Removing broken legs?

[WoundUp]

I've got a question. What's the best way to remove broken component legs from through holes after they've been soldered in? Just heat it up and have something small ready to push the piece of leg through the board and pull it out? Anything to watch out for other than overheating it?

I basically had a capacitor leg break off the cap after I soldered it on the board and it's even with the board. There's no extra sticking out to grab or anything. So I figure the simplest thing to do is heat it up and push another leg into the hole so it'll push the broken piece out.

Anything I'm missing here?

[kaycee]

The wire will stick in the hole, replacing the leg. You need a solder sucker, hold board in a 3rd hand, heat one side, suck from the other.

[WoundUp]

The wire will stick in the hole, replacing the leg. You need a solder sucker, hold board in a 3rd hand, heat one side, suck from the other.

Sweet. I've got all of that. I even just bought some silicone tubing for the tip of the solder sucker so it'll make an actual seal around the solder and suck it up better.

I saw it on another solder sucker so I figured why not add it to mine  I also just, picked up a sweet new helping hands to replace the crappy one from Harbor Freight. This one has 4 arms and a large, heavy, sturdy steel base to add more screw-on or magnetic arms to.




This is the Harbor Freight POS. You can barely do anything with that thing.

[bluebunny]

Use a cocktail stick to push the wire fragment through.  It won't stick.  (And it won't burn.)

[ElectricDruid]

Just pull one from a nearby cocktail?

Now I'm imagining Bunny soldering away at a big work table, surrounded by a collection of strangely coloured drinks with various fruits, umbrellas, and straws sticking out of them. Although I suppose all he'd need is a dry martini with an olive on a stick.

Could be worth a try...

[bluebunny]

Uncannily accurate, Tom.   







(I bloody wish...  )

[maartendh]

Heat the broken leg and then whack the pcb against the table and the leg will fall out. Maybe have some practise first,
Maarten

[BernadetteRobertson]

The wire will stick in the hole, replacing the leg. You need a solder sucker, hold board in a 3rd hand, heat one side, suck from the other.

Sweet. I've got all of that. I even just bought some silicone tubing for the tip of the solder sucker so it'll make an actual seal around the solder and suck it up better.

I saw it on another solder sucker so I figured why not add it to mine  I also just, picked up a sweet new helping hands to replace the crappy one from Harbor Freight. This one has 4 arms and a large, heavy, sturdy steel base to add more screw-on or magnetic arms to.




This is the Harbor Freight POS. You can barely do anything with that thing.

I must have it! It so cute and helpful can i have link were i can by it?

[PRR]

To poke-out soldered holes, use a steel needle or fine wire. Solder won't stick at all on cold bare iron. Even when hot and fluxy, it don't stick too good.

A fair approximation of the clips on tentacles can be made with gator clips (duh) and wire from coathangers. You can stick em with plumber's soldering flux and torch, or epoxy, or crimp. Drill a block of wood, put epoxy in holes, and shove the wires. You can get hundreds of bends, if you are careful to bend gentle and not always the same place. Stiff hanger wire is a lot stiffer than those plastic lube/cool jointy things, and tons cheaper (you need a new shirt).