In message , Ian Smith writes >I have a number of useful chips on junk boards that I want >to use with some PIC Microcontrollers by Microchip, but am not >experienced on desoldering. I know many boards are made with >lead solder, so I work in well ventilated areas. I've just been used as a 'guinea pig' by the Health and Safety Inspectors, to measure the dangers from soldering in a service environment and to evaluate whether fume extraction equipment is required. During this I asked what the potential dangers from soldering were?, they were totally unconcerned about the lead content in the solder, they were only concerned about the flux fumes given off. In any case, I had to wear an electric pump and filter, which captures the fumes in about the same proportion as I would be breathing in during soldering, and the filter contents are taken away to be analysed. BTW, the flux fumes apparently can cause asthma?. >Anyone know an easier way than prying ICs off while heating >the pins and still having a working chip at the end of it all? >Any solvents that eat solder? Maybe solvents that eat the >circuit board away? Some sort of oven arrangement? Magic? If it's single sided board, just use a de-solder pump or de-solder braid, but if it's through-hole plated it's rather more difficult. I do have a 16pin DIL bit for my soldering iron, that works well, just heat all the pins at once and pull the chip out - but they are quite expensive, and you need various sizes. Nowadays I use a couple of different electric de-solder pumps at work, one is part of our Pace SMT re-work station, and the other is a handheld de-soldering gun, it has a hollow bit and an electric pump in the handle, it sucks all the solder straight out of the plated through holes. Neither of these are cheap though, an alternative suggestion is to use a blowtorch to heat all the joints and either pull the chip out, or if you are lucky it might fall out :-). -- Nigel. /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : nigelg@lpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Chesterfield | Official site for Shin Ki and New Spirit | | England | Ju Jitsu | \--------------------------------------------------------------/