Favorite recapping methods

[ratdude747]

Vote on your favorite recapping method. Multiple votes are allowed since some prefer different methods for different situations.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

I personally use the following:

braid- my favorite method. it is pretty low cost, usually effective, and only requires one actual tool to be in use. usually my first method of attack.

spring sucker- used for large joints, mainly to reduce the volume of solder in prep for the braid.

desoldering iron- works te best but the tips don't last. only used when I need a lot of heat (ground planes, etc) and braid has failed me. my other complaint is that it involves using multiple "hot" devices, making workspace management a bit more challenging. however, it also only requires one hand to be used during the final desoldering, giving one a free hand when needed.

needle- a last resort, used when all else fails. if i had a good source for a SS dentist's pick, i would use this method more often.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

don't forget to wet it with flux before you try to suck it. I use my 808, and so far am only on my second tip. though I wish frys sold the ceramic filter for the 808, they still sell the tips for a better price then ebay

I use a needle as a last resort, but the hakko works wonderfully as long as I have the heat turned up all the way

oh yes and remember to plunge the hole every few sucks, also make sure to change the ceramic filter every once in a while

I put the tip next to my ear (not too close!) and hear the sucking sound so I know it has good suction

[c_hegge]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

For PSUs, I use braid, for the same reasons you mentioned, but it never seems to work for motherboards. It gets most of the solder off, but never all of it. For motherboards, I don't use anything to get the solder out. I just melt it with the solderig iron from one side and push the cap through the other side. It only ever seems to damage the pads on ASUS motherboards (even when I try to be a lot more careful with them) .

[slap_happy]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

If I anticipate a motherboard hole is going to be difficult to clear, I'll break the cap on the component side and cut the leads flush with the board on the component side.

Then I'll use small fine tip pliers along with my soldering iron to pull the soldered lead out through the non-component side. This way, no solder is dragged up through the hole towards the component side - instead, the solder is actually dragged along with the lead as it exits on the non-component side. I often find that there is little solder in the hole towards the component side, and the hole will be liberated merely by this action, without any further sucking or wicking.

Negatives to this method;

The cap may leak various crap that will have to be cleaned up.

If the original flow soldering was very "flow-eee", the hole may have solder thru-and-thru and not just towards the bottom of the hole.

The lead may be cut too short to grab with pliers, or be too short to grab and heat simultaneously, or may break off leaving a small piece that is very difficult to remove.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

don't forget to wet it with flux before you try to suck it. I use my 808, and so far am only on my second tip. though I wish frys sold the ceramic filter for the 808, they still sell the tips for a better price then ebay

I use a needle as a last resort, but the hakko works wonderfully as long as I have the heat turned up all the way

oh yes and remember to plunge the hole every few sucks, also make sure to change the ceramic filter every once in a while

I put the tip next to my ear (not too close!) and hear the sucking sound so I know it has good suction

well adding flux/solder first is a given in my book... you always have to add before you can remove..

[ben7]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Now I haven't done as many re-caps as you guys, but I just heat up the solder joints with the soldering iron and pull out the cap. Yes, I am aware that this practice sometimes damages traces though. So when I get around to it I will buy a solder sucker thingy

-Ben

[mockingbird]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Such fancy tools?

With PSUs I used to just use the existing solder, cut the leads of the new cap, and nudge it in while melting the solder from the bottom. I now use desoldering braid.

For motherboards, the braid is sometimes successful, sometimes not. I bought braid for "lead-free" applications. It's interesting, the braid is silver coloured instead of copper. Probably just copper coated with something. Even with this braid, it doesn't always clear the hole.

My iron is a cheap one.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Now I haven't done as many re-caps as you guys, but I just heat up the solder joints with the soldering iron and pull out the cap. Yes, I am aware that this practice sometimes damages traces though. So when I get around to it I will buy a solder sucker thingy

-Ben

but then how do you clear the hole? the "heat and wiggle" method is used for a lot of methods... for me, the only time i leave the caps in when clearing holes is with the desolderign iron...

if you don't clear the holes and just heat and push when installing caps, then that is a problem.

I actually made some youtube videos on the desoldering iron and braid methods, as well as one on soldering in new caps. I have none on the spring pump since i couldn't get ti to work on camera and the needle pick since I don't have the dentist's pick.

[ben7]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

but then how do you clear the hole? the "heat and wiggle" method is used for a lot of methods... for me, the only time i leave the caps in when clearing holes is with the desolderign iron...

if you don't clear the holes and just heat and push when installing caps, then that is a problem.

I actually made some youtube videos on the desoldering iron and braid methods, as well as one on soldering in new caps. I have none on the spring pump since i couldn't get ti to work on camera and the needle pick since I don't have the dentist's pick.

hehe, I have a special technique to get the solder out of the hole using the soldering iron, almost like wiping off the excess solder.

-Ben

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Such fancy tools?

With PSUs I used to just use the existing solder, cut the leads of the new cap, and nudge it in while melting the solder from the bottom. I now use desoldering braid.

For motherboards, the braid is sometimes successful, sometimes not. I bought braid for "lead-free" applications. It's interesting, the braid is silver coloured instead of copper. Probably just copper coated with something. Even with this braid, it doesn't always clear the hole.

My iron is a cheap one.

the "heat and push" may "work" for PSUs, but as you may ahve found out, is a poor practice...

by cheap iron, is it grounded and at least 30W

if it is any condolence, my main iron is a a 30W xytronic 258... $20 at a local electronics shop... and my desoldering iron is a 45W radios shack one i paid $11 for, (it goes though tips like a ****, and at $2 a pop, it adds up more or less).

I do have most of a 60W weller W60P as, but I more or less inherited it... that is another story for another thread. not operational since it is missing the tip and end nut. I will likely buy a new tip and find an acorn nut of the same thread that I could file and drill to work.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

hehe, I have a special technique to get the solder out of the hole using the soldering iron, almost like wiping off the excess solder.

-Ben

that sometimes works for PSUs... but for anything multi-layer, it doesn't work.

you are basically using the iron tip's wicking properties int he same way that braid works...

[ben7]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

that sometimes works for PSUs... but for anything multi-layer, it doesn't work.

you are basically using the iron tip's wicking properties int he same way that braid works...

Yep, well, I haven't re-capped any mother-boards at all. But thanks for the hint!

-Ben

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

if you do, look around in the announcements section for my video thread.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

actually let me say this too. if using the vacumn tool dosen't work, I always re-wet the joint a second time with flux and 60/40, and try to keep the hakko on it longer a second time, that usually works. THEN I try a needle

[mockingbird]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

the "heat and push" may "work" for PSUs, but as you may ahve found out, is a poor practice...

Nah, I just switched to braid for two reasons:
1) I find myself squeezing in 12.5mm caps into spots reserved for 10mm caps. I like to empty the holes of the solder because I want to put the cap in first to see what I have to push around for it to fit.
2) As you well know, some of the tiny caps are impossible to get in unless you leave the long leads on so you can use ordinary needlenose pliers to get them into the holes. In order for this to work, the pads have to be clear.

if it is any condolence, my main iron is a a 30W xytronic 258... $20 at a local electronics shop... and my desoldering iron is a 45W radios shack one i paid $11 for, (it goes though tips like a ****, and at $2 a pop, it adds up more or less).

Yes, this is what I was doing. $2 a pop is very reasonable every few months (Though I was doing this for my iron, not a desoldering iron). Problem is my prized iron from the trash is now defunct. I'm down to one other iron.

I wanted to get one of the desoldering irons, but not for what you think. I have an idea I got from somewhere to mod it for something else. I just couldn't find it for a reasonable price.

[ratdude747]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

Nah, I just switched to braid for two reasons:
1) I find myself squeezing in 12.5mm caps into spots reserved for 10mm caps. I like to empty the holes of the solder because I want to put the cap in first to see what I have to push around for it to fit.
2) As you well know, some of the tiny caps are impossible to get in unless you leave the long leads on so you can use ordinary needlenose pliers to get them into the holes. In order for this to work, the pads have to be clear.


Yes, this is what I was doing. $2 a pop is very reasonable every few months (Though I was doing this for my iron, not a desoldering iron). Problem is my prized iron from the trash is now defunct. I'm down to one other iron.

I wanted to get one of the desoldering irons, but not for what you think. I have an idea I got from somewhere to mod it for something else. I just couldn't find it for a reasonable price.

whatever. ive messed up boards doing that, but whatever suits you. just be careful not to bomb the hole liners when you do that.

it is more like 1 tip every 2 weeks or less if i used my desoldering iron for everything.

[lti]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

It is easier for me to use the "heat and wiggle" method than to try to completely remove the solder around each lead. After the cap is removed, I remove the solder with a "solder sucker." My best soldering iron is only 25W.

[c_hegge]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

if you don't clear the holes and just heat and push when installing caps, then that is a problem.

No, it isn't. That's all I ever do on motherboards, and it works just fine. It only ever seems to damage ASUS and ASRock motherboads. I do it on PSUs a lot too.

[mockingbird]

Re: Favorite recapping methods

When you can't clear it, make sure there is excess solder applied to the bottom in a concave fashion, so that the cap can be held in place by the concave "pocket" from the top of the board, and the cap will go through while it is heated from the other side.

Sometimes I get frustraded and push too hard, and that's when the pad can rip. But I've been getting better and better at it, and this rarely happens. And if I do see the pad starting to come off I at least make sure it's still attached a little bit so there will still be some contact.