Non-heat conductive poking tool

[ransonjd]

Any suggestions for a non-heat conductive, non-melting, non combustible tool that can be used to push parts under hot air rework?

Thanks,

John

[jeremy]

Google “ceramic tipped tweezers”

Stainless dental picks or stainless tweezers is what I use though. Stainless steel doesn’t have very good thermal conductivity, and if you use something small and thin the conductivity is reduced even further.

[ransonjd]

I've considered ceramic tweezers, but I'll admit I'm looking for something more like a ceramic tipped pick or probe. Essentially, a stick with a ceramic end with a fine point.

[thm_w]

What would be the advantage of the ceramic tip over stainless?
Unless you are poking the thing for minutes at a time, I can't see much heat conducting.

https://www.kismetmosaic.com/products/dental-pick-set

[ransonjd]

Yesterday I removed a small leadless IC with a thermal pad tied to four ground planes on a lead-free board. Even with a preheater and hot air, it took ages to get off the board. Since I was working under a microscope, I could only move my stainless tool so far away before I lost sight of it, and the air bouncing off the board heated it up. It got hot. This is my use case.

Yes, the technically correct, but more expensive answer is a bigger preheater.

[ralphrmartin]

I've considered ceramic tweezers, but I'll admit I'm looking for something more like a ceramic tipped pick or probe. Essentially, a stick with a ceramic end with a fine point.

Cut a pair of tweezers in half? 

[SeanB]

PTFE rod, with the end machined down to a blunt tip. Works well at reflow temperatures, and generally does not char unless you are going stupid hot on the point. Buy a length around pencil diameter of solid or glass filled PTFE and use an automatic pencil sharpener on it.

[GerryBags]

I have some titanium needles, one with a nice glass blob on the end, which are used far (ahem) dabbing shatter... but never mind that, they can take ridiculous amounts of heating and cooling without ill effects.

[apelly]

I want to say "sharpen a stick"

But I confess, I didn't read the thread.

[ransonjd]

I've tried a sharp stick. While I enjoy the smell of wood smoke, I fear that my wife is going to think that I've accidentally lit the house on fire.

[jmelson]

I use an X-acto knife.  The tiny contact area of the point prevents heat transfer.  The stainless is VERY unlikely to accept solder.  Works like a charm.

Jon

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Glass rod - been used in labs for +100 years

[KL27x]

Yesterday I removed a small leadless IC with a thermal pad tied to four ground planes on a lead-free board. Even with a preheater and hot air, it took ages to get off the board. Since I was working under a microscope, I could only move my stainless tool so far away before I lost sight of it, and the air bouncing off the board heated it up. It got hot. This is my use case.

Sometimes you have room, perhaps, to just nudge the part with the side of the hot air nozzle, itself. I'll do this with the inside lip of the nozzle. The air flow has thus far been enough to prevent a part from sticking inside the nozzle or falling inside and blowing out the TRIAC, lol. 

[JonM]

Ceramic tubes or rods could be good. I used to use them for ion optics assemblies and probably have some in my materials bin. I will move some to a toolbox thanks to this topic.

McMaster-Carr has a 1/8" dia, 12" long tube for $14.70. Ceramic would have a "more square" end than glass that has been fire polished to not be dangerous. The ceramic tube or rod would probably be a superior probe for the purposes of pushing a component off of a board.

[Doctorandus_P]

Bit late, but I find it strange ceramic screwdrivers are not mentioned.
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=ceramic+screwdriver
Orignally these were designed for adjusting HF inductors / capacitors because of their non magnetic / conductive properties, but because of the hardness of ceramics they stand up really well to all kind of abuse.
(Untill they break, that is one of the few ways to wreck them).