best method for de-soldering?

What is the best method for desoldering components on circuit boards? I
know that there is the bulb method that sucks up the solder, and the braided
copper wire that wicks it up. Which is generally preferred?

Thanks,
Bob

 

Depends on what you are desoldering,

A solder sucker is generally used for component removal

Braided copper for removing large amounts of solder


make sure you pick the correct wattage iron , to low for large components
wont help.


Regards

 

My uncle used the wicks alot, I personally think it's a waste of good
grounding material for shielded circuits, metal enclosures & devices.

Better or like the old bulb remover, have not used that in years,
crumbled up on me,., The SolderPult or similar Vacum Remover works well
for me, one or several pulls fror bigger jobs leaves them components and
board hole clean and good for removal.

 

Depends on what you're doing. I've found the Radio Shack desoldering iron to
be the best cheap solution, desoldering braid (and a bottle of liquid flux)
is handy to have around. Nothing else I've tried short of a $400 Hakko
vacuum desoldering station has worked worth a darn.

 

Commercially we use both designs of the Hakko equipment, the Pistol type
and the Base type. Both do a fair job but tend to plug us a lot,causing the
user to constantly use the supplied cleaning rod to clean the debris out of
the pickup tube, tips, and emptying the reservoirs. I have seen the PASS
system installed in many rework facilities ant that system works remarkably
well for production applications.
For the average hobbyist, home user, etc IMHO the Teflon tipped solder
sucker, bulb operated, is preferred in many applications, with the
application of liquid flux when required. As stated, larger amounts of
material can be more easily removed with the Copper Braid method. I
personally use both depending on need. Also, the temperature of the iron has
a lot to do with the physical functions, too much heat and you will damage
the board, print,and/or components. Too little heat and the solder will not
flow nor be removed efficiently, which also may cause damage to the
connections, pads, etc.
Best to try both methods and become proficient in their appropriate
applications. Safe and Happy 2005 to all.

 

In the past I've also used the Hakko equipment, but they need much
maintainance. The heatingelement in combination with the tip gives me lots
off troubles that it wasn't easy to replace the tip while it was getting
blocked in the threat for screwing in the tip.

That was a shame because the desolderingequipment works very well for his
job.

Greetings Peter

 

| What is the best method for desoldering components on circuit boards? I
| know that there is the bulb method that sucks up the solder, and the
braided
| copper wire that wicks it up. Which is generally preferred?

After trying many methods, I generally prefer the Radio Shack iron with the
bulb on top. Buy a couple when they're on sale.

N

 

Other folks have expressed their opinions of Hakko desoldering equipment,
and I agree with them. They do require a fair amount of maintenance and
care but they do the job better than just about anything else. I've seen
complete pistol-grip versions (where the pump is located inside the gun
itself) on sale at bigger electronics stores such as Fry's for a couple of
hundred bucks, but that includes extra items such as filters and cleaning
plungers.

The problem, though, is replacing the tip. It will wear out with use and it
can sometimes be difficult to find a replacement if the store you bought the
gun from doesn't stock them. Perhaps they can order them.... tips come in
different sizes. There are a couple of other items deep inside the pistol
grip assembly that will require replacement at some point, and you'd better
make careful notes of exactly which parts go where. Fortunately, the
instructions are quite detailed and provide part numbers.

I have never been a fan of those dinky Radio Shack red-bulb desolderers.
All they do is clog up and frustrate you. For a small amount of work, you
can use a soldering iron and desoldering braid, but the braid gets very hot
and you don't want to burn your fingers. The downside is that it can take
so long to heat up the solder that the components might get damaged.

I have heard one method of brute-force desoldering that involves a
blowtorch, so you melt the whole board's solder joints all at once and knock
the board down into a trash can to trap all the parts that come loose. I
have not tried this myself, though, and cannot vouch for how well it works.

 

| Other folks have expressed their opinions of Hakko desoldering equipment,
....
| I have never been a fan of those dinky Radio Shack red-bulb desolderers.
| All they do is clog up and frustrate you.

Never a problem for me, but solder is my favorite programming language.

| For a small amount of work, you
| can use a soldering iron and desoldering braid, but the braid gets very
hot
| and you don't want to burn your fingers. The downside is that it can take
| so long to heat up the solder that the components might get damaged.

Never liked that method. Slow and frustrating.

| I have heard one method of brute-force desoldering that involves a
| blowtorch, so you melt the whole board's solder joints all at once and
knock
| the board down into a trash can to trap all the parts that come loose. I
| have not tried this myself, though, and cannot vouch for how well it
works.

I've done that - you can use a torch or a solder bath. If the bath is small
you only get to do a section at a time.

N

 

I've not tried the real vacuum desoldering stations. In the region below that
(i.e. small service bench and hobby level activity) the "best" depends - as
others have said - on the job.

I find braid does require heat for too long before it wicks up the excess
solder, and can cause board/component damage. the idea in desoldering is the
same as soldering - the right amount of heat for the least required time. Braid
also does lead to burned fingertips.

Soldersuckers (one-shot types) are my tool of choice for working on single-sided
boards. For double-sided plated-through boards, I use exclusively a desoldering
iron which is really a solder-sucker with a heated tip. The only downside with
these tools is that the release button is poorly located.

 

I've used a heat gun to do something like that before, works pretty well,
though it's obviously only for salvage purposes.

 

Dip the braid in liquid flux and you'll be amazed at how much better it
works, I know I was. I still like the solder sucker irons though, heat and
suction applied simultaneously.

 

Bulbs and vaccuum plungers aren't very good except for removing a large
amount of solder from a joint because it's hard to get their tips close
enough to the solder with the iron in the way. It's safer to use braid
and a hot iron, either 50W and temperature controlled or 40W for 1-2
layer boards or 50W for 3+ layer boards -- too much heat is far safer
than too little. The braid should be narrow, .050-.080", and the used
part should be cut off right after each use or else the braid will
absorb too much heat away from the joint.

The Radio Shack 45W desoldering iron works well as long as you keep its
tip clean and unclogged, but when it's new you should remove any
flashing inside the hollow head between the tip and plunger for less
air restriction. 2 different replacement tips are sold for this, one
chromed, the other iron-plated, and the latter costs double but is
worth it because it lasts so much longer. But check any tip because
some have an off-center hole that will make the tip corrode through
sooner. Some people replace the rubber suction bulb with a
foot-operated tire pump with its check valve reversed, but if you try
this use rubber hose, not vinyl, which will melt and clog with solder,
and put a metal reservior and screen inline with the hose to catch the
solder and rosin.

 

A desoldering iron is best. See section 2d. of this document:
http://www.marvin3m.com/begin/index.htm
for some descriptions, options, prices, and advice.

I picked up a used Hakko desoldering station off eBay earlier this year.
Got it for a good price, under $100, and put about $20 in parts in to
it.

 

I have a Hakko, and haven't had any trouble with the tips or tubes clogging,
but find that I do need to empty the filter tube often enough that it's worth
having a second filter tube set up and ready to drop in place while the full
one cools down.

I wore out the cheap Radio Shack desolder iron before getting the Hakko.
For being cheap (under $20), it works remarkably well. It's not as nice
as having a real desolder station, but if you're only doing one or two
board repairs a year, it's not a bad tool.