[m0b1liz3]

I have some broken old electronic stuff I was about to throw out and wondered if I could salvage some parts. I was thinking about this and wondered if desoldering caps would cause enough heat to damage them. Has anyone else done this?

 

[regal]

Yes it is becoming very popular. From asia you can get used chips/capacitors for cheap. I am building a $5k DAC for penny's on the dollar (well dimes.)

Just use a good braid and it will soak up the solder before any heat damage.

 

[synaesthetic]

Salvaging parts from broken, dead or unwanted PCBs is good stuff. Not only can you save money (I've salvaged tons of capacitors, diodes, opamps and ICs from broken stuff) but it's also environmentally friendly as well. Throwing away all that stuff is a problem, but reusing it just takes a little work!

 

[stevenkelby]

Just be aware caps fail. Oil caps impregnated caps especially as the oil thickens over time, expands and tries to escape. Oils start thickening after 5 years. If they test within tolerance though you should get many more good years.

 

[SiBurning]

I've done both. Desoldered & resused. Also burned parts in the process.

There's no need to get the part off with one hit of the iron. Work slowly removing solder in several stages as necessary, but be quick with the iron heating the solder, not the parts. Use a bulb and braid--each where appropriate. Wiggle or pull parts while heating where necessary.

There's a bunch of desoldering tutorials online, and a few threads dealing with it here. It takes a few different techniques to get off parts with 3 leads, ICs, and other weirdo thngs.

You also need to be careful about electrolytic caps, especially if they're over 10 years old and more especially if they've been out of service for a year or more. Examine them carefully for any leakage or opening of the drain slots. If they look perfect, you might still need to recondition them.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I like to use copper alligator clips when desoldering and soldering. They're pretty cheap and when you clip them on the leads, they soak up a lot of the excess heat that kills components. If you don't have clips, you can also use a pair of needlenose pliers as a heatsink. Put a rubber band over the grips to hold them closed on the lead.