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IC recovery
- Thread starter Teletech
- Start date
DeltaDon
Veteran Member
I've used the cheapest Harbor Freight heat gun (under $20) to remove hundreds of IC's from circuit boards. Board in a vice, heat gun on the solder side and a chip puller or even a small screwdriver to pop the IC's off the board after the solder melts. I must have 200-400 DRAM IC I pulled that way from flame damaged mini computer boards plus many many 7400 series TTL's. Now if you want to save the board itself for repairs, then flux, lead-tin solder (or even low melt solder) and a real hot air station is less drastic.
twolazy
Veteran Member
I use a cheaper ($150ish dollar) hot air rework station...
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Through-hole? I use a cheap hot air gun, a pair of vise-grips to hold the board and a 5 gallon bucket. Heat the solder side with the gun, bang the board on the bucket and listen to the ICs fall in. I've heard of people using an electric skillet filled with peanut oil (doesn't smoke) set to 400F or so. Immerse the board and wait for the solder to melt. Generally, unless a particular IC is valuable, I use the gun-and-bucket setup. If it's a valuable IC, I'll use a solder sucker and wick to carefully release the IC. Long nose smooth pliers help.
Not that new ICs are better than scavenged ones. I recently was on a "let's pull out my hair" bug finding adventure, where the board used all-new ICs. Turns out that one of them (a 74ABT574) was bad--one of the sections had an open output. Which is why, if I need a single IC, I buy at least 5 of them. You never can predict this stuff.
Not that new ICs are better than scavenged ones. I recently was on a "let's pull out my hair" bug finding adventure, where the board used all-new ICs. Turns out that one of them (a 74ABT574) was bad--one of the sections had an open output. Which is why, if I need a single IC, I buy at least 5 of them. You never can predict this stuff.
Bruce Tomlin
Experienced Member
Count me as another recommendation for the cheap heat gun method if you just want the parts and not the board.
creepingnet
Veteran Member
I use a $50 Weller soldering iron and flat-head screwdrivers. I probably have the cringiest setup of anyone on VCFED. I've pulled all kinds of chips, including weird stuff from TV's and VCRs that I see if I can make them do weird stuff in guitar pedals.