Desoldering help

runawayabc123

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
4,814
Reaction score
313
Location
Wisconsin
I am trying to desolder the player 3/4 15pin headers off of a crime fighters board. I want to reuse the headers.

As I want to save the headers, the board isn't important. Someone "tried" fixing it before I got it and it has lots of soldering messes on it. Maybe it is repairable, maybe not. (It works, but sound goes wacko and it can freeze up.) It is the 2ply version and won't miss the player 3/4 15pin headers either.

Anyway, I have soldered them and desoldered them and again. Mostly using copper braid. My sucker (first time with it really) doesn't seem to want to pull anything from it. I've tried generous amounts of flux.

The holes are really tight/small.

Any tips/tricks?

I am ready to trash the board with fury to get them out. But, I would like to do it the right way, for practice, if anything else.
 
Any tips/tricks?
..I would like to do it the right way, for practice, if anything else.

4070659.jpg
 
This video is pretty much the way I've been doing it for years. A couple of things that I do differently: I like to move from one side to the other then back as I'm desoldering. It keeps the chip or whatever you are removing from getting too hot in any one place. I usually make sure my tip is tinned and clean. Add a little new solder if the old solder you are removing is too hard or if there is very little there. Also when I apply the tip, I count one, two, then release the bulb and pull away the tool. It usually takes two to three seconds for the solder to go liquid and be ready to suck it away. After the solder is gone, use a needle nose pliers to wiggle each pin, to make sure they are broken loose. I've used one of these Radio Shack tools for over 10 years and never had a problem removing a chip or a header.

 
I also use one of the Radio shack bulb desolder irons. For as good as it works, I cant justify paying $100 or more for the amount of work I do. If it stops working as good as it did, Buy a new tip at Radio shack, (about $3).
 
Since you don't care about the board you may want to try soldering all pins together and pulling out the headers while keeping the solder melted.
 
Back
Top Bottom