Copper pipe desoldering tool
Copper pipe desoldering tool
Here is a homemade tool that I've used for removing through hole DIP parts up to 40 pins.
I've cut a piece of 3/4" copper pipe to the length of the part to be de-soldered. Then I cut the pipe lengthwise with hack saw. For wider parts I made a second cut removing a segment of copper, but depending on density of board, the pipe with a single cut probably can be just bent to create sufficient opening. Then I heat the pipe with butane torch and covered the edge with solder. Here is a picture of three different sizes.
The tool works by fitting it tight over pins and heating the top with small butane torch. The heat is transferred to the pins melting solder around them. At that stage the part can be lifted with flat forceps, for longer part lift one side first, move the forceps deeper under the part and lift the whole. After lifting I quickly remove the pipe from the part. Here is a staged photo of two pipes fitted over the board - for illustration, not a real rework.
I used these on several occasions, not too often yet to develop a good skill, so I am still quite nervous during operation, but results were all good thus far. For example, I removed Z80 CPU and few other similar sized chips, and I later re-installed them on sockets into the same board, and it worked well. On couple of boards I removed a complete set of DRAM chips to find bad ones and returned good ones back into newly installed sockets. Never damaged a single trace yet.