Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Roy J. Tellason" 
<rtellason@b...> wrote:
> On Saturday 29 May 2004 08:53 pm, crankorgan wrote:
> > Roy,
> >     The ones we had made by Pace used a thin wall stainless steel 
tip.
> > The tip got hot. These days I use a heat gun (PaintStripper B&D) 
to
> > remove parts from proto boards so I can reuse them.
> 
> I've seen those heat guns,  never thought about using one to get 
parts off a 
> board,  and didn't know that they reached solder-melting 
temperature.  It 
> shouldn't be a surprise,  though,  since they'll make paint bubble 
up pretty 
> good...
> 
> > To replace a part I cut the pins of the part next to the body of 
the device.
> > I then heat and remove one pin at a time.
> 
> I've seen that advice in repair-oriented material before.  I guess 
it depends 
> on what you want to unsolder for.  Much of mine has been to salvage 
parts,  
> but I guess I have enough parts these days that it'll take a *LONG* 
time 
> before I'll ever use 'em all up.
> 
> > I sometimes use a solder sucker to open the holes after that or a 
toothpick
> > with flux on it.
> 
> I've done that,  used the one-shot desoldering tools,  and also 
braid,  
> depending on what I'm working on.  Different styles of boards tend 
to have 
> different results,  and sometimes one will work better than another.


I salvage parts in wholesale fashion from boards with a propane torch.
large cardboard work area, aluminum foil covered brick.

heat the board on the bottom and whack it on the brick BOTTOM SIDE 
DOWN.  the lead flys out onto the brick and the loose chips bounce 
out the top.  with light touch you can clear solder and save the 
chip.  I'm sure a heat gun would do that without damage to the board.
SMT chips do not come off as clean as the thru hole allows the board 
to seperate the lead from the chip and the surface mount stuff does 
not.

I think I'll get a heat gun this summer and try some of the boards 
I've been collecting.

Old netowrk cards and old modems have useful parts.

Dave