So, if you don't already know about this stuff you should.



It's an alloy that makes the melting point of solder extremely low. If you put just a little on a joint (SMT or THT) the solder will remain liquid for several seconds after melting. So, multipin components, headers, switches, etc. can be pulled right out.

You don't always need it but when you do it's brilliant.

It's not cheap, but you don't have to use very much at all so it lasts a long time. You can get it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017ROFFEW/

I figured I'd mention it because I just used it to get a header off a GPS module and it made things so much easier.

 

Looks handy. Thanks for the info.

 

Thanks for the information. It is good to know you are able to use them on through hole parts (connectors, etc. ), which for me are the worst offenders to take out (the hot air works well for the SMDs).

 

Thanks for the information. It is good to know you are able to use them on through hole parts (connectors, etc. ), which for me are the worst offenders to take out (the hot air works well for the SMDs).

Yes, works well but you don't need much at all and too much means you have to clean it up. Solder braid works as expected but since you need very little and it's expensive, using excess and having to clean it is a waste of money and time. Trying it out to get the sense of how it works is the best idea.

Even with hot air, you can heat the part and board less with this, which is nice.