Homebrew PCBs

> At a recycling center where I volunteered, a manufacturer dropped off several
> gaylords full of electronic scrap, including a batch of thick (1/8") circuit boards
> assembled with lead-free solder. The boards had failed final test and were
> discarded because they couldn't be reworked due to through-hole pullout. I
> found that while I could salvage individual components, I invariably ruined the
> board, and I suspect that factory techs had the same experience.
> 
> If the intent behind adoption of RoHS was the reduction of electronic waste, I
> wonder how much of the waste stream now consists of unrepairable lead-free-
> soldered products?
> 
> Getting the lead out of gasoline likely made much more of a difference in the
> overall lead burden than removal of lead from solder.
> 
> 73--
> 
> Brad  AA1IP


Just used leaded solder to repair them, it works.  You'll need to use a higher temperature due to the lead-free needing it.  Technically not ROHS compliant, but who's to know?

Not all lead-free solders are the same, and early alloys (& methods) had a few problems like you've found.  Seems to have been sorted out these days (and yes, even the whiskers).

Tony

(1/8" PCBs?  Lots of layers?  Thick boards suck up lots of heat, unsoldering anything is a hassle)