- Thread starter Neo-Alec
- Start date
Is it down to tools / technique?
I've recapped plenty of stuff and haven't faced an issue. The only trick I use pending circumstances is applying fresh solder before sucking anything out.
I do have a quality soldering iron but this doesn't come into play with removing caps. My desoldering gun is one of the cheap Chinese ones which does the job wonderfully. Choose the correct size tip (as small as you can get away with), fresh solder applied first and plenty of heat. Better to have high heat for a very short amount of time rather than mild heat for a lengthy period of time.
I've recapped plenty of stuff and haven't faced an issue. The only trick I use pending circumstances is applying fresh solder before sucking anything out.
I do have a quality soldering iron but this doesn't come into play with removing caps. My desoldering gun is one of the cheap Chinese ones which does the job wonderfully. Choose the correct size tip (as small as you can get away with), fresh solder applied first and plenty of heat. Better to have high heat for a very short amount of time rather than mild heat for a lengthy period of time.
Good tools save your time and PCB's (not to mention the anger and frustration...). I invested for a good HAKKO soldering station on the day one, but saved on the desoldering stuff. Went with a manual pen pump and wick for years. Had to pay the "study money" then on multiple ripped pads etc. Well of course it got me onto multimeter stuff and how to fix those then, but the time that simple 10 cap re-cap took, was counted on days at the worst.
Last year I bought HAKKO desoldering gun and it has saved me so much time and mistakes! Best purchase in years IMO. Of course all those new tools take some time to get used to and find the best ways to use them. When I come by to a large ground pane via, I just add the heat from 350c -> 400c and add some fresh solder.
I have done tens of different game consoles and re-capped all my arcade PCB:s. My PGM was pretty easy to do, but it was rev 13 and none of the caps had leaked. Leaked cap-acid insulates the tin and those are hard. Sega CD/Mega-CD model 1 is good example of those nasty early 90s SMD caps. You just need to clean them with lots of IPA before starting. It takes time and is not a job to do in a hurry. I consider it my "yoga" or a mean to calm when I start working with these. Rule of thumb is that let the heat do the job. When you need to apply force, you are doing it wrong.
I wish I had a room for a hot air re-work station. Right now I just have HAKKO tweezers. They work super good when there is a room on the PCB to use them (I usually add fresh solder to those too). But on those narrow places they are useless.
But in the end, it's a skill as any. Needs practise, patience and learning from the mistakes.
Last year I bought HAKKO desoldering gun and it has saved me so much time and mistakes! Best purchase in years IMO. Of course all those new tools take some time to get used to and find the best ways to use them. When I come by to a large ground pane via, I just add the heat from 350c -> 400c and add some fresh solder.
I have done tens of different game consoles and re-capped all my arcade PCB:s. My PGM was pretty easy to do, but it was rev 13 and none of the caps had leaked. Leaked cap-acid insulates the tin and those are hard. Sega CD/Mega-CD model 1 is good example of those nasty early 90s SMD caps. You just need to clean them with lots of IPA before starting. It takes time and is not a job to do in a hurry. I consider it my "yoga" or a mean to calm when I start working with these. Rule of thumb is that let the heat do the job. When you need to apply force, you are doing it wrong.
I wish I had a room for a hot air re-work station. Right now I just have HAKKO tweezers. They work super good when there is a room on the PCB to use them (I usually add fresh solder to those too). But on those narrow places they are useless.
But in the end, it's a skill as any. Needs practise, patience and learning from the mistakes.
@Frank_fjs I'm the opposite. I have an expensive desoldering tool and an Aoyue all in one soldering iron and hot air station that's served me super well the past 6-7 years.
Bought a bunch of tips for the desoldering tool, but have never had a need to change out from the size it comes with stock. If you hold it right and apply fresh solder there's no real need to change tips out I've found.
Bought a bunch of tips for the desoldering tool, but have never had a need to change out from the size it comes with stock. If you hold it right and apply fresh solder there's no real need to change tips out I've found.
AlxUnderBase
Enlightened
Sir , i used 320 degrees (but i feel sometimes it's not enough) . it's a must to use a higher than that ?
I use 400 on my desoldering gun. It's probably not actually reaching that temperature, that's just the setting where the solder reacts as it should. Go by feel, not by numbers. With the lower end gear especially as they're not particularly accurate.
Slowly getting better at it myself. I am not the best at the really fine stuff like those ribbon cables that come with the console HDMI mods. I have a DCHDMI kit in my closet just sitting there because I am too afraid to take another crack at it. Last time I tried I had to send my N64 in to Voultar to have it fixed :/ He made fun of me for sure! But that was when I was first starting and thought I could handle drag soldering after watching a few videos 
Think I always have the heat on just a tad too high and end up burning the pads. And if they don't get burnt, they will when I try to clean up those pesky bridges!
Also to my chagrin is when you desolder a cap and the negative sides hole isn't as wide as the positive side for whatever reason. Not getting the old solder cleanly sucked up. So you wonder why your positive leg goes in easily but the negative side looks too small! Gotta apply fresh solder and keep sucking it up until it all comes out cleanly for sure!
Think I always have the heat on just a tad too high and end up burning the pads. And if they don't get burnt, they will when I try to clean up those pesky bridges!Also to my chagrin is when you desolder a cap and the negative sides hole isn't as wide as the positive side for whatever reason. Not getting the old solder cleanly sucked up. So you wonder why your positive leg goes in easily but the negative side looks too small! Gotta apply fresh solder and keep sucking it up until it all comes out cleanly for sure!
This is great advice.
