learned the use of this tool tonight

[chrisatpsu]

i was modding my ssc's tonight, and i use this tool for other things, but never thought to use for this...


you unsolder a resistor or some other component, and look back and the vias are filled in...
you place the tool on top of the whole, then heat up the side with your iron, once the solder melts, the tool goes into the via.
then you start twisting the tool in the via while the solder cools, then remove the tool. your via is clear for a new component.

[kgustafson]

Be very careful removing solder this way.  You could lose your trace easily.  I highly recommend using your tool as you suggest but add in something like solder wick to wick away the solder on the pointy end of your tool.  BTW, I have the same tool and use it this way as well (just adding the solder wick so that I remove almost all the solder before removing the pick tool).

Kurt

[rm357]

I prefer a traditional solder sucker.

After the component is out, heat from one side and suck from the other immediately after lifting the iron. On occasion I'll have to add some new solder. I heat with the sucker in place. For bigger jobs, I use the RadioShack sucker-iron thing.

[rdebolt]

This is what I use.

[chrisatpsu]

i have the rat shack desoldering iron, and desoldering wick.  but as far as opening up the via, this was really effective and took way less time.  i was able to mod 6 v1, and 10 v2's in about 30min.

i didn't poke the tool all the way through, as i didn't want to start messing with the via. i just needed a hole big enough for the new resistor lead to fit through.

after i put the new resistor on, it was just a matter of touch the spot with a soldering iron, and just barely a bit of more solder, (to flow some of the flux)

[kgustafson]

Chris,

Sounds great and your method seems to work well.  I just wanted to warn others, I could see this leading to potential disaster if not done with the care you used.  Actually, I have actually pulled the traces off using this very tool (this was early in my soldering career and an important learning moment for myself! LOL). 

Kurt

[chrisatpsu]

i was thinking of that too.  i did the twist idea just before i took the iron off, and stopped after the solder hardened, so that i didn't solder my tool to the board   lol