Introduction: Salvaging/Repairing Electronics W/ Reflow Station

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I made this tutorial at TechShop in Chandler.  To find out more information about TechShop check out their website at www.techshop.ws.  

*Disclaimer this is the minimum you will need to repair/reclaim electronic components.  Since this is the minimum you still run the possibility of heating the components up past their rated temperature when not conducting electricity and damaging the components.

If you have ever wanted to repair an electronic device that has a broken broken or wanted to reclaim a component now you can with using the reflow station that is at Chandler TechShop or you can purchase your own from a number of sources  I personally own one that I bought from spark fun and works very nicely for most DIY projects I have. The TechShop at Chandler has a X-Tronic 4000 Series station that also includes a soldering iron. I found that this workstation is suitable for most of the rework I do and allows you to control both the temperature and air flow rate with two separate knobs.  There is also a digital read out for the temperature on the reflow station so you know how hot the air is coming out.

Now to the list of tools and materials you will need:
1. Reflow station
2. Electronic safe tweezers
3. Electronics Vice
4. Circuit board with electronics (The electronics you want to repair or remove electronics components from)

Steps:
1. Make sure  you attach the appropriate tip for the size of the electronics you will be working with.
2. Than turn on the reflow station and select the appropriate temperature and air flow speed.
3.  Attach the circuit board to the electronics vice.  
4.  Place the reflow wand a few centimeters away from the electronic component that you want to remove the solder from on the opposite side of the component so the want is facing the solder joint.
5.  Maintain the wand at that location until the solder liquidizes and blows away.
6. Move on to the next solder joint until you have successfully de-soldered the component.
7. Then use the electonic safe tweezers to help remove the component.
8.  If the component is still stuck you might need to straighten out the pins if they were bent in the hole or reapply the reflow wand to the whole while gently pulling on the component.

To see a video of reflow station blowing the solder away please visit the following youtube video .

*Again be mindful of the components around the soldering joint you are working on to make sure you don't over heat and damage other components.