removing parts from PCBs

[Jules Richardson]

Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 11/14/2005 at 9:32 AM Dwight K. Elvey wrote:
> 
> 
>>I've used peanut oil and a fry pan. Then wash the
>>parts in detergent to remove the oil. You need to wear
>>gloves and goggles as safety gear. Hot peanut oil
>>in your eye is not something I'd like to even think about.
>>Make sure that the assembler didn't bend the corner leads
>>of the ICs. If they did, you'll need to straighten them
>>before the oil, using a soldering iron.
>>It just seems to me that the oil method is a little more
>>controlled than a torch.
> 
> 
> That's downright scary--oil fires are nasty.   And burns from oil that hot
> (I've had them from cooking) take a long time to heal.

True, but it is no less risky than normal cooking with oil - plus it'd 
give a much more even heat than a torch. Might give that a try sometime. 
Cooking oil is probably cheaper than torch gas too :)

My only caution would be that gold/ceramic ICs tend to have markings 
printed on with an ink that detergent will remove quite nicely (made 
that mistake once when cleaning a PCB, won't be doing it again :) Other 
components seem to survive such cleanings quite happily though.

cheers

Jules