In December 1973 I attended a pre-employment electronic assembly class provided by Hewlett-Packard in Santa Rosa CA. The class was taught by Mary Powers and Polly Yates, and mainly covered the way that Hewlett-Packard wanted things done. We learned how to crimp wires on tube socket pins without turning the chassis around to make it easier for us. We had to learn to adapt to the instrument we were building...not the other way around. HP was a big proponent of joints that had a strong mechanical connection (crimp) before applying the solder. We used the very same Solderpult tool back then. Same color..same everything! I guess when a design works well...you just don't change it. No need to. What is that? 44 years or so? Damn that's a lot of years...I must be getting old. Ha

I’m just getting into soldering. This was magnificently helpful. Especially when I don’t even know what these tools are! Haha

Mr. Carlson-- you simply have the best electronics channel on youtube! Thank you for the time that you put into these incredibly informative videos.

I only recently discovered your UKposts channel, and I can't stop watching all the restoration videos. Thank you for taking the time to do these. Your explanations are perfect, you give the proper amount of warnings and advice, and you do a very good job of editing out the boring, time consuming work, yet still showing us what you did, why, and how. Thank you for all your work on these videos.

i cant belive i just watched a 40 minute video on desoldering tools. It sure didn't seem like 40 minutes. I trudly appreciate your thoroughness Mr. Carlson.

I had resigned myself to the usual 6-8 week wait after the last video on soldering. It was a pleasant surprise to find another video from Paul a few days later. Great explanation as always. Paul is a natural teacher who seems to anticipate my questions and addresses them. Thanks.

Great video. Totally agree with your assessment of the Edsyn blue plastic tool. I still have the same one I bought in 1979 for my job as a tech. Thousands of joints desoldered, still works fine!!

Another fine demonstration of using the right tool for the job. Well done Paul. This video will help many folks out there.

I am a complete newb; got that FR-301 from the beginning. So glad I did. I bet I would have given up otherwise. Worth every cent.

I worked at an instrument lab repairing components on old circuit boards. That Halo solder vacuum would have been a game changer!

Fantastic tutorial on a part of soldering that not a lot of people cover, even though it's super critical when fixing most faults. I like the soldapult, mostly because it's fairly cheap and doesn't have as much of a kickback when it actuates. It's also helpful to use the bench to set it, especially for repetitive tasks. I also find that solder wick doesn't tend to work great for through-hole, but is excellent for cleaning up SMD pads to replace parts, and use it mostly for that

Thank You for this video Mr. Carlson... Bought a junk desoldering station at the local Hamfest. A little improvisation, and some glue. Now I have a tool that just made my electronic projects so much easier...

I wish I had that super nice de-soldering gun with the vacuum built right in, in my previous life. Recapping circuit boards would have been so much easier. Really enjoy your channel!

If you had trained the electronic experts on aircraft & rockets, I would feel very comfortable flying to the moon. Well presented, well focused, good audio levels. Excellent job mate!

I used a Soldapult, but I brought the charger crutch tip up underneath my bench. I didn't even have to change it in my hand. I wore out several of them, in my job at work, and after I retired I had GrayBar Electric to order me one. I still do solder work, (and my health has made me shakey), and have to de-solder at times, but not near as much as I did professionally. I love your channel. Thank you for its content and I just love how easy it is to listen to your voice! A fellow can tell when someone can explain a complicated something or the other, and make it sound simple...That's someone that knows his....well someone that's GOOD !!!

Used the manual solder suckers for years, finally purchased a desoldering unit, and wow, wish I had done it years ago, especially when I was removing all those caps in power supplies and Dell motherboards over the years. World of difference. Thanks for the video Paul.

Thanks for the tips on desoldering. For big solder blobs I use a wick sometimes my solder sucking soldering iron first it always works great much better than trying to use my old squeeze bulb routine. Thanks again for sharing

Your videos are helpful to a person like me, who has never soldered or desoldered. Please keep up the great videos, i watched a few videos and I subscribed. Keep fixing stuff

You are so gifted, blessed and so great at what you do. God bless you, thank you for sharing your gifts - there's no one else like you.

Thank you for making such great content, Paul. I have a sub for my home theater that's begun producing that tell tale 60 hz humming, which from my research suggests the caps have gone bad. I'm replacing them, and appreciate you sharing your technique and tools for this type of rework.

Excellent quality video. The best detail video on UKposts. Period. Thanks

First Soldering tutorial... now Desoldering... yeaaahh!!! Love your channel mate.. you ROCK!!! =]

HOLY CRAP ... MR CARLSON IS THE BEST ELECTRONICS GUY I HAVE EVER SEEN. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO HAVE THIS DUDE AS MY NEIGHBOR , OR MAYBE CHAT WITH HIM ON HERE AND DRINK SOME BEERS THEN BUILD SOME WAY RAD THINGS !! MR CARLSON RULES!!

Hi Mr Carlson, please don't burn the candle at both ends, the last thing this world needs is a diamond like you getting ill, we can all wait and be patient I'm sure, I certainly can, I can't thank you enough for sharing your huge wealth of knowledge and experience I'm really hooked, thank you, take care Keith in UK

All of this is so new and fascinating to me! I have an interest in what would be a simple task (soldering new batteries into video game cartridges) and wanted to see what was all involved. I found your channel and this video while looking at how to desolder. Your video is such a great source of information. Thank you so much for putting it up! I have liked and subscribed!!

I had no idea that there was such a thing as a solder sucker! But, I know all about it now! - Thank you, Mr Carlson!

Great videos. I have the small solder sucker. A great upgrade to it is to use a very short piece of silicon tubing stuck on the tip, leaving about 1/8" protruding. Makes a good seal against the board and gets more solder out.

I have learned a lot from watching your videos, you are a great inspiration

The only vid on here that I could find that covered desoldering a lug. You should me cutting its tip was the “secret sauce.” Thanks

In the automotive sector you have beautiful noise like F1 noise, and ugly noise like a grinding tool. In electronics their equivalent is the noise of a solding iron (nonoise) and the vacuum pump they supplied with the desolding iron. It's definitely worth changing it for another even faster and stronger system, while still using the same tool. The whole family will love it, including the pets. Love your work. The way you are teaching over the whole line gets an A+. Please keep going.

Really liked the vid...very informative. All info, no time wasted on fluff. Insanely jealous of your Batcave / lab. Very cool.

I like to use slightly wider solder wick that is impregnated with flux, and use it with a pulling motion to clean out joints quickly with less flux mess. Thank you for yet another terrific and useful video! These really help me enjoy my electronics hobby and I appreciate all the effort you put into making, editing, and publishing these videos.

Very detailed and great explained! This needs lots of preparations, no doubt! I like the way you desolder surface mount parts with both irons. Yesterday I accidentally removed a pad with applying to much force. Will try this next time. Many thanks Paul for sharing your experience with us!

I bought the FR-301 by HAKO. It's fantastic. Temp 1, the lowest setting, is indeed plenty as you mentioned. I also bought the HAKO 633 stand. It's quite sturdy and worth the $. I used the FR-301 on a Heathkit IM-18, IT-28, and Sencore PM157 during restorations over the past two days. What a time saver...and makes for quality looking work, too. My Dad always said, "use the right tool for the job." He was correct. My dad repaired radios in the 1940's for extra money in his attic shop. He would have really liked this tool!

Great job explaining things in great detail! Thanks!

Paul, I'm glad I re-watched these soldering videos. I was planning to purchase some RA flux from Amazon and was reading the MG reviews, even though there were quite a few bad reviews, I have re-decided to purchase that type/brand. It would be nice to see you review the no-clean alcohol type flux sometime. Thanks for your effort here!

Awesome tutorial! I can vouch for the bigger Soldapult DS017 as well. Have the exact same one you have. I had a variant of the little plastic one too at work and yep... shot its internals half way across the warehouse one day which led to its ultimate demise and journey to the trash. I've also had great success with solder wick on surface mount stuff and getting pads re-prepped.

You are very gifted my friend. Thanks for the videos.

Excellent video, don't know how many times a day I used that manual pump while working at TI. Back in the late 70's we didn't have those automatic pumps. 73

A 'Puffer Ball' also works to blow solder out of plated through holes. Great vids Mr. Carlson!!

Thanks for throwing this video up. I've used everything except the Hako which I've been considering buying for a couple of years.

Simply a perfect lesson! thank you.

Really glad you put this together. I learned a lot.

Great video Paul, The detail you go to is great .

Thanks! Very helpful since I currently have NO desoldering equipment.

Excellent and well recorded video! I learned some interesting things. Thanks a lot!

Thanks for the flux tip for using desolder braid. Comprehensive video, too.

Thank you for teaching us your wonderful tips this can make a vast difference in our day to day work sir .

Very great job! I enjoyed this exciting and professional techniques! Thank you good guys !

From this tutorial I now know that I make everything as I should :) I desolder exactly as you mr carlson and I was learning on my own to desolder ;)

I think I have just found my new favourite channel. Like it a lot. Q: How easy is it to clean the electrical vacuum pump compared to the blue (plastic) tool? When I went to electronics school back in the 80'ies we had to make or own de-soldering tool in the metal workshop. We had to make every part from tip to springs and locking mechanism. The only part that was ready made was the rubber rings. It was a lot of precision work but it was great fun. It was an exact copy of the aluminium one you show here. So a little nostalgic to see it so many years later. Thanks for a great video.

Great vid! Here's a cool tip when snipping leads. Rather than cover the snipped end with the free hand to keep it from flying, try this one-handed technique: grip the snips with your index finger extended over the cutting jaws. Place the snips' jaws on the lead, and gently touch the end of the lead with the index finger. Squeeze the snips, and the clipped portion of the lead stays in the jaws. Cheers!

Thank you for this video. It really helped me with a project to add bigger capacitors to a portable headphone amp.

Fantastic! I've been waiting for a video like this for ages, desoldering has always been something I have really struggled with

Okay it is great watching your videos because you use automotive analogies. "Throw a rod" LOL Fantastic. When you did the mod to get your Firebird to pass emissions tests by doing some electronic mods to the controls you got me hooked. Getting ready to buy some soldering tools so thanks. Considering doing your classes through Patreon. THANKS!

Thanks for the teaching! I spent some time practicing removing parts from some scrap electronics that were headed for the trash, and your methods worked far better than what I've tried before. Especially the adding new solder trick. I've got the one-hand cocking cheapie sucker. One other tool that I found useful is a heat gun. I don't have the special rework station type, just a big Craftsman heat gun with a narrow restrictor tip on it (about a 3/8" tube at the exit). It heats more area than needed, but for pillaging dead boards for parts to play with, I'm not too concerned about that. It's especially useful when you need to heat several pins at once, like for headers. Gets plenty hot enough even for lead-free solders (top listed is 1000F). Still learning, so thanks for the pointers! --Mike

Top notch visual aid work! Subbed.

Thank you Paul for this very informative view on desoldering. Would you consider doing a short video on how to maintain a vacuum style desoldering iron? Take care

I successfully pulled a relay off a board yesterday for the first time. I used wick, I only just got my first roll last week. I'm amazed at how simple it is to use and surprised I only recently heard of it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I appreciate you

thank you for sharing your experience.

Loved the video. Thank you Mr Carlson.

I was surprised not to see the desoldering iron with the squeeze bulb that you work with your thumb. That's been my go-to for years.

Been watching your videos the last two years because of you I bought my AOYUE (int 474A++)Desoldering station I know it’s a cheap Chinese model but it’s been working just fine for the last year and during your whole 40 minute video I was using a continuously salvage parts of a large power supply. Also my hot air rework / soldering/ Power supply station YIHUA 853D Each were about $70 apiece and my son and I have hundreds of hours on them And they still haven’t broken down yet definitely got my moneys worth

Thank you for posting this Paul. I taught myself (translated: many mistakes, wasted bucks!) to desolder. This video will save many hobbyists a lot of grief.

all techniques in one video thank you very much

I use a soldering iron that is kinda like your desoldering gun. But its manual. Has a rubber nub you press and release to create the vacuum. It's a simple rubber bladder system built inside the soldering iron. So it's cone shaped with the handle! I it's a Ungar brand. It's old for sure. But it works great on ic's. I've only used it a little as I've only had it for a month. But it works fantastic in one go each time. Then after using it on a joint I can press the rubber nub again to squirt the solder out on the bench. Then back to another joint. It works super well. And has an added bonus! If you have it plugged in and the tip/heating element section removed it can zap you with 120V! (I haven't been zapped yet, as I don't remove the heating element!) Works so much better on ic's and other small pain in the ass pins then a regular iron and desoldering sucker. Which I also have about 4 of the solder pullt's. I like soldering but desoldering is a huge pain sometimes! Mostly when stuff is wrapped on posts and terminals! I hate it when it's wrapped. And yes, I've wrapped stuff too. I hope I don't have to ever remove it.

Great to see new content from you Mr Carlson, please keep them coming. :)

Can't beat the Hakko especially on densely populated through hole boards. I dint use it every day, but when I need it, there is no substitute. The wick and Solderpult tool works for some jobs, I keep all three handy. Good tip using flux with the wick. It definitely helps.

Thanks, Paul. I love my Hakko 808 de-soldering gun. It's worth it's weight in gold!

Small ESD pult, two large ESD safe pults, (the BIG silver soldapults) and the electric gun, and aways the wick. If I am out and about and don't have the gun, I have an assistant resetting one soldapult as I suck the solder out with the other. I run two pencils too. If one goes too cool, I switch off and let the other catch up. It's about getting it done, and getting it done right. Move successively & systematically through, and meticulously get EVERY joint PROPERLY soldered. NO STOPPING TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HEAT BACK UP! That stopping is where I miss a solder joint. You are spot on on that cheap sucker. My threads have gone to shite more than twice. Third time was the charm! NO MAS mi amigo!

Wick without flux I could never get to work and it took me a long time to realize that the cheaper ( by maybe a dollar ) wicks do not have flux on them like the ones that cost a dollar more that I'm left to assume is the reason I kept getting so frustrated watching videos of people using wick and it working great, quickly and easily and they never bother the mention they fluxed the wick previously or had flux dipped wick hile my wick just did nothing but get hot until it burned my finger 4 inches up the braid and never even melting the solder.

After fighting with solder suckers and the lackluster performance for years, I bought a Hakko FR-301. Best money I ever spent. The last solder sucker I bought before the FR-301 was the Engineer, better than any on the market if you can't afford a Hakko. I still keep a roll of wick around for quick removal of solder bridges. But I go for the FR-301 99.9% of the time - and I am a hobbyist. If your doing it ALL the time or a business, you would invest in a dual-role station with soldering and de-soldering pump. A 301 for business unless it's low volume isn't a good idea.

great video. can't wait to see the info/vfd on the mods you made to the other unit.

I needed this, thank you.

Thank you for a nice video. This week I had to replace some SMD processors. I found some special solder with a extremely low melting point (ChipQuik). A string of solder on every row of legs and the solder takes many seconds to solidify. It was really easy to desolder the chips without ruining the boards.

23:40 I was literally just waving my hand in the air at my monitor to clear the smoke so I could watch you work.....

For my FR-300 ...In addition to the FR-300 filters I use Goot TP-100 filters. That wimpy filter provided by Hakko gets saturated fast. But adding the relatively hefty and very cheap Goot TP-100 filters with the Goot provided steel wool to catch the solder, dramatically expands the service time of the FR-300. I'd say the cleaning and filters replacement time increases by a factor of 10.

Another great video! I've used those little blue one-handed suckers since forever. I've been looking for something that is a step up. I'm glad you pointed out how much work it is to re-cock the bigger one... I was considering that to try as an upgrade, but I'm going to avoid it if it can't be cocked with one hand. I'm probably going to go with one of the automatic vacuum ones. I'm also not a huge fan of wick for desoldering. I mainly just use that for cleanup anymore. I've found it helps if you add some flux right on the braid (even if the wick is flux impregnated).

Outstanding tips, thanks Mr. C.

Thanks for the upload, lots of work gone into this "Video Details: * Video build time: 4 days. * Number of individual videos within this video: 16. * Video size as uploaded: 7.43GB."

I just bought a $10 Vellaman 110 solder sucker and it rocks. It's a new take on the old Radioshack models with the rubber bulb. But this one combines the spring loaded pump that's built into the handler.

I've been doing a lot more de-soldering lately - I task I used to loath. I never became proficient with the spring loaded suckers. I picked up an FR-301 and combined with a cheap hot air rework station, de-soldering and removing chips is now pretty darn easy.

Hi Paul I just bought a Hakko FR-300 from Fry's for $320. I use to use the Solderpullit , solder wick. I use to use Metcal, Pace, and Hakko's at work, now that I am retired, I went for the Hakko since it was available locally at Fry's. What I found from people getting the cheap Chinese Desoldering tools is they are hard to get parts for, that is why I went with Hakko, great support for parts. I just ordered the other tips and cleaning supplies for my FR-300 from American Hakko, great support. I got a strange desoldering station from where I worked, it was free. Digging into the older desoldering stations that Hakko had the hand piece for that iron looked like a old Hakko 706 (Sylvania SS 200 on the base) so I got some old desoldering tips for it that were exact duplicates. I am very happy with Hakko although the parts were being discontinued, I probably will be buying more tips for my backup station. I think the Hakko's are better designed that the other cheaper Chinese knockoffs, you get what you pay for in quality. Later Ray Burke

we (USAF/ANG) used the pace desoldering tools and stations (for many many years), the black pistol grip Hakko I saw you use in your videos looks good and light--the larger blue Hakko looks a bit big and cumbersome

Another great show 👍👍👍

Paul I’ve had all those tools then I finally went to PACE stations and worked thru the yrs of styles and now have the PACE PRC 2000. I’m sure you know how much that system costs but the capabilities of what you can do is enormous. Plus you can change tips hot. I use 2 desoldering irons and a soldering iron with it so I rarely have to change tips as I use a fine and a larger tip that pretty much covers most component leads. Having a set of oxy acetylene tip cleaners is very handy also.

Excellent presentation

I was doing some point to point last night and I opened a new small blue pump I got from Ebay UK in October for £!.24 delivered to try it out and it got about 80% 90% of the solder out,only bought it because we had them thrusted on us at college doing the C&G 224 and I wanted to re-live those happy days...Anyway another great video from my favorite tech and two in a week so I am happy...............:)

The second pump/sucker you showed is easy to fix BEFORE it finally dies, put some tape around the loose connection (when you buy one) on top and it will serve you for years. Easy trick/fix, great pleasure.

Wow, if the soldering video was good then the desoldering video was SUPERB! Seriously after watching just how thorough this video is the previous soldering video seems it could use a revamp. Some examples, go more in-depth discussing the tools (soldering irons, types, tips, pencil, electric, butane, stations, etc. to solder and flux types, stands, sponges, eye protection, fume extractors, et. al.), what each is, how to use them, tool comparisons, etc. I know that this is a huge topic not easily condensed and all of this is discussed IN Mr. Carlson's videos as well as other YT videos so I personally didn't mind and felt the previous video was very good. But if I were a layman and wanted a one-sit-down video on the subject this video far exceeded the previous soldering video in almost every way. Yeah it was that good. This was a professional grade instructional video that would get anyone passed in their desoldering cert. with practice of course since the certs are practical and written exams. LOL

This is very practical and useful, thank you.

I can highly recommend the SS-02 for a compact handheld pump. The soft silicone tip is easily replaceable and gives a perfect seal around the pin and hole on the board. It is also a fully alu (and very sleek) construction including the back portion with the plunger and spring mechanism. Made in japan and shipped right to your door via amazon for 30$ :)

I found this informative, thank-you.

Thank you for the great video. The power tool would be handy on automotive gauge servos. If I was to do that job on a professional level , I'd have to have the power desoldering tool. I use scrap wire with flux to wick stuff.

that hako seems like the winner for sure, never had good luck with the wick. I have blown solder out of p2p work before, it makes a mess but it does work. I will have to get one of those pumps next time I need to work on an amp or multi layer board.

Nice one mr Carlson big thumbs up my friend

Thanks for the info!

Excellent demonstration. I had tried the same exact plunger thing as the blue one in the video when I started. I immediately switched to solder wick and started saving for a desoldering station the same day. The results are simply not worth not buying one. If you can't afford a Hakko, get a Chinese one from eBay. The wick is also very useful.

thanks for your efforts ...