How to desolder components easily?

Emanuele · Post by **Emanuele** » 14 Feb 2008, 22:29

I'm the only one here having a lot of troubles when desoldering on the dunlop pcbs? the tracks always came off with the heat of the solder..I got this problem only when modding dunlop wahs..now I'm at the point that I want to do a lot of mods but the risk is too much...

bajaman · Post by **bajaman** » 15 Feb 2008, 01:14

use soderwick desoldering braid - let it cool down for a few seconds - then remove the component

bajaman

analogguru · Post by **analogguru** » 15 Feb 2008, 06:51

before desoldering, use additional new solder (resoldering) before desoldering that you increase the available flux on the solderjoint.

The solder will get faster liquid, by this reducing the stress to the pcb.

analogguru

Emanuele · Post by **Emanuele** » 15 Feb 2008, 12:05

Thank you! the resoldering trick is something very useful and new to me! I'ce already heard of the desoldering braid but I have no idea of how it's called here in italy! I'll try to search it anyway..
For the wah I was thinking to rebuild it from zero, getting rid of the original pcb..having this shitty pcb mounted jacks causes me a lot of problems too, sometimes I get a lot of noise depending of how the plug are connected, a little twist and the noise come off..but if you're playing live your song is already fucked..I was thinking of using a stripboard..etching a PCB is a cool process but I always have troubles in the ironing part so every time I've to redraw all the lines with a permanent marker, loosing all the track quality...anyone has already a stripboard layout for a wah?

darrenbkl@gmail.com · Post by **darrenbkl@gmail.com** » 03 Oct 2008, 13:34

Hi all,got a serious problem here,i m a newbie to electronics, and while modding my ds1 to keeley specs. i desolder one of the stock resistor,and i got the copper track that just surrounded the resistor lead suck up,wat should i do?

the top hole in the picture is the problem.

madbean · Post by **madbean** » 03 Oct 2008, 15:39

If you have a replacement resistor, you could just bend the lead and solder it directly to the next component to the right.

Pedalpusher · Post by **Pedalpusher** » 08 Mar 2009, 22:44

Man I hate trying to remove solder from through hole boards. Half the time I end up lifting a trace before I get the damn part out. I tried getting the opamp out and replace it with a socket so I could try some other opamps. What a pain in the ass. I use the spring loaded sucker tool and some solder wick but there is always enough solder left to keep it from coming out. No matter how many thousands of times I try getting the solder off the damn board. I think an air compressor would work a lot better. Anyway I don't have to worry about it now. It got the best of me so I threw it on the ground and stomped on it. Well gotta go to my anger management class now.

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 08 Mar 2009, 22:46

Desoldering braid is for you! Great for ICs I think...

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 08 Mar 2009, 23:08

It depends on the solder too.
The Lead Free stuff doesn't flow like Leaded solder and is a real PITA to remove from through holes.

Fuzzer · Post by **Fuzzer** » 08 Mar 2009, 23:08

Pedalpusher wrote:It got the best of me so I threw it on the ground and stomped on it.

You're a pedalpusher after all, no?

Lolbou, the solder wick is the same braid.

Grathan · Post by **Grathan** » 09 Mar 2009, 00:01

I really like the 45w hollow tip bulb sucker that Radio Shack has. I haven't done any IC chips yet, but it does clean the hole pretty good. At 45 watts it's fast and at like $12 it's also cheap.

Pedalpusher · Post by **Pedalpusher** » 09 Mar 2009, 00:43

I'll have a look at that. The braid and spring loaded sucker just don't do all that great of a job. And if it works it'll pay for itself the first time it saves me from smashing a pedal!

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 09 Mar 2009, 06:07

I think it's time for me to save up for one of those fancy powered vacuum desoldering tools... I can do basic single-sided with the spring-loaded sucker just fine, but plated through isn't happening for me.

bajaman · Post by **bajaman** » 09 Mar 2009, 06:22

A small tip - snip the individual leads on amp amps - the bits that are left will come out very easily with solder braid and a pair of long nosed pliers

Pedalpusher · Post by **Pedalpusher** » 09 Mar 2009, 15:52

Duh. That makes too much sense. Thanks bajaman! I'll remember that.

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 09 Mar 2009, 20:56

Greg_G wrote:It depends on the solder too.
The Lead Free stuff doesn't flow like Leaded solder and is a real PITA to remove from through holes.

Agreed ! Especially in ground planes.
A simple trick that helps a bit : add lead !
Just reflow the solder with good ol' SnPb solder wire and it's just as bad as it was before RoHS

RnFR · Post by **RnFR** » 09 Mar 2009, 22:25

and remember:

flux is your friend!

i picked up one of those flux pens the last time i was at the e-shop. it's great. the solder gets sucked right up in the wick, and more importantly-

no more mess!