Solder sucker a must?

[Nick]

I was wondering if a "solder sucker" is a must for recapping? I know how much it sucks to unsolder stuff without one, but I have never unsoldered components from multi-layer PCBs and don't really know how much more difficult/risky it could be to recap a mobo without a solder sucker (or whatever they are called).

Could I get away without one without popping the metal sleeves out of the PCB's holes?

Thanks!

[Topcat]

Honestly, I NEVER use a solder sucker! They can destroy your board. If the duct or'sleeve' is removed from the PCB, it's instant death to your board. A solder sucker can pull them right out and/or damage the foil traces around them.

To clean the holes I use a small metal pick. A stainless steel dentists pick is ideal. heat the hole and remove the old cap. Then once the old cap is gone, reheat the hole and while the iron is still on it, poke the pick through. Remove the iron and let the solder harden, and that's it! You'll have a nice open hole, and most importantly, no damage to the board.

The first few times you try this, it will feel alkward, but I can do this method faster than most can cock a manual solder sucker. I've NEVER damaged a board this way either.

[Nick]

Heh, thanks, I was already thinking about getting a solder sucker because I thought it was the "recommended" way to do it.

[kc8adu]

i preheat the mobo with a heatgun and use a vacuum desoldering station.
the preheating helps you work faster as the thick ground planes wont cool the iron as fast as they are already warm(250-300f)
you can also carefully heat both pins of the cap with a wide tip and pull the cap when the solder melts.wait till it is ready to drop out.you can use solderwick to clear the holes if you have a good hot iron.
as for the soldapult type sucker they dump crumbs on the board and are not good on smt boards with fine pitch devices.never seen a thruhole pulled out with one though.the pick method sounds good but i have not tried it.
been spoiled with all the fancy stuff on my bench i guess

[stretch0069]

Yeah...I have used a solda-pult on old military boards. Even used it on a VP6. Got my hands on a good Hakko desoldering iron. Now I need to get new tips. I also have a separate Weller soldering station.

Hmmm...never tried that dental pick trick.

[juski]

I prepared my Abit Kt7 board for re-capping this afternoon.

The removal of the caps was very easy, as was cleaning the holes.

This technique works very well for me in all multi-layer through-hole rework:

Apply fresh solder to the hole to be cleaned.

Then, place some solder wick over the hole and heat with a soldering iron. When the solder melts it should be drawn up onto the solder wick, making the hole clear. It is important to use a wick which contains no-clean flux.

A solder sucker CAN be used if you are experienced enough. The 'recoil' when you release the plunger can cause the soldering iron to scoot across the board, causing scratches and possibly pad & track damage!

The best way to use a sucker is to heat the solder to be sucked for a good few seconds, with the sucker primed and ready. Quickly withdraw the soldering iron BEFORE pressing the button on the sucker. This tecnique is not easily mastered so I recommend the solder wick method for newbies.

BTW with care it is even possible to replace thru-hole components without cleaning both holes! The comparitively heavy weight of copper on power planes makes them conduct heat away from the pad very quickly, which is why they are so hard to de-solder. So, if you only manage to clean one hole of a cap placement, align the lead of the new component to the top of the board and heat it from below. When the solder melts, gently push the component through. You should eventually find you can mount the new cap flush to the PCB. Then simply solder the other lead and crop the excess.

There is more than one way to skin a cat

[juski]

Honestly, I NEVER use a solder sucker! They can destroy your board. If the duct or'sleeve' is removed from the PCB, it's instant death to your board. A solder sucker can pull them right out and/or damage the foil traces around them.

To clean the holes I use a small metal pick. A stainless steel dentists pick is ideal. heat the hole and remove the old cap. Then once the old cap is gone, reheat the hole and while the iron is still on it, poke the pick through. Remove the iron and let the solder harden, and that's it! You'll have a nice open hole, and most importantly, no damage to the board.

The first few times you try this, it will feel alkward, but I can do this method faster than most can cock a manual solder sucker. I've NEVER damaged a board this way either.

I wouldn't advise inexperienced board reworkers to use the pick method - it would be very easy to damage the PTH barrel of the PCB this way.

[Topcat]

juski,

First off, welcome to the boards!!

I wouldn't advise any extremely inexperienced person to try this at all.... HEH... I've used the pick method on well over 200+ boards, haven't killed one, or even damaged one in any way. I've tried the solder wick, and it works fine, but takes too long. I'm impatient... The pick takes literally less than a second to clear a hole, where the wick takes longer and is more tedious and clumsy... Through trial and error, we each develop our own likes and dislikes....

As mentioned above, a manual solder sucker isn't even a viable tool to use on multi-layer boards, they do more harm than good... If one has the means for a professional vacuum/compressor powered solder sucker, those do work very well. There is no recoil, and they don't blow solder boogers all over the place.... However, most people attempting to try this can't afford such a piece of hardware... If they could, they'd probably spend their cash on a new board, rather than recap their existing.

[kc8adu]

whatever method you use if you do it with care you should have no problems.
if this is your first try at pcb rework practice on a scrap board you dont care about.
or send it to me or topcat for repair.