like BGAs, noting its effectiveness and potential cost.
  • Some participants highlight the importance of using new solder wick for better results and experimenting with soldering iron temperatures to avoid damaging pads.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the usefulness of various tools and methods for desoldering, but there are multiple competing views on the best approach, with no consensus on a single method being superior.

Contextual Notes

Some methods discussed may depend on specific component types or board configurations, and participants express varying levels of comfort with different techniques, indicating a range of experiences and preferences.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for hobbyists, technicians, or anyone involved in electronics repair or modification, particularly those looking for practical desoldering techniques and tools.

res3210
Messages
47
Reaction score
0
I am not sure if I am allowed to post these kinds of questions here (cause I see mostly hypothetical ones, but then again I didn't look too far down the page...) but I just have a quick question for you guys. I am trying to desolder some electrical components from a board but I don't have anything to hold the board steady. Any recommendations on how to make a make shift one or a way to desolder without having to have a third hand? Thanks!
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
res3210 said:
I am not sure if I am allowed to post these kinds of questions here (cause I see mostly hypothetical ones, but then again I didn't look too far down the page...) but I just have a quick question for you guys. I am trying to desolder some electrical components from a board but I don't have anything to hold the board steady. Any recommendations on how to make a make shift one or a way to desolder without having to have a third hand? Thanks!

Get a "solder sucker" then, you don't need to be very steady, just press the button when the solder melts and it'll slurp it right off.
 
I was afraid something like that would be unavoidable. Thanks again!
 
Oh there are thousands of ways of doing stuff like that I am sure. For simple through-hole components like resistors or axial components just heat the connection, maybe add just a tiny bit more solder and using a right angle awl, scribe, pick, whatever you want to call it, lift it out of the hole one end at a time. To hold the board steady just weight it down with something. I have used a pair of needle-nosed pliers with a rubber band wrapped around the handle to grip smaller PC boards before. This will allow the board to sit on edge if you put something heavy across the pliers handles laying flat on the bench. Just be creative while being careful not to damage something.
 
That is also a great idea! Thanks!
 
Blue-tack, putty, clothes pegs, a pair of pliers and a rubber band, two books... lots and lots of ways.
 
Technicians that remove/replace components on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) use a small vise with rubber jaws to hold the board. (Much like Averagesupernova's suggestion above) Once the board is fixed in position, you can use a solder-sucker (Phinds mentioned it above) to "suck" the molten solder from the connection. It is a spring-loaded plunger in a tubular housing with a small opening at the tip of a protruding nozzle. The operator "cocks" the plunger, places it adjacent to the solder joint to be de-soldered, and applies heat with a soldering iron. When the solder melts she releases the plunger and as it snaps upwards it sucks in the molten solder. Of course, it solidifies inside the tube, and builds up after several sucks. This requires the technician to periodically open the sucker and remove the solder "blobs".

Another method that is common and effective is to use "solder wick". This "wick" is made from fine copper wires formed into a flat woven braid. It is readily available and comes in easy-to-use rolls. The technician puts a length of the braid onto the solder joint and holds the hot soldering iron tip against it. When the solder melts it is quickly "wicked" from the joint into the copper braid, leaving a clean empty hole. The component leg is then easily removed. Both methods are approved for use on military-standard electronic assemblies.
 
Desoldering components is not a lot of fun. I find it's best done in a room where you are free to flick molten solder on the bench and floor. I heat the joint till the blob is molten, and no longer, then bump the board so the solder drops out and hopefully leaves me with the component lead free of most solder. This is practical only where the board is free, not bolted into the equipment. Then use solder wick to clean up any remaining solder.

There is no simple, easy way, especially when you are trying to salvage the component and not damage it in the process by over heating.

Good luck! :smile:
 
What I have had the best luck with when replacing components is how I described, or for DIP ICs I will cut off each lead first. Then I use the iron to pull out each lead one at a time. Have a tray handy to tap the iron on and the lead will fall off the iron. I have gotten good enough at it so that I can pick several pins out of their holes before knocking them off of the iron. In fact, usually the IC lead pulls out without a pair of tweezers, it just sticks to the iron. After this I will set the board on edge and use a solder sucker on one side and the iron on the other side. The solder sucker I use is pneumatic. It runs on compressed air and using a venturi creates suction. So heating one side of the board with the iron and the other side with the solder sucker each hole is desoldered with one continuous sweep of both the iron and the solder sucker. Each side of a 14 pin DIP takes a couple of seconds to get the holes cleaned out. I have damaged far fewer boards using this method than any other way I have found so far. If for some reason I cannot use the solder sucker I will just use solder wick, but only after the leads have been removed from the hole. An empty hole is much much easier to remove solder from than one with a lead in it.
 
  • #10
Great advice to accept the loss of the component and to take out one lead at a time. Use a solder sucker and experiment with the soldering iron temperature to get the solder to melt quickly enough (but not too hot) do that you do not to roast the pads. Don't risk being too impatient to wait till you get a sucker - you could regret it.
I remember using a sort of branding iron device that heated all the pads at once and allowed the IC just to drop out. With plated through holes, this would not necessarily be best as you need to get the heat right through the pin to melt the solder in the hole.
Solder wick can be fine but I reckon you must be sure to use 'new stock'. I have had problems with an old length which needed to get very hot before it would work.
 
  • #11
Thank you all for your great advice! Turns out my dad had a solder sucker that heats up! (I'm not sure if they sell ones that don't. If they do, those ones must be much more difficult to use) I managed to desolder a bunch of components effortlessly, that tool is great!
 
  • #12
Not the cheapest solution (~$200) but using a heat gun is a quick and easy way to do it. It also (usually) doesn't damage the component. It's pretty much the only solution to desolder a BGA.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #13
I prefer the solder-wick solution. It is cheap and controllable.
 
  • #14
one quick trick no one mentioned if your desoldering a full board ie not worried about other connections use a heat gun or good blow dryer, handy trick to pull off 400+ pin Chips
 

Similar threads

Solar panel with circuit inside a PC box -Not working
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
How to create an Electric Field?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
What is electronic component R22CC1 and why is it rotating?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
Identifying a board component out of Clare A433
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Devise a no longer available component for use in Target 3001?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
Static test of Denso 12 V alternator
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
14K
Protecting PCB, multiplexers and MCU in vending machines
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
DC Inverters and Rectifiers: Understanding the Terminology
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Encasing an electronic prototype
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Can I Identify and Replace Damaged Components?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K