Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "bob_ledoux" <bobledoux@p...> 
wrote:
>It heats in 40 seconds and has handled everything from 1208 smt
> chips to .025 square pins to circuitboards

Bob, I figured you knew all that simple stuff already. ;)

Stefan, what are you cleaning a really dirty coated tip with? Is a 
soft extra fine steel wool OK? I've got a few of them too, but I've 
been pretty happy with the sharply ground coppers, now that I'm 
tinning them better.

Not sure if I asked here, but I was wondering if anyone's ever seen a 
wide, flat tip for heating multiple IC legs at once? I was thinking 
how nice it would be to have something shaped like a hammerhead shark.

Someone suggested heating an upside-down board from behind with a 
torch once, and I tried it. They said the components would simply drop 
out of the board onto the floor. Well, now I've got a nice old foot-
long server card here with plenty of thru-hole digital IC's and pretty 
black polka dots on the back if anyone needs it. I think I hit it with 
MAPP gas, but it may as well have been ice water.

-George