removing parts from PCBs

On 11/11/2005 at 8:31 PM compoobah at valleyimplants.com wrote: Are there any specific things to keep in mind to avoid heat damage &cet? Are you talking propane plumber's blowtorches? Yes, I hold the board component-side down and flame it from above--a lot of components will simply drop out of the board once the solder has melted--do this out-of-doors as the fumes from the epoxy or phenolic can be pretty noxious. Keep the flame moving. Sometimes just tapping the board will cause quite a few components to to fall out. DIPs usually require a pair of needle-nosed pliers or small screwdriver to remove. Some invert the arrangement and do it component side up with the fame from below. I'm not convinced that one method is any better than the other. An old propane barbeque grill might also be another approach. Another might be to use a heat gun. Leave the oxyacetylene torch in the shop--it's way too hot. You won't get everything--small 1/8w resistors and small bypass caps don't tolerate heat very well, but you're after the expensive stuff, after all, right? Cheers, Chuck