Tech Tricks - - how to remove multiple pins?

[cuibono]

Hey all you solder junkies/monkies

Lets say you have a dual rca jack, soldered to a pcb. There are 4 or 5 large pins, soldered through the board, maybe almost a 1/4" apart each. And the jack isn't very flexible.

Anyone have any good tricks for easily removing such a large, multiple-pinned piece?

I've been sucking the solder off, then individually heating pins and pulling them out a little at a time. But it is slow and messy.

GIVE ME A BETTER WAY!!

[Drew Eckhardt]

Originally posted by cuibono
Hey all you solder junkies/monkies

Lets say you have a dual rca jack, soldered to a pcb. There are 4 or 5 large pins, soldered through the board, maybe almost a 1/4" apart each. And the jack isn't very flexible.

Anyone have any good tricks for easily removing such a large, multiple-pinned piece?

I've been sucking the solder off, then individually heating pins and pulling them out a little at a time. But it is slow and messy.

GIVE ME A BETTER WAY!!

1) Cut the part into pieces which can be removed separately when the part is much less expensive to replace than the rest of the board.

2) Use a heat gun

3) Use multiple soldering irons

[OzMikeH]

Assuming the board is small enough to hold in your hand.
put excess solder on the joint.
Hold the board vertically, between 2 fingers and thumb. with the joint at the bottom,
melt the solder, holding your hand about 2 inches off the table, put a fair bit of heat in.

withdraw the iron, quickly bang your wrist against the table while the solder is still very hot. you should be holding the board so it doesn't hit the table and get damaged.

the shock from banging the table with the "flick" from the way your fingers flex shakes the solder off.
if there is some clearance around the pins this works very well, Much better than a solder sucker. I use this method for most things except wher ethe pins of the part fit very closely through the board sich as ICs.

[I_Forgot]

Use a propane torch.

I_F

[Minion]

I have used a Propane Torch before to remove parts...I just heat the underside of the Board and when I see the Solder starting to melt I bang the board and the components Fall out, But you can easilly dammage some more delicate components this way.....

If I don"t need the PCB that the Parts are connected to I will usually Break the Board into Pieces with the components in Place and then remove the Parts One pin at a Time.....

I also believe there are Solder Tips that are shaped like the Components Pin configuration so it can heat all the Pins of a component at one time for easy quick removal.....


Cheers

[cuibono]

thanks everyone for the good ideas.

I want everything left intact afterwards, so I will have to proceed carefully. A propane torch sounds cool, but I think it might be a little too much...

Anyone have a link for the solder tips with unusual shapes?

Cheers

[EC8010]

The professional (expensive, mind) method is to use a desoldering station. It's an iron with a hollow tip connected to a vacuum cleaner (alright, a small pump in the base station) and energised by a finger switch in the iron handle. They're dead good if looked after carefully.

[BWRX]

If you've got money to throw around a desoldering station is simply wonderful for removing through hole parts. A cheap alternative is to get a desoldering iron from Radio Shack. Suction is accomplished using a little hand operated squeeze bulb. If you don't like the bulb right on top of the iron you can fit some silicone tubing (like the kind used with aquarium pumps) and relocate the bulb wherever you like. I often use my foot to operate it since my two hands are busy holding the board and the iron.

[gmphadte]

If u want to use desoldering pumps/stations, use them with solder side down. The gravity helps to suck/remove the solder.

Gajanan Phadte

[Minion]

Here is a Place that sells different Soldering Tips for removeing SMT and TO Parts....

http://www.okinternational.com/product_soldering/