I recently had to remove an IC from an arcade board (missile command) and, although no actual damage was done, my process seemed pretty sketchy. I tried using soldering wick with some flux and it was not getting the job done. Then I tried a solder sucker and (separate) soldering iron, which also was not getting the job done. Finally I tried a (combination) solder sucker and soldering iron, which was much more capable at removing the solder. However, I found that I needed to use a lot of flux and by the end there was a burnt mess that required a lot of cleaning. I found it extremely difficult to actually free up all 14 pins to remove the chip. Eventually one side worked free and then I was able to get the other side out, obviously the component was mangled. My concern is that with the methods I used there was a lot of lingering required to eventually remove the chip and the board suffered somewhat from that. So I'm hoping someone with experience will chime in on this. I'm wondering if a heat gun is a better option for removing components with lots of leads - however, I am concerned that this approach will get out of hand and that I will disturb other components. The combination sucker that I used is the kind that combines the iron with a spring-loaded plunger. I am wondering if an electric pump sucker would work any better. The solution that I am leaning toward for the future would be to remove the IC using a micro cutter and then desolder the pins from the board individually. I am also considering getting a nozzle reducer for my heat gun and experimenting with that approach. Any comments regarding your experience with removing ICs would be greatly appreciated, please and thank you!