"Chris F." wrote in message
...
Can anyone recommend a good used desoldering station? I've been looking
around on places like Ebay, and it seems even used ones can be pretty
expensive. Weller, Pace, and Hakko seem to be the predominant brand names.
I basically need something for general electronics - TV's, VCRs, etc.
Something that can easily desolder a 64-pin IC, for example. I've been
using
a desoldering wick for years, it works but the stuff is rather expensive
(and hard on the fingertips sometimes). I don't do any surface-mount work
so
I wouldn't need anything for that.
Thanks for any advice.


for occasional use a small shop vac block the intake and insert a vinyl hose
from the hardware store.

get a cheap mechanical vacuum sucker and drill a hole in the side. glue in
the hose. add a cotton ball in the body of the sucker to prevent solder from
gumming up the tube.

add a footswitch to the vac for a final touch.

of course with this system you melt the solder with your regular soldering
pencil then apply the suction.