[miketriple]

hey.. well, i had fried my op-amp in my mint, and went to take it off and ended up ripped up the board, so i got a new one. i'm having a hell of a time getting my volume pot off the board, though! i've spent quite some time trying to desolder every bit of solder, and the pins still won't budge. is there another technique i can use??

 

[deadlierchair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by miketriple hey.. well, i had fried my op-amp in my mint, and went to take it off and ended up ripped up the board, so i got a new one. i'm having a hell of a time getting my volume pot off the board, though! i've spent quite some time trying to desolder every bit of solder, and the pins still won't budge. is there another technique i can use??

You should try to use a solder sucker or some solder soaking up copper braid. I think the sucker is more useful than the braid myself (at least overall) but they're both really handy to have.

 

[miketriple]

yah.. what i meant by desoldering was using copper braid. i dont have a bulb, but never found them to be more useful than the braid..

i think im gonna try something tangent mentioned when talking about desoldering smd parts.. add a bunch of solder all over, heat them all up, and just pull it off. i have to wait a little while (til my son goes to sleep) to go back at it, though

 

[deadlierchair]

That sounds like a good idea, but it still confuses me how you can't get it to come off even after getting all the solder off...maybe there's something else holding it down you don't realize?

 

[dokebi]

Goodluck. I had trouble even placing (jamming with all my strength) a new pot on the board. Those pads are quite small. Not a smooth experience to say the least.

 

[skyskraper]

these are truely pigs to get off the boards. its hard to really remove every last bit of solder to get the legs loose. im still working on getting one out coz i want to re use the pot. mr x i think it was suggested cutting the leads, there's an old thread about it somewhere. im not sure i can cut the leads to the point i can re use the pot on a board.

 

[tangent]

Quote:

i dont have a bulb, but never found them to be more useful than the braid..

The rubber bulb type really isn't very helpful. The good type is a spring-loaded solder sucker. The most common are Edsyn Soldapullts, which you can get most anywhere, including Radio Shack. Try to get the biggest one you can find, as they have more power, which can be useful.

Sometimes adding new solder to a joint helps, because it adds flux, which helps the solder flow. If you have liquid flux on hand, do that instead.

Quote:

im gonna try something tangent mentioned

Only way I can see that technique working with an EVJ is if you cut the mounting lug.

Quote:

it still confuses me how you can't get it to come off even after getting all the solder off...

It's hard to get every last bit of solder out of the hole, so a thin layer will be holding the pin to the side of the hole.

Personally, I rarely use either braid or a pump when removing parts from a board. I mostly use them just to clean out a hole after removing the part another way, before I put something back in the hole. The two ways I most often remove parts are heating the joint and pulling on the part from the other side, or just cutting it off the board if I don't want to try and save it.

Honestly, for an EVJ, I wouldn't bother trying to save it. But then, I have spares on hand, which probably colors my opinion.

 

[Magsy]

I gave up on mine and cut the bugger off, the stress wasn't worth it!

 

[Edwood]

Try removing an Alps blue velvet. Ugh.

-Ed

 

[aeriyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood Try removing an Alps blue velvet. Ugh. -Ed

Word. Bleh, that's a pain to get off, and it's not exactly something you just wanna... toss out.

 

[__redruM]

You've already ruined the board anyway, use a pair of dikes and cut it free. That is, cut the PCB around the pot until the pins are free or easily freed with an iron.

 

[thrawn86]

those spring loaded solder suckers are a godsend

I didn't have one when I tried to take a pana pot off a pimeta, so I just gave up in agony and clipped it off. sanded down the stubs, and stuck on the alps.

 

[kin0kin]

if u have a heatgun lying around, heat up the solder and u can then just pull the pot out.

 

[eyevancsu]

If you dont mind taking a small risk of burning your pot (

), bridge all the pins together with solder and just pluck the pot out when all are heated (you'd have to cut off the mounting tabs, though).

Ivan C.

 

[tangent]

Quote:

Try removing an Alps blue velvet.

Actually, I find that easier than removing an EVJ. It's big enough that you can apply enough force that heating one pin at a time, quickly, in succession, will allow it to creak up out of the board. It takes maybe 5 minutes, and you risk damaging the board, but I either haven't damaged one or if I have, it was a dead end that was just getting scavenged. I've probably pulled three or four now.

The problem with the EVJ is that it's small and the metal sides will conduct the heat up into your fingers while you work. Owy.