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It is a tool for desoldering (multi leg) electronic components with 3 or more pins.
Theory behind this project is fairly simple. Dissolved solder in heated container heats all contacts of electronic component placed together with PCB on this tool. All you have to do is remove component from PCB with pliers or with tweezers. So with this device you can easily desolder 25 pin LPT conector from 2 sided PCB.
Original article on my site here
Theory behind this project is fairly simple. Dissolved solder in heated container heats all contacts of electronic component placed together with PCB on this tool. All you have to do is remove component from PCB with pliers or with tweezers. So with this device you can easily desolder 25 pin LPT conector from 2 sided PCB.
Original article on my site here
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First find some tin can, like this one from the picture.
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PS: And you can use the basket strainer that comes with it in a stove top pot if you "want fries with that". LOL
I agree this is a severe burn and fire hazard.
One might set this apparatus into a shallow cake pan or deep cookie sheet to catch spills. Attach the legs to the pan with epoxy to avoid tipping it over.
While i'm not keen on the use of this for desoldering SMD components, as it isn't usable on just a single component (it would mess up the solder on other components), could easily overheat the components, and i don't care for the integral instability, it offers inspiration! i think i might use the idea to create a solder pot. For the uninitiated, a solder pot is useful for tinning, amongst other things.
Some suggestions for upgrading: Use a ceramic container, placing the coil with ceramic standoffs in the bottom, and the can on top of the coil. This would waste less heat/energy, and allow for tabletop placement. The supply wires could be run through the side of the ceramic container. The ceramic container could be cut down to size for your use.
For those asking about the volume used, the more solder used, the more constant the heat retention. If the container is insulated, the volume of solder used, could be significantly reduced. This would also reduce spill danger.
Are you absolutely sure your solder bath is not sheet metal around some sort of solid ceramic or ceramic fibre insulation with the heating element/s (nichrome, resonant coil) only heating a specific area? If it fails to have a refractory material i think your professional pot may not be so professional, in the economy of energy/resources sense.
Not that i disrespect you and your fancy equipment or anything. It was wise of you to warn others of the dangers of molten metal if anyone else who misread that comment as you did would actually construct a solder bath based on that principle, with no steel liner/crucible and a heating element on the wrong side of the refractory, possibly with the intention of insulating it from the molten solder.. good intentions....
What gap is between the solder and the vessel that holds it?
When you have a mass of molten metal, even lead well, I guess you just have to be there I suppose to fully appreciate the kind of hazard it presents. When dealing with non metallic crucibles you're never supposed to heat them up with solidified material in them. It is a common safety procedure I was merely pointing out.
As far as maintaining heat goes once it goes molten after I shut it down I just leave it where it is until the next day. It takes a lot longer to cool down than it does to heat up.
I have discovered that old Christmas light transformers are an excellent source of power, many supply between 75-150VA, which can be considered a bit higher than the respective wattage. im currently experimenting though.
Making the bottom airtight, and using less solder in the pots, would make melting time shorter. and the whole thing more energy efficient. also , im not certain, but i do beleive sandwiching the nichrome between two mica sheets is a suitable way insulate electrically, and transfer maximum heat.
Also, ive heard that pushing low frequency audio sounds through the molten solder helps it melt, as well as become more runny.
Anyone heard of this?
I built this using your directions with a couple of differences. I don't have any of the light duty heating element, only some out of an old 220v clothes dryer. I couldn't get the math right -- the old grey head ain't what it used to be -- so I experimented with different voltages starting with 12v. I used an old microwave oven transformer for power. I cut off the secondary winding of said transformer and wound it for 12v, which as those experienced with these transformers know requires 12 windings, one per output volt. I kept adding windings until I had 16v, which got the element nice and red. I used fairly closely wound element inside the ceramic insulators. I didn't bother with converting to DC. I have lots of lead in my junk pile (I love my junk pile) and used some of that and half a spool of old acid core solder. The unit takes the same amount of time as yours to heat up the solder to a liquid state. The liquid is beautiful and fun to watch and play around with. I use an old spoon to skim off dross. I keep the pot well away from the edge of the table so spills are not a big problem.
I am very glad that you like my build.
Also you made clever modifications that will help future builders.
BR
Damir
Quite bigger pot than my.
tnx for pics
80% of components desoldered this way are reusable.
Generally I won't heat anything when I am soldering longer than 3 seconds. Once that time has elapsed I stop, wait for what I am doing to cool, and figure out what is going wrong.
A more reliable way of doing this is by preheating the board to 120C for 10 minutes or so prior to the solder dip to reduce the thermal shock. But that's not always practical or even possible.
The most reliable and simplest way of doing this is by using hot-air. It is almost instant heat, uses FAR less power, leaves no molten metal around to dump in your lap, and is as easy to handle as a soldering iron. Hot-air will also allow you to do repair work too by varying the temperature, it will let you do reflow soldering when using a solder paste on the pads (just put the part on the paste and the hot-air causes it to automatically solder the part with perfect joints). This also makes it a great heat-shrink tool because there is no flame to degrade the plastic tubing, so this one device can by used for so many things - and they are sold for around $75 online. (Check ebay)
They come in many configurations at a variety of prices. The full-featured one I bought has variable heat and variable airflow - but it also has a variable temp soldering-iron, and even a 1A variable-voltage DC power supply too. These are typically called a "rework station", but for the purpose of recovering parts you would not need such a "fancy" item. Incidentally, the price of it was only around $150 and included several types of soldering tips, several shapes of air nozzles, a solder reel and an soldering-iron holder. Also there is an airflow indicator (vertical tube with floating ball), and six digital LED readout displays for the various functions so you can monitor exactly what is going on.
Originally I bought one of the basic units to transfer SMD parts from my older-design boards into the new version boards, but the tool has been used for at least a dozen other things - I cannot believe I worked without one for so long.
Mentioning eBay was not a suggestion to *purchase* from eBay , but rather as a catalogue to see what sorts of items are available, what they're formally called and what brand names to look for. (hence the "check eBay" rather than "buy it off eBay") I rarely buy from eBay, I find that it makes a great catalogue for things you may not know exist, or simply not know the names of. Many people I know use it for that purpose, due in part to the great search engine capabilities.
So yeah, I'm not suggesting that *you* buy anything. I was explaining what worked for ME, and what techniques I found helpful. I'm sure someone out there reading it would have found something to be "congruent" to them, in one way or another.
Please accept my deepest apologies for such transgressions, I don't know where my lapse of judgment came from but it won't be repeated. GFS
it should be like this ↓
Rt = U² / P
= 30² / 100
= 900 / 100
= 9 Ohms
the way you have it, it looks like
Rt= U (²/P=30) 2/100 = 900/100 = 9 ohms
saying that it Rt is U to the power of 2 / P which for some reason = 30.
Anyway, it confused me, im sur eit might do so to others.
Ill publish an instructable on it, but ill be sure to give full credits for everything ill be copying from here, or rather basing my design from anyway.
This guy obviousy knows the limitations of his creation, and the dangers.
besides, your heating element, if from a hair dryer , wouldnt last that long, since it is very hot, and is exposed to open air, actually litterally sucking in air and blowing it out if you had thermal imaging technologies you could see it better.
It would be best if the whole thing were incased in something, which would not only increase its heat, making it more efficient, but it would also last very long, as it would not oxidize, as much.
Great work though! im gonna build one jsut like this, hopefully able to reach in excess of 500 celcius! as i need to smelt zinc.
Very good thinking!
creepy :P