remove soldered chips

[KA4HJH]

>If you are looking at salvaging a single chip, De-solder the pins using a
>solder-sucker as you have described. Get a vary fine set of needle nosed
>pliers and waggle the protruding ends of each pin till it comes free. The
>chip should be pull-able then.

Another very useful tool for desoldering and removing parts is a modified
"soldering aid". This typically has a wire brush on one end and a scraper
on the other. The trick is to grind the scraper down thinner and give it a
really sharp edge. You can get  under legs that are mashed down flat on the
board, and bend them any way you please. In many instances this is much
easier to use than needlenose pliers (which you'll still need, anyway). You
can work very quickly with a minimum of fumbling. An X-Acto knife with a
#17 blade will work, too.

Another trick: get some teflon tubing that fits snuggly on the tip of your
solder sucker and slip on a piece about an inch long (25mm). You'll never
have to replace the tip, and you won't have to clean it out as often (there
are occaisons where the smaller tip is needed, of course). This requires
some practice to get the hang of, though. The tubing get pinched shut very
easily.

Finally, touch some new solder to each pad before you start desoldering
anything. You'll be amazed at how much faster and easier the job is.

Good luck.

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"