Guide Removing ICs

[Lightning]

I was just preparing my board for trimming and I thought I'd post a little guide about removing ICs, provided you don't intend to keep them.

Cut the chip legs with a razor blade on a stick (or whatever they're called)

Pick up the main body

Desolder and clean the pads

PS: not sure why they all uploaded at weird angles

 

[Stitches]

Cut the chip legs with an razor blade on a stick (or whatever they're called)

I think the term you're looking for is "craft knife".

 

[Lightning]

That's it lol, a craft knife!! and as an additional tip, you can make craft knife blades last longer if you own a whetstone

 

[ShockSlayer]

I have an X-acto knife that probably sees more use than any of my other tools.

This is definitely one way to do it, if you're trimming or the IC is completely useless/fried. You can also just hit the chip directly with a small blowtorch pen to transfer heat to all the pads. Don't breathe the smoke, and watch out for it popping or cracking little fragments off, and exersize general caution as, well...fire.

It's still a lot better to get a hot-air station for this kinda stuff, or some chip-quik or desoldering braid. An opportunity to practice soldering never hurts.

 

[Lightning]

I'm planing on getting a combo solder station soon, the precision hot air tool is a game changer

 

[Dave Mackintosh]

Will you be sharing what ICs are safe to remove?

 

[Lightning]

You mean on the 79001 or just in general?

 

[Dave Mackintosh]

In general, must be power savings if we remove components. No?

 

[Lightning]

I'm thinking so, maybe not much, since they probably didn't use much when the disc drive wasn't in use. Its hard to say without doing a baseline comparison of systems with and without those components