On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 8:29 PM Duane Craps via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I remember reading a article many years ago, I think it was in BYTE, about salvaging IC's from discarded Printed Circuit Boards by using a chip puller and a torch on the back. Has anyone actually done this? I guess now you could try with a hot air gun?
I've done it with a hot air gun and either rapping the board and things fall off or a chip puller for stubborn ones. It's much easier with 2-layer boards than boards with ground traces. I also pull thermoplastic-heavy heat-sensitive things I want to keep (piezo buzzers, battery holders, .1" pin headers...) before the hot air blast. I have an IC tester so I can check the "haul". So far, immediate thermal death is not ordinary, but I can't vouch for long-term. Oh... and I've done it with real lead solder. Haven't done it with the newer, higher-melting-temp RoHS solders. Definitely an outside activity. With a breeze. -ethan