Task: Purchase a Hot Air Rework Station for Removing Bad Chips from Atari 8-Bit Computer Circuit Boards
Needed: Desoldering Iron, Circuit Board, Hot Air Rework Station
Time: 30-60 minutes
Introduction
I previously posted about purchasing and using a desoldering iron to remove bad chips from Atari circuit boards that are not socketed. Key to this effort is removing the chips without damaging the circuit board. This can happen when there is residual solder on the legs of the chip that adhere it to the board in a way that could not be reached by the desoldering effort. Forcing the chips out can pull up the traces on the circuit board thus damaging it. A really easy way to deal with the issue of sticky chips is to heat the legs with a hot air gun that can heat air to 500-700 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the range of heat that a solder gun uses to melt solder.
The technique is to heat the pins of both sides of the chip while lifting the chip with a chip lifter or other similar tool (see photo below of me doing this). I found that just a few seconds of heating on both sides is needed for the chip to come loose. Super easy and effective.
Instructions
Step one is to purchase a hot air rework station. I was not familiar with any of the brands and ended up going with the Yihua 959D which seemed to have good reviews, lots of sales, and was labeled an Amazon’s Best Choice. This one was $63 when I purchased it in 2024. There are other brands that run about $40 to $80. I have been very happy with it. It is extremely easy to use, heats very quicky, comes with several attachments and tools, and is remarkably quiet compared to the ones I saw in how-to videos. The gun itself is light and easy to maneuver. The unit is pretty small and doesn’t take up a lot of desk real estate.
Step two is to watch some online videos for best practices. Here is one I like from Adrian’s Digital Basement. This is the technique I have used successfully and recommend here.
Step three is to give it a try! As stated above, the technique is to heat the pins of both sides of the chip while lifting the chip with a chip lifter or other similar tool. After a few second it will pop right off.
Comments
The hot air method was amazing for getting chips off. I had no idea it would be so easy. The desoldering itself is quite easy as well. You can see in the photo below my first effort using both tools to get some bad RAM out. No traces or contacts were hurt in the making of this post! Well worth the $60.
