Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Saskia]

one for mnem.

https://www.gunboard.de/uploads/monthly_2020_10/IMG_5174.MP4.e2b9ecaebf9c87d19f31428bf770d678.MP4

[med6753]

Metcal + 3mm braid . No joke.

Other option I have seen is you can saw the legs off the capacitors. That decreases the thermal mass.

Also for UK folk: £1 final value fees offer again this weekend 

I thought of cutting them off but I don't have a saw small enough to get in there.

[med6753]

Defeated right from the get go. None of my soldering/desoldering equipment can generate enough heat to properly wick the solder off these capacitors. Even braid dipped in liquid flux. The mass of those capacitors acts like a giant heat sink. My suction bulb desoldering iron just sits there with very little melt. The pix shows about 20 minutes of freaking around just making a fucking mess.

Obviously I need a heavy duty vacuum pump desoldering station. Recommendations? Hopefully something that will do the job without spending a fortune. I know Hakko has one but it's damn near $300 USD. I'm looking to spend less than that.

Going to clean up this mess and reassemble everything and call it a day. 
[/URL]

I have a SP-1010DR which is very good imho.

I got it from here:
https://www.tme.eu/de/details/sp-1010dr/entlotstationen/solder-peak/

More information and a teardown:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/solder-peak-sp-1010dr-(zd-915-rebrand)-teardown/

Thanks.  $90 USD won't break the bank.

[PA0PBZ]

[BU508A]

Metcal + 3mm braid . No joke.

Other option I have seen is you can saw the legs off the capacitors. That decreases the thermal mass.

Also for UK folk: £1 final value fees offer again this weekend 

I thought of cutting them off but I don't have a saw small enough to get in there.

How about something like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5m-pack-Superfine-Diamond-Cutting-Wire-Saw-Blade-Jade-Metal-Cutting-Tool/162726358785

[Specmaster]

I orderer some Felder soldering tin wire Sn60Pb40 from Bürklin (a Munich distributor) the other day.
Put it in my virtual basket, made the order only without any hassle. But then...

Reaction I got on the invoice (only): Position set to zero, with an information that the manufacturer set a prohibitive note: This soldering tin wire is not available for private buyers any more, only for companies.   
Well, I can only look at classic soldering tin wire now in webshops but can't buy it?!   !@#?§#!!   

All other parts I ordered were delivered flawlessly as always..

Had this as well. Fortunately I have a limited company so I just ordered it through that instead 

You can still get leaded stuff on eBay though.

Just come across your post, I'd already posted to URI that we both warned about this approx a year and stocked up from a eBay seller 

[Robert763]

not saying 

Boohoo you're no fun 

you should be able to work it out, no prizes though.

Hmm, I always assumed it was an airplane on your profile pic for some reason.

Well I am an aerospace engneer and the engines are from a F4 Phantom but it's a car.

Well, then there is a chance (although slim) we will run into each other some day professionally.

There is someone in the neighbourhood that has a PT6 in their car ... and there is also a 1/4 mile track in the neighbourhood.
We feel the air as well as hear the car when it launches on the track.

Our local vintage plane builders are these guys:
http://www.vintagewings.ca  Vintage Wings of Canada
I assume they have an assembly line going for Mustangs, and do quite a few others as well but less frequently.
On occasion, I have to deal with certain members of this group at work.

Maybe. I have frequently visted Canada for work, both Toronto and Abbotsford. Thends to be sproadic and related to specific projects. I'll make several trips in a short period and then nothing for a year or two.

[Specmaster]

Defeated right from the get go. None of my soldering/desoldering equipment can generate enough heat to properly wick the solder off these capacitors. Even braid dipped in liquid flux. The mass of those capacitors acts like a giant heat sink. My suction bulb desoldering iron just sits there with very little melt. The pix shows about 20 minutes of freaking around just making a fucking mess.

Obviously I need a heavy duty vacuum pump desoldering station. Recommendations? Hopefully something that will do the job without spending a fortune. I know Hakko has one but it's damn near $300 USD. I'm looking to spend less than that.

Going to clean up this mess and reassemble everything and call it a day. 

Use a high power solder gun like the one in the photo?

[bd139]

Just come across your post, I'd already posted to URI that we both warned about this approx a year and stocked up from a eBay seller 

Yeah have you seen the prices of it now? Was a good investment 

[Messtechniker]

Time for a 10 EUR, 150 or 200W mains powered soldering iron.
Since you will not need it very often, tip life will not matter.
I also use mine to fill the slot of slotted screws with solder
thus making these screws somewhat tamper-proof.

[tggzzz]

Defeated right from the get go. None of my soldering/desoldering equipment can generate enough heat to properly wick the solder off these capacitors. Even braid dipped in liquid flux. The mass of those capacitors acts like a giant heat sink. My suction bulb desoldering iron just sits there with very little melt. The pix shows about 20 minutes of freaking around just making a fucking mess.

Obviously I need a heavy duty vacuum pump desoldering station. Recommendations? Hopefully something that will do the job without spending a fortune. I know Hakko has one but it's damn near $300 USD. I'm looking to spend less than that.

Consider the ChipQuick bismuth low-termperature solder, but practice using it first.

I have one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N2H1CLS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00
I consider it sufficiently fierce that I used a variac for fine work. Obviously practice before using it in anger!

[bd139]

Problem with a lot of these desoldering tools is they are not temperature controlled and can't generate enough power to maintain temperature and keep dwell time low. Big risk on PCBs like that one if you use the wrong tools.

If you look at the TDS210 repair I did in the following picture, that was a Metcal and braid job with a subsequent clean up with isopropyl. The connectors are really really hard work as they are massive heatsinks on a ground plane but the right tools make it easy. I doubt a sucker gun could maintain enough energy in the joint without either cooling off and blocking or overheating the board and damaging it.



ChipQuick is an option but we were never allowed to use it for rework as if you don't clean all of it up (which is difficult) it alloys with whatever is left and can cause cracked joints.

Best thing for temperature controlled suckers is hammering through DIP packages. But I hate doing that anyway 

[med6753]

Defeated right from the get go. None of my soldering/desoldering equipment can generate enough heat to properly wick the solder off these capacitors. Even braid dipped in liquid flux. The mass of those capacitors acts like a giant heat sink. My suction bulb desoldering iron just sits there with very little melt. The pix shows about 20 minutes of freaking around just making a fucking mess.

Obviously I need a heavy duty vacuum pump desoldering station. Recommendations? Hopefully something that will do the job without spending a fortune. I know Hakko has one but it's damn near $300 USD. I'm looking to spend less than that.

Going to clean up this mess and reassemble everything and call it a day. 

Use a high power solder gun like the one in the photo?

I have a Weller soldering gun but now you're risking burning the board. I am just about convinced a mini hack saw is the best alternative here.

[Robert763]

Weller TCP 50 with a 6mm (1/4") 700F screwdriver bit (original one piece bit) will see those off.
As mentiond even mild pre heating with a hot air gun helps a lot

[med6753]

What the hell!   

Gonna be a long Winter. 

[mnementh]

SHUDDAFUKKUPPP!!! 

mnem

[Brumby]

Ahh - NOW I remember what I was going to ask Dave for while I was over at his lab!

 


(A fuse set for my BM235.)

[tautech]

What the hell!   

Gonna be a long Winter. 

The planet's answer to gobull warming !

[bd139]

The planet's answer to us anyway. "Lets freeze the fuckers off my crust"

[med6753]

Snow in October is not unheard of but very unusual. A few years ago had a 10 inch snowfall on the 31st. This is only supposed to be about 2 or 3 inches.


The PSU for the 7603N is back together. At least now I know how it comes apart and goes back together. Going to order a mini hack saw.   

[mnementh]

https://www.banggood.com/PENGGONG-Triangle-Magnetic-Screwdriver-Set-Home-Repair-Tool-Kit-Hand-Tool-1_82_02_33_0mm-p-1390779.html

https://www.banggood.com/Broppe-4pcs-50mm-1_8-2_7-14-Inch-Hex-Shank-Magnetic-Triangle-Screwdriver-Bits-p-1142058.html

https://www.banggood.com/search/broppe.html

Here's some at a reasonable price off bang-em-good. The PENGGONG sound like what you're asking for, if not all the sizes. I have zero first-hand experience with their quality, but the handles look pretty cheap. Still so inexpensive it's hard not to suggest them, tho; if you get one job done with them they've paid for themselves.

I can speak to the BROPPE brand personally; much better quality than the price. Full stop; no qualifiers. I have several sets of their driver bits; I especially like the 150mm (120mm shank) #1 & #2 Philips with various size shanks so they self-align in the screw hole. Good quality tool steel, sometimes a hair overpolished and rounded corners, but every bit serviceable. For the price and the functionality, really hard to beat. And the magnetizing holds up very well on magnetized sets.

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

Thanks for the suggestions tool dwagon, but you only get an A for effort.

I saw those PENGGONG drivers on Amazon, but was not sure.  The shaft diameter appeared to be potentially too thick.  The Banggood price is much better and was not a site I thought of searching.  However, according to the images on Banggood, the 50mm length includes the shoulder of the handle, so now I am no longer sure they will have the 45mm shaft length.  At least these have the appearance of real screwdrivers.  At the Banggood price, I just might pick them up anyway and give them a try.

The BROPPE brand looks interesting.  However, the specific bits are a total length of 50mm.  When you take off the length of the shank, the remaining shaft length will be too short.  I see they do long versions of some of their sets, just not the one I am looking for 

All absolutely true; but for the price, hard to say no just on the off chance you can use Empirical Engineering to get the job done.There will be some cases where the usable 20-30mm of the BROPPE bits are serviceable. Worst case, take the handle off the PENGGONG and just use the shank, or grind a hex on the end and use a nutdriver to turn it, or even knock together a handle from whatever scrap of metal you may have lying around.

Anybody can suggest a $150 set of drivers; I was trying to find something that would appeal to the skint bastard aspect that seems to be part of the TEA member basic makeup.

mnem

[mnementh]

Snow in October is not unheard of but very unusual. A few years ago had a 10 inch snowfall on the 31st. This is only supposed to be about 2 or 3 inches.


The PSU for the 7603N is back together. At least now I know how it comes apart and goes back together. Going to order a mini hack saw.

"DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! "

mnem
You know you want to.

[med6753]

Snow in October is not unheard of but very unusual. A few years ago had a 10 inch snowfall on the 31st. This is only supposed to be about 2 or 3 inches.


The PSU for the 7603N is back together. At least now I know how it comes apart and goes back together. Going to order a mini hack saw.

"DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! DRE-MEL! "

mnem
You know you want to.

Can't easily get in there with the dremel but it will definitely help. I want to have ALL the correct tools on hand before I rip this sucker apart again.

[tautech]

Going to order a mini hack saw.

 
The blue butcher ! 

[mnementh]

You can thank REACH which prohibits the use of lead in "consumer products"

The EU and their directives.

Lead will kill you in one or another way, if you're around it too much. I for one am more comfortable with the regulations that try removing Pb in as many places as possible, because lead in products offers the manufacturer short-time convenience large enough to prevent its demise unless forced. 

IMNSHO, there has to be a counter-force to the corporate greed, or we will all work unprotected in sweat-shops and then drag our asses home and be forced to consume products that are made with but one goal, bottom line. Like parts of SE Asia, for instance.

I have been complacent, but as I grow less stupid with age I take some things more seriously.  I am happy that my children have had a mostly lead-free environment to grow up in. They are stronger and healthier for that. 

I do appreciate and enjoy the child's play (sic) that is soldering with PbSn. And I keep a roll around for repairs (at current usage level, I'm good until 2040, at least). Even if I'm not doing separate tool environments for PbSn and RoHS solder as I should by the book, I try to limit PbSn to where it is necessary.

Finally; I see lead-free soldering as a new craft to be mastered. As such, it takes adjustment of one's habits, and at this age, just above 50, that does mean some effort.

Thanks... you just saved me typing out a whole long diatribe saying pretty much exactly this, only probably with the snark cranked up to 11, as I woke up "full of piss & vinegar", and annoyed as fuck at my 4070A. 

mnem
*goes back to reading the fukkin' manual*