Recycle old PCB components

Step 8 What to do with your Recycled Components? How to identify

Now that you'v desolder some components you have to do something with them, like build some robots or like nnygamer did, build some computer's bugs with few resistors and capacitors.You can also look at the robotgames contest, there are many things to build with your new recycled components. Like the Jerome's instructables, he builts a bug robot with only few parts, and its very simple to do .Here is the link of his instructables if you want to take a look:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Robot-The-BeetleBot-v2-Revisite/

Here are some other link of project or your parts:

• http://www.instructables.com/id/Computer-Bugs/
• http://www.instructables.com/id/A-very-simple-proximity-detector/
• http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Component-and-Continuity-Tester/
• http://www.instructables.com/id/Resistor-man/

Here a link to a website that contain a lot of informations on electronics components , and
it can help you identify your salvaged components: * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_components


A good way to regognize your components, is to look at the symbols under the components, then you can refer to shematic symbols on the internet to know what you'v just took out. Look at pics 3 and 4.
We got a yellow copper'd wired thingy that we dont know, just look at its symbol, and you've just realized it was an inductor!

Hope this instructables help you and now go make something awsome!

Comments

[doitle]

I would highly recommend getting some desoldering braid as well. They sell it at Radioshack and it is some amazing stuff. Parts will literally fall out of the PCB with just a touch or two. It is a braided piece of copper that you put between the iron and the soldered pins of a component and the solder wicks away from the part onto the braid. I used to desolder like this with just some pliers and a iron and then I added the braid into the mix recently and you can strip an entire board, every component in such a small amount of time and so easily too. It is also good in cases where you have heat sensitive components because you do not need to keep reheating it over and over again as you free each pin.

[chestersgarage]

I do a lot of desoldering with a "solder sucker", which is a tool that has a plunger on a spring and a heat resistant nozzle tip.  You set it, place it over the lead as you heat it with the soldering iron and then SNAP! it sucks up the solder from the pin, leaving a bare pad and wire.   :)

Here is one example of the tool.
www.mouser.com/Search/include/LargeProductImage.aspx

[charlieb000]

i have heard that solder suckers can cause static (or static can be found on the tip) and this can damage mosfets. if you still want to use it then connect all the pins together before starting....

[chestersgarage]

I've heard that as well. The unit I linked above (OK industries DP-200) is ESD Safe though, so that's not a concern.