>I know what you mean about that price. Even as much as I screw up, I
>can't justify a $400 eraser.
:)
>Quite a bit less professional but MUCH more useful that the little
>bulbs: Larry and I have long been fans of the Radio Shack
>desoldering iron (it looks like an iron with a vacuum bulb in a
>sidecar kind of arrangement) -- I think it costs $10. I recently had
>to remove a capacitor from a double sided through plated PCB much
>like a MOTM (I think it was an Oakley). I think the iron touched
>each pad for 2-3 seconds before the solder was molten, and then just
>release the bulb -- then the component came out very easily.
Since it's not regulated, I would worry that it would get too hot for
PCB work. I use an unregulated iron to desolder connectors, but then
the extra heat is less of a risk.
>The trick is (to put the component in right the first time! -- but
>failing that) to let the desoldering iron heat up before you try to
>use it -- I let it heat about five minutes. I have had a few
>problems with MOTM type PCBs (had to make a few attempts to get the
>component out), but I've never damaged a board.
Yes, it seems odd that five holes (three on the 700, two on the 490)
would delaminate. Not that I modded any modules in my first assembly
batch, but if I recall correctly, I accidently soldered a TL072
upside down while building the 320, and that didn't ruin any of the
pads. Maybe the tip on my WTCPT went bad. I've been using the same
one for a few years, but the surface of it looks fine (I tin
regularly, and whenever I switch from organic too no clean). I don't
have any kind of thermometer that goes up to 700F!!