http://www.ebay.com/itm/61-80-MICRO-MINI-PIN-NUMBER-WIRE-SIZES-NUMBERED-DRILL-BIT-TOOL-SET-KIT-INDEX-/320886280065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab6500f81
Ugh, never buy this.
Sometimes force is the only thing that can work. A de-soldering station with vacuum pump would probably clear it. If you don't have one you could try heating it and poking out the solder with something like a toothpick before it solidifies.
Thanks everyone.
I tried what I could of the above. I can't push anything through because at no point the solder melts all the way through the hole. Tried more flux on the board, flux on the braid, another type of braid (new, but fishy), another type of solder (known good and new). The soldering iron is good. Tried up to 480C.
The best I could get is shallow depressions in both sides of the hole, but the middle remained blocked. I suspect something blocks heat transfer in the middle. Is that a common occurrence, and any idea what and why that might be?
Those drill bits, what range of mm sizes is useful for this?
BTW, in some cases when touching the iron to the hole something creaked. Maybe the board, but not sure. Common thing? A bad sign?
The soldering iron is good. Tried up to 480C.
A) Lying to you (never seen a properly calibrated whoflungpoo iron out of the box)
B) having sufficient thermal resistance between the heater and the tip that the board is sucking the heat out faster than the iron can keep up (ie crap iron/tip)
C) Woefully undersized
Let's see some pictures
If your iron is a JBC, Hakko or Metcal then you are using it wrong.
If you can melt the solder use these:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Hollow-needles-desoldering-tool-for-electronic-components-/370723601236
I prefer plain old hss twist bits.
I also have a Hakko FX-888D. I like the 3.2mm chisel tip for recapping because it moves a lot more heat than the 1.6mm chisel tip that comes with the iron.
As for the suggestion to drill out the hole: that will work for getting the new cap into the hole, but what makes you think he will be able to melt the solder all the way through once it is in place?
I also have a Hakko FX-888D. I like the 3.2mm chisel tip for recapping because it moves a lot more heat than the 1.6mm chisel tip that comes with the iron.
As for the suggestion to drill out the hole: that will work for getting the new cap into the hole, but what makes you think he will be able to melt the solder all the way through once it is in place?
Just drill it out. The amount of time and energy you have invested so far you could have drilled for oil by now!
I almost feel like making a video now, and I've never done that before!
Many bits are actually router bits they tend to wander when hand drilling. ... Any hss twist bit is my pick and will stay on center.
Just drill it out. The amount of time and energy you have invested so far you could have drilled for oil by now!
These eBay drills are 2 to 8 weeks away. Assuming it is possible to clean "normally", isn't that an overall safer or cleaner method?
QuoteI almost feel like making a video now, and I've never done that before!There could be interesting. But difficult to shoot.
Anyway, I've tried heating up a needle. No go. It helped to increase the hole size of an open but too narrow hole (another PCB), but not open a block one. Hopefully the widened hole is not damaged.
For ID here are a couple images.
Regular twist drills are easy to spot, same diameter all the way along. You should be able to get these from a local hobby shop.
Items with the fat shank are the ones to stay away from. It is possible to find bits of the correct type in this format it's just easier to get the other ones.
For ID here are a couple images.
Regular twist drills are easy to spot, same diameter all the way along. You should be able to get these from a local hobby shop.
Items with the fat shank are the ones to stay away from. It is possible to find bits of the correct type in this format it's just easier to get the other ones.
That's not a routing bit, it's a carbide twist drill for drilling PCBs. It's far too brittle for routing or hand-drilling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit#PCB_through-hole_drill_bits
heat the joint from beneath, and look at top of the joint, when it's liquid you blow it out!
As for the suggestion to drill out the hole: that will work for getting the new cap into the hole, but what makes you think he will be able to melt the solder all the way through once it is in place?
With only an iron, manual sucker, and wick, how common do you get holes that need drilling? In the two boards I have here it's 2 (or 3 with the narrow hole) out of 12, not a good ratio.
With only an iron, manual sucker, and wick, how common do you get holes that need drilling? In the two boards I have here it's 2 (or 3 with the narrow hole) out of 12, not a good ratio.
I occasionally use a heat plate aka second hand 500W kitchen warming plate when the ground plane is just to large. Heating the board to 100/125 degrees does wonders.