Dave Plowman (News) wrote in message
...
I've got a B&D stapler which has died. The solenoid is ok, so it's likely
a fault on the PCB. Which is potted in what looks like epoxy resin on the
component side.

I'd normally just buy a new one - but have trillions of staples for it
bought off Ebay.;-)

I can get a new PCB for approx 60 gbp - but that's more than the thing
cost new.

Any ideas about removing the potting compound hopefully without damaging
the identification on the components? I've likely got everything on that
board 'in stock' so would be happy to replace the lot. But don't have a
schematic.

--
*I used up all my sick days so I called in dead

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.


I just tried a number of household chemicals in test cells with flakes of 2
week old cured epoxy, over a couple of hours, all at room temperature. The
test piece in coca cola is still hard. The only ones showing promise are
acetone as nail varnish remover and 2 types of paint stripper paste Polycell
with Dichloromethane and methanol and an "151" containing Methelene Chloride
and methanol, probably the same activce chemicals. Acetone and paint
stripper mixture look most promising producing a gooey mess and reduced soft
test piece in less than an hour. All with no mechanical action at all.

For pcb use I would recommend repeated sequence, motorised wire brush then
this mixture on the track side.
On the component side Dremmel and very small ballmill or burr to grind
around obvious faces to iCs, large caps, and transistors so you could prize
off the section of epoxy over any markings, then mixture of Dremmel or brush
and epoxy softener. Sustained elevated temperature may help the chemical
process.


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/