[aeriyn]

Seriously.

Today as I was trying yet again to unblock all the plugged holes, pull the dead TLE off the board and get the crap out of the OPAG position on my pimeta board, my solder sucker suffered... erm... technical difficulties. Basically, when I hit the button to suck the solder out, it let loose and shot the plunger halfway across the room. -.-' And I'd just bought this the other day, too.

Well, that got me thinking about my idea of using toothpicks to clear blocked holes. Solder won't stick to wood, so... hmm. It works! It works very, very well. Heat the pad, shove the toothpick into the hole, twist it around a bit while you take the iron off the pad, and voila! When the solder hardens, it's not in the hole anymore... but on the work desk.

So in addition to iron, needlenoses, screwdrivers, solder wick, solder sucker (with some serious issues, lol) I've added a box of wood toothpicks to my tool kit.

For instances where the pad is so gunked up that the toothpick isn't working, I found that using a clothing pin with one of those plastic balls on the end works well. The plastic ball you can hold and it won't get hot, while you heat the pad and work the pin around until the hole is unblocked.

These are just a few prime examples of ghetto DIY. =O

 

[myself, aka me]

I just used resistor legs and went real quick so I didn't burn myself. Those solder plated holes are a pain. (and a blessing)

 

[chillysalsa]

Good idea!

I often use some bare wire and thread it through a plated hole while heating up the other side. Once you pull an inch wire through the hole, the solder is stuck to the wire and leaves the through-hole clean and clear.

 

[Nak Man]

Hey, thanks ! This should work well on double sided pcbs .. if I can only get the components out.

With only slightest intention to threadcrap, what would be the common / best method to remove components on double sided pcb ? Solder sucker really sucks on those pcbs and some people say that the only way is to cut the legs and pull them later one by one. Sounds good - but sometimes I'm not sure if said part is already dead, so I'd like to remove them in one piece.

 

[UserNotFound]

i have trimmed ends of 300+ resistors in my kit, and this is just one of the many many reasons

 

[Talonz]

That's a great idea aeriyn!

 

[roadbuster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeriyn Well, that got me thinking about my idea of using toothpicks to clear blocked holes. Solder won't stick to wood, so... hmm. It works!

This is exactly why I wouldn't use a toothpick for this task. I'd use a surface which solder will adhere, such as the leg of a blown resistor as someone else has recommended. In fact, I keep blown parts around for precisely this purpose.

Quote:

It works very, very well. Heat the pad, shove the toothpick into the hole, twist it around a bit while you take the iron off the pad, and voila! When the solder hardens, it's not in the hole anymore... but on the work desk.

If a toothpick works that well, and you don't mind solder getting all over your desk, why not just blow it out of the hole?

 

[aeriyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadbuster If a toothpick works that well, and you don't mind solder getting all over your desk, why not just blow it out of the hole?

Canned air does this, but canned air costs a lot more than toothpicks.

Unfortunately in this circumstance, I'm not enough of a blow-hard to blast solder from a hole with nothing but my lungs and lips.

I do use the legs of blown resistors sometimes, but with those you have to be really fast or you burn your fingers. Toothpicks don't conduct a lot of heat.

 

[lan]

Danger danger!

I have (now had) this same blue Radio Shack solder sucker and it blew up on me. Little fragments of solder and plastic flew. They shouldn't sell this thing!

 

[Ajit]

Try blowing through a straw as I mentioned earlier in the other thread. It really works...

 

[UserNotFound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan Danger danger! I have (now had) this same blue Radio Shack solder sucker and it blew up on me. Little fragments of solder and plastic flew. They shouldn't sell this thing!

*looks at my blue radioshack solder sucker* i hope things thing blows up on me in a lab causes a good commotion.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Fit thin nozzle to hoover.

apply heat to the joint to be desoldered and suck solder off with hoover at same time...... works wonders.