Lesson learned: Invest in a desoldering iron!

[armstrom]

This is kind of a random post, but I thought I would share my recent experience...

Up until now I had always done rework with a combination of copper desoldering wick and a cheap-o plastic solder sucker I got at radio shack for $10. I was getting by for the most part. Only a few burnt fingers and roasted PCB traces over the years, but enough that I always dread having to rework a board for fear of damaging something. Well, after about a year of light use my cheap-o solder sucker gave up the ghost (the force of the spring literally shredded the plastic threads that hold the two halves of the body together).  I needed to rework a board on short notice so I didn't have time to order a higher quality solder sucker from somewhere so I went back to my local rat shack to waste another $10. That's when I spotted the $11 desoldering iron. It's basically a 45W soldering iron with a hollow tip and a desoldering bulb attached. Man, what a difference! Removing components from a board with this thing is a dream. With wick or a solder sucker you're always forced to use two hands.. with the wick you try your best not to burn your fingers while hoping that you're not roasting the PCB trying to get the wick hot enough to absorb solder... then it won't get stuff out of plated thru-holes. With a solder sucker you have to avoid melting the plastic tip while swapping between heating the pad and sucking out the solder.. No fun.

With this desoldering iron I simply squeeze the bulb against the body of the iron with my thumb,  stick the component lead into the hole in the tip heating the little cone of solder around the lead and once it's melted, release the bulb. There is ONE thing you really do need to be careful of with the desoldering iron though... Always be careful where you're pointing it when you compress the bulb. The reason is that you will spray hot molten solder out of the tip and all over your board or yourself if you're not careful! (Don't ask) I (now) make sure to always compress the bulb over my wet sponge in the soldering station.

So, the moral of the story? Spend the extra $1 and get the desoldering iron! I wish I had done this ages ago.

Here are the products I mentioned:
$3 desoldering braid/wick http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062744
$10 solder sucker http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062745
$11 desoldering iron http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

[John Lyons]

+1
I have that desoldering iron and it works well.
You'll need a new tip eventually but for $10 it's
not something you need to debate.

[armstrom]

Yeah, the new tip is only $2 anyway and pretty much every store has it on the shelves. That's not always true for other products radio shack carries. I one bought a nice (or so I thought) digital soldering station there. It was nice, had a LCD readout of the temperature and everything.. however, turns out you can't get replacement tips for it anywhere what a waste.

-Matt

[mung]

Armstrom-  don't despair over the lack of replacement tips for the R.S. digital soldering station.  Before I bought mine I did a bunch of research regarding them and it turns out the R.S. setup is a rebranded modell.  Tips are available but you have to search some for them.  I don't know exactly which modell model it is but it looks EXACTLY like the R.S. one, just a different logo.  Try to find that one and you'll have the tips you need.  Sorry I can't provide a link right now because I haven't had to replace mine yet, but according to several different forum postings I found they are definitely out there. 

I'm definitely checking out that desoldering iron, thanks for the tip.

[liquids]

Smallbear's soldering sucker (for example) is way more than that...and also needs replacement tips.  $10 is a deal for one!  Though I doubt the RS is of any quality worth noting.  I love sucking solder after trying to use (and sucessfully using) braid.  However flux - in a pure form, or simply via freshly headed solder- is really a key ingredient to de-soldering.

Anyway I found a solder sucker I like for about that much on mouser, and took a chance a few months ago...happy I did!  Can't really do much to a fender type amp board with the big holes with wick...that I can see...or maybe I was just too scared and hence too cold at the time...

But now that I'm screwing with amp work more seriously, I realize why that kind of integrated iron/sucker just makes sense.  I just ordered 2 replacement tips for my sucker, but maybe after those are all dead I'll go this route, even if all I can find/afford is cheap RS crap....thanks!!!

[liquids]

Found it?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062732

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=372-202&ctab=13#Tabs

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=372-230

[newfish]

Thanks for the steer.

I have two up-coming Amp (PCB) repair jobs to do (Fender Rocpro 100 (tomorrow) and Ampeg SVP-Pro).

One of these could well make things much easier (and with less damage to PCB traces hopefully...)

Maplin (I know,I know...) have them for £14...

Cheers!

[Hides-His-Eyes]

Anyone tried this design?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Desoldering-Soldering-Iron-Vacuum-Pump-13A-NEW-/400125942992?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item5d295d5cd0

[pjwhite]

I have used one of these for almost 30 years:

http://www.amazon.com/Edsyn-Deluxe-Soldapullt-Heavy-Vacuum/dp/B000PDNOZU

Along with a good soldering iron:
http://www.amazon.com/WTCPT-Temperature-Controlled-Soldering-Station/dp/B00004W463/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1287073040&sr=1-6

Heat the connection with the soldering iron and with the iron still on the molten solder, bring the solder sucker tip in close and hit the trigger.
After the first few uses with a new tip, a small notch gets worn in the side of the solder sucker tip.  This is a good thing, as it helps create a better vacuum with the point of the soldering iron sneaking in under the notch.
It does take a bit of skill to squeeze the trigger gently and hold the sucker steady against the backlash to avoid having the tip bounce off the circuit board when triggered.  Kind of like learning to shoot a a gun, I suppose.

[newfish]

Oops!

Just did a search for Vacuum Pumps.

Please don't let me have seen that...  My poor eyes!

[jefe]

Oops!

Just did a search for Vacuum Pumps.

Please don't let me have seen that...  My poor eyes!

[DougH]

IMO your first mistake is buying tools from Radio Shack. Most, if not all of the tools they have are complete garbage. YMMV.

Having said that, $11 is very tempting and if you are having good success with it then more power to you. 

I bought an el cheapo soldering station a few months ago and sprung (no pun intended) for a $5 solder sucker with it. Surprisingly it really works great and I'm very pleased. I use two different sizes of braid as well. I have no problems whatsoever reworking stuff, but I don't do a lot of rework. However I am throwing together a simple amp right now and reusing old parts and stuff I have lying around, so the solder sucker is coming in real handy.

I may give this RS desoldering iron a try at some point, the price is right. Thanks for the tip (again, no pun intended).  (Now that I found them I need to order some replacement tips for my discontinued xytronics so I can get my real soldering station back...)

[Skruffyhound]

I have used one of these

We have exactly the same gear. I am also very happy with both.

The R.S. desoldering iron may well work (thanks for the steer O.P.) but it looks a bit "Heath Robinson".
The one Hides-his-eyes posted looks better IMO. Anybody tried it?

[armstrom]

Yeah, I only suggested this piece for people who only do occasional rework. (Like me) For the number of times I need to use this thing over the course of a year I will stick with it. If I find myself needing to do this much more frequently I will pick up something much better. I was simply in a pinch and didn't have time to order from a more reputable source. I knew the $10 solder sucker pump was going to break on me eventually (like the last one did) due to the super cheap design.. so I figured I would try something new and exciting for a dollar more So far it has worked better for me than the traditional desoldering pump I had previously, but everyone has different preferences.

[Skruffyhound]

I wasn't aware of their existence before you posted. Now I need one, and it has to be the best!

I would have tried out the R.S. one too if we Euro's still had R.S.