Favorite recapping methods

[jtctolits]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

melt and push method, then needle method to place the new caps

[bigbeark]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

I used to use the solder sucker method, but sometimes it took the solder off the pad and I'd have to tin the capacitor leg to get a good seal.

I first tried the pin method when I recapped a sound card. The sucker had trouble with the tiny caps.

I then went with the pin method for everything. Faster and neater.

I tried the braid, it just made a mess.

[Topcat]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Needles stick to solder even if stainless, are too small, bend easily, and have sharp points that clear holes in your fingers better than in circuit boards. Picks usually have points which makes them work poorly. You have the right idea. A drill bit is the right tool but there isn't any drilling.

Ohh jeez, not this again....

Once again ladies and gentlemen, NEVER drill a multi layer PCB!! It's just retarded, and the potential for disaster is exponentially higher than all the ESD and careless pick handling combined! A single layer, a solder sucker or braid will easily desolder it....

Not sure what kind of SS picks you've been using, but I've never had solder stick to any of mine....

I re-iterate, NEVER use a friggin' drill on a multi-layer PCB!!!!! For crying out freaking loud! I've seen way too many drill happy clowns destroy some fine hardware over the years doing it. Severach, if you choose to drill yours out, so be it.....but don't promote that crap around here!

[severach]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

You get on others for their mistakes, now it's your turn and your inability to read.

Ohh jeez, not this again....

Since drilling seems obvious to the beginner and is so easy, every time I post this I state in no uncertain terms that THERE IS NO DRILLING with the drill. People really like drilling boards until they find out how destructive it is. The same drill used correctly is the superior solder clearing tool with no damage potential. It is placed in the pin vice backwards so the drilling end is hidden out of sight. The butt end clears the holes. Melt and push. You can break off the sharp end off if you want since it has no purpose with already soldered circuit boards.

SS pins are too small so they heat up too easily, (bend,) tarnish, then solder sticks. Stainless picks may have more heat resistant metal but why bother search for the right size picks when my tool is cheaper, better, available in any size desired, and leaves perfect holes.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

who cares about perfect holes?

once the cap is in and its soldered, assuming no via damage, it becomes a moot point

the benefit of a skinnier pick is that requires less heat to make an adequate hole. for things like mac boards that need a lot of heat, that may make the difference between success and failure.

the goal is to make a hole big enough to slip the leads though. anything past that, IMHO, is icing on the cake.

as for SS sticking, i know that wannabe SS (nickelplate) needles will stick when the nickle plating begins to fail... usually after 2-4 uses (from my experience).

the only issue with the SS dentist picks is that they can be hard to find... I have yet to find a place that stocks them... if you can't buy the tool and you can't quite make the tool, you can't use the tool.

[momaka]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

I found a very thin pin last week on the floor of one of the computer labs in my university. It had a nice handle, so I picked it up and took it home. Decided to try it the other day for clearing some holes on a Dell GX270 board. It worked much better than the one I had since it was skinnier and pushed through the solder in the hole much easier. However, it does stick a little bit. Not much of a problem, though - just twist gently and it's free again. The holes are also much skinnier, however, so I hope they work. I haven't recapped that motherboard yet due to not having the right caps ATM.

Also used my heat gun for the first time to preheat another motherboard to remove some caps. What a difference! Before, I would keep my 35W iron on each joint for at least a few seconds, and even then the solder would feel like it didn't melt fully. Now, it flows like hot butter.

[Topcat]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

You get on others for their mistakes, now it's your turn and your inability to read.


Since drilling seems obvious to the beginner and is so easy, every time I post this I state in no uncertain terms that THERE IS NO DRILLING with the drill. People really like drilling boards until they find out how destructive it is. The same drill used correctly is the superior solder clearing tool with no damage potential. It is placed in the pin vice backwards so the drilling end is hidden out of sight. The butt end clears the holes. Melt and push. You can break off the sharp end off if you want since it has no purpose with already soldered circuit boards.

SS pins are too small so they heat up too easily, (bend,) tarnish, then solder sticks. Stainless picks may have more heat resistant metal but why bother search for the right size picks when my tool is cheaper, better, available in any size desired, and leaves perfect holes.

That looks like a huge pain in the ass more than it would be of help....but I guess its what you're used to. One of those would last about a day on a busy bench, if it was lucky... My picks have an angle probe, that I can work easily with my middle finger....which is a godsent on holes that are on large copper planes and a little force is needed to clear them.... That thing would either break or push up inside the chuck. I can tell by the pictures that it would be a miserable existence/useless if working on the heat sucking iMac board.....unless you had the iron really cranked up, which opens even more possibility for damage...

The last bag of picks I bought cost me $2.99, and had 10 picks in it. Found them on ebay when searching dental picks and/or probes. I've broken 2 in the last decade, that's servicing THOUSANDS of boards!!! I dont think your drills are cheaper than that. I wish I could find more of them....but RD is right in that they are getting harder to find. You're also claiming that solder sticks to SS picks, well I can assure you from a decade of experience that it does not. Maybe if you're using inferior SS it might....but even most cheap ass grades of stainless steel shouldn't have that problem. I've gotten them hot enough to tarnish while clearing some tougher holes, solder still didn't stick.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

TC, i think i figured out the whole SS stickign thing

yes, it can STICK, due to the sticky flux and friction.

What TC and I were referring to was sticking by the solder actually meshing with the needle and wicking on, like solder does to copper... which is not the same thing at all. we'll call that wicking.

sticking is usually OK, since once all is done, the solder can be physically removed from the needle and once broken loose, the VIA on the board will still be intact.

wicking is NOT OK, since the solder isn't removable and removing the needle will tear out the VIA with it.

[Topcat]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

^
I've never had a problem with flux building up on the pick either, seems to stay very clean. Occasionally, yes, a crumb with flux on it will stick to the pick, but it is NOT the solder actually adhering to the metal of the pick, it is just flux holding it....give it a nudge with your finger, it falls right off...and that's a 'once in a blue moon' thing...

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

SS pins are too small so they heat up too easily, (bend,) tarnish, then solder sticks.

SS needles work perfectly well and have none of those problems when you are bright enough to get them in an appropriate size and use them correctly.
-
At this point that's quite evident that it works well as 46.15% of the people responding listed it as a preferred method.
As of posting this it's in fact the MOST preferred method.
-
So why is it that you can't get it right when most people can?
-
BTW:
I used your drill bit method [or rather my drill bit method, but effectively the same] before I found a good way to hold the needles.
It does work but so does the needle method.
After doing it -both ways- I can tell you the needle method is a better and easier way to do it.
- The 'sticking' is about the same either way.
- The sharp end and taper of the needled speeds up the job.
- By pushing the needle in past the taper you get the right sized holes and they aren't inclined to stick.
-
They problems you cite for needles aren't problems unless your method or 'tool choices' are hosed.
If you want to tout your method that's fine [because it does at least work] but don't justify it by putting down a better method with BS complaints that the majority of people have no issues with.
.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

The 'sticking' sensation is simply because the needled is form-fitted to the solder it's in.

It's not -bonded-, it's just snug. - Friction fit.

If you don't push the needled through past the taper then you just created a Morse Taper.
Morse Taper is a form fit [Friction fit] used to hold chucks in Mills and Drill Presses.
It's GOING to be snug if you do that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_taper

Push the needle all the way past the taper then rotate it a little when removing it.

It's not that hard to figure that out.
.
Mechanically inclined people [those with "The Nack"] know this even though many of them don't know they know it.
- It's a 'feel thing'. They just know.

...
Pic shows Morse Tapers on chucks.

.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

ld in things really well... if only you saw the monster taper BITS I was workign with in shop class.... there were some that were 1.5" or bigger... and the tapered morse lathe tailstocks and drill presses held them nice and snug.... In a way, I kinda liked taper shank better than the current jacobs chuck system... a lot less bit slippage.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

ld in things really well... if only you saw the monster taper BITS I was workign with in shop class.... there were some that were 1.5" or bigger... and the tapered morse lathe tailstocks and drill presses held them nice and snug.... In a way, I kinda liked taper shank better than the current jacobs chuck system... a lot less bit slippage.

Used to have access to an engine lathe where we could "chuck in" a 5 gallon paint can to mix the paint.
.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Used to have access to an engine lathe where we could "chuck in" a 5 gallon paint can to mix the paint.
.

nice... the lathes I worked with may been able to do that... I doubt they were quite that big... but they were no tiny mini lathe 120V wonders... they were the full size kind. the fun kind.

[Topcat]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

The 'sticking' sensation is simply because the needled is form-fitted to the solder it's in.

It's not -bonded-, it's just snug. - Friction fit.

For the love of God, I couldn't think of that in the correct terminology last night to save my life....but yea, that's what I was getting at. it happens once in a while, but 90% of the time, the melted solder is protruded through the hole opposite of the side that was poked... I always poke from the back side (don't laugh, there was no 'polite way' to say this), so the melted solder protrudes from the front and I simply pick it away with my fingernail.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

I always poke from the back side (don't laugh, there was no 'polite way' to say this), so the melted solder protrudes from the front and I simply pick it away with my fingernail.

well, it always works best when you poke it in the backside!

[Topcat]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Why did this thread suddenly take a turn for the worst....HAHA