In message , Calia
writes:
On Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:05 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

melting the solder on the pins of the IC with a hot air blower.

I was wondering what that was, as he seemed too close for it
to be a flame burner.

It's generally a thing not unlike a very specialised (usually with a
temperature control) hair-dryer. You can get assorted nozzles, some
shaped to suit devices; the one I think he was using was just the one
that reduces the nozzle diameter to about a third, which gives a more
directable stream (but you have to move it about more).

I think a flame burner would pollute the environment (I mean the board
and components, not the planet) too much: you really need a fairly clean
environment for fine solder, flux, and solder-resist all to work as
they're supposed to.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

TV and radio presenters are just like many people, except they tend to wear
make-up all the time. Especially the radio presenters. - Eddie Mair, in Radio
Times 25-31 August 2012