Easiest way to desolder an IC socket?

[Droogie]

I accidentally soldered an IC socket at an angle on a vero build so that some points make contact with the strips and I fear some don't make any contact at all. In trying to remedy this, applying the iron to one pin at a time yields no tangible results. I'm sure I'm not the first human to make this mistake—what's the best way to accomplish this? Or in the alternative, could I in effect create contact by soldering in a piece of jumper lead to the pin of the socket that's not making contact?

Thanks!

[digi2t]

Solder pump. Word. They're in inexpensive, and a must (at least for me!) on the bench.

[Droogie]

Thanks! Sounds like the move.

[davent]

Anything else soldered on there? I've read of people heating the back of a pcb with a propane torch then whacking it on the bench to remove the parts.

Solder braid in a few widths is also very handy to have around, can go where the fat nozzle of a solder sucker might not reach.

[R.G.]

The best solution is to cut away the plastic parts of the socket, leaving only the pins in the holes, then lift the pins out one at a time with a soldering iron. Clear the holes with a wooden toothpick while the solder is molten, then solder in a new socket.

Sockets are really only good for about 1.5 soldering cycles. They get unreliable fast.

Actually, I don't use sockets any more unless the IC is truly irreplaceable. ICs are too cheap, much cheaper than my time spent debugging sockets that get intermittent.

[senko]

Solder suckers are great & a good tool for the job, but they often leave a little bit of solder that cools too quickly (especially with poor soldering jobs).  You'll find yourself spending some extra time on some of the socket leads that don't budge.  Then you run the risk of damaging your PCB.   

You might also want to try heating all of the pins on one side and then putting some pressure to the heated side of the socket on the opposite side of the PCB.  You can apply some extra solder to help spread the heat to the solder joint and have a bigger target.  This is more of a last resort/time crunch technique. 

R.G.'s advice for destroying the component is the best option.

Use a vice or third hand tool!

[R O Tiree]

Flux.  Another word.  Run some flux over the joint you want to de-solder and you'll find that you don't have to keep the iron on it for so long, so you stand less chance of wrecking the PCB/vero track.

[LucifersTrip]

The best solution is to cut away the plastic parts of the socket, leaving only the pins in the holes, then lift the pins out one at a time with a soldering iron. Clear the holes with a wooden toothpick while the solder is molten, then solder in a new socket.

Sockets are really only good for about 1.5 soldering cycles. They get unreliable fast.

Actually, I don't use sockets any more unless the IC is truly irreplaceable. ICs are too cheap, much cheaper than my time spent debugging sockets that get intermittent.

when you remove the soldered IC, do you use the same method as with the socket? chop at the legs, then remove one at a time?

[J0K3RX]

I do it a bit different but I have been soldering for years in a production SMT and through hole rework environment so I have developed my own ways of doing things. Keep in mind, "my way" might not be a good option for a lot of people... Anyway, here goes. First I will put heavy solder on both sides of the socket, on the solder side of course. Then I will hold the board in my hand solder side up with my thumb on the component side of the  board and apply pressure on one side of the socket with my thumb as if you were trying to lift it out of the holes. At the same time I will run my iron up and down the pins quickly wetting each pin as I go. If you do it right all of the pins will wet at the same time and at that moment you can push/lift one side of the socket out of the holes. Now just do the same thing on the other side and the socket will fall out in your hand. You will want to drop it fast on the table because it will be smokin hot I can usually do all of this in 30 seconds or less and if you didn't dwell to long on the socket you can re-use it. I have a stainless steel dental type probe with the tip bent straight for clearing holes. Little different for the sockets with solid round leads. For those I may use a few different methods depending on the size/length of the socket but I won't bore you with that.. Of course R.G.'s method of sacrificing/destroying the plastic around the leads will work fine!

[haveyouseenhim]

I do it a bit different but I have been soldering for years in a production SMT and through hole rework environment so I have developed my own ways of doing things. Keep in mind, "my way" might not be a good option for a lot of people... Anyway, here goes. First I will put heavy solder on both sides of the socket, on the solder side of course. Then I will hold the board in my hand solder side up with my thumb on the component side of the  board and apply pressure on one side of the socket with my thumb as if you were trying to lift it out of the holes. At the same time I will run my iron up and down the pins quickly wetting each pin as I go. If you do it right all of the pins will wet at the same time and at that moment you can push/lift one side of the socket out of the holes. Now just do the same thing on the other side and the socket will fall out in your hand. You will want to drop it fast on the table because it will be smokin hot I can usually do all of this in 30 seconds or less and if you didn't dwell to long on the socket you can re-use it. I have a stainless steel dental type probe with the tip bent straight for clearing holes. Little different for the sockets with solid round leads. For those I may use a few different methods depending on the size/length of the socket but I won't bore you with that.. Of course R.G.'s method of sacrificing/destroying the plastic around the leads will work fine!

I was just explaining that in my post but I got the dreaded red text of a new post   LOL    But yea   that's almost exactly how I do it. I'm pretty quick with a soldering iron so I could do it to an expensive IC without worry. But that's just me

[lonewolf]

I use a de-soldering braid or wick..done right ,the parts will fall out....

[R.G.]

when you remove the soldered IC, do you use the same method as with the socket? chop at the legs, then remove one at a time?

Yep. See http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/remove_IC/remvdip.htm. That has been at geofex for some years.

Most DIP ICs are actually quite cheap. Snipping the leads and removing them one at a time is in general very much faster than removing the solder with a pump or solder wick braid.

There is another way, but it costs you some money. See http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-8230  Soldering tweezers let you heat all the pins on both sides of a DIP at the same time, which lets you simply remove it as long as the leads were not crimped before soldering. But it will cost you $30 for a tool you use once in a blue moon.

[PRR]

There used to be a BIG solder iron "tip" which could cook 14 pins at once.

Agree: chop it to bits and pull the bits.

I clean holes with iron wire. Harder to break than toothpicks. Solder won't stick to cold iron (not easily even on hot iron).

[Salvatore]

Nuclear explosions.