Hello, Is there an alternative to picking up melted solder off a
circuit board without burning myself or the PCB? I don't have a
desoldering pump or copper braid in hand. Thanks

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, Is there an alternative to picking up melted solder off a
circuit board without burning myself or the PCB? I don't have a
desoldering pump or copper braid in hand. Thanks

hold the board in your hand - heat the point with the iron and then quickly
shake the board towards the ground - the solder will fly off.

Peter

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, Is there an alternative to picking up melted solder off a
circuit board without burning myself or the PCB? I don't have a
desoldering pump or copper braid in hand. Thanks

If you are intending taking the solder off for a proper purpose - eg to
remove a component for replacement as part of the repair procedure - then
you should use the proper tools, that is a vacuum desolder station, a
desolder pump, or desolder braid. Trying alternatives, will most likely
result in grief ...

Arfa

Create a land or valley on your soldering iron bit.when you heat the
point where the solder is, it will suck out some of the solder.Repeat
till it gets completely clean.use flux if you are not successful.

Heating the solder,and shaking the PCB ,can cause other problems ,when the
molten solder shorts out components without you noticing

"Andy" wrote in message
...
Heating the solder,and shaking the PCB ,can cause other problems ,when the
molten solder shorts out components without you noticing


Well said. Totally agree.

Arfa

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, Is there an alternative to picking up melted solder off a
circuit board without burning myself or the PCB? I don't have a
desoldering pump or copper braid in hand. Thanks


If you only want to salvage components from the board, you can use the more
destructive methods, including a butane torch -- fire up the joints and tap
the board against something (like an anvil or brick), component side down,
and watch the parts fall off en masse (doesn't work so well with solder-side
crimped leads, though).

If you're only dealing with a few solder joints, you can try using a
jeweler's flat blade driver to scoop molten solder off a little bit at a
time. Unfortunately, tiny blobs can roll right off and land somewhere you'd
rather it didn't, so you really have to watch closely.

If you want to save the board and prevent shorts, you need to use the right
tools.

In the case of multilayer boards that you want to reuse, a desoldering
station is best. You could try to use a stainless rod of the appropriate
diameter (such as a very small needle or the leg of a spring, etc.) to poke
through the melted solder so the hole is cleared for the new component. A
hemostat works quite nicely for keeping your fingers unburnt. You have to
watch closely to ensure a solder blob isn't pushed out the other side and
lands somewhere you'd rather it didn't.

In any case, heat applied for too long will lift or otherwise damage pads,
traces and the electroless copper flash of plated thru holes.

Best advice is bite the bullet, invest in the right tools and practice your
technique on some junk boards.